The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-12-07

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HotEY WATUR W0Rks Ann
~ PBNleoY1A WAT1R 0URA
i95 .KtNosHA, WISCONSIN,.
ssa Nov. "a, 1871.
Editors Courier Noticing an
article in your issue Of the 21st, rcla.
tive to my recent visit at . Holly
Water Works in operation, | see
you locate them at Kenosha Wis,
instead of Kalamazoo Mich. Ken.
osha is . fine town Of about {, 700 in.
and should have perfect
fire protection judging from the nu-
merous burnt districts scattered here
and there. They have Hand Engines
and oisterns and have suffer-
I'd severely IN loss Of life and proper
y BY fire. That your rssdsrs may
be more fully informed on this i'm
portant subject I will relate briefly,
the information obtained ct Kala-
maxoo,, where they have the Holly
System in successfdl operation, also
offer some general observations.
This charming city Of 10000 peo-
Pile. is splendidly built on high
rolling ground, with wide Nicholson
paved streets, and costly buildings Of
I'll classes, displaying excellent archi.
tectural effect. It is an important
center and has all the CON.
veniencies of Q first GLASS city.
Among the many advantages enjoy
cd BY this enterprising people ID
their Mayor. He is the right man
in the right place. Mayor Pratt has
made Hydraulics . study and knows
the practical workings Of al Water
Systems for cities a. we'll - Tho
theory. To this agreeable gentle
man / am indebted for valuable in.
and kind attention.
About three years ago the city
was visited with, what seemed to
them, large fre, which destroyed
$40, 600 % worth Of property. This
with previous losses convinced the
people that their two Hand Fire
Engines and cisterns would never
answer for An adequate nre proteo.
ton. Water Works was demanded.
from the best civil engin.
ers showed the cost Of Water Works
on the Gravity or Reservoir principle
10 be $500, ,00O. About this time
their watchful Mayor got wind Of
the then new Holly System. With
> few leading citizens be quietly
visited Auburn and Binghampton,
New York, the only places having
them in operation at that time.
They returned convinced that their
city could have . superior System
and save 5000, 900 by adopting the
Holly works. The citizens were
generally skeptical.. The Works
however were put in and on tho day
ofthe official trial eight streams were
thrown ct one time 125 feet high
through oneinch uosxles, and contin-
ued for hours, and from Hydrants
about town at great dis
lance from the works other equally
satisfactory tests were made, aud
has been heard Of skepti.
oism about Holly Works since. It
was dro,cned out. The people on
every street are demanding water
mains, and all are we'll pleased. In
the suburbs of the city stands Q
!arge Female Seminary costing some
b35, 600. Laat Septem ber the root
;ook fire about the chimney, the
DANES following mp under the roof.
There was no quantity Of water in
the neighborhood and the nearest
,ity Hydrant wss SU0 tset away.
Hose were attached to it, carried to
he building, and up four fight of
stairs into the tower. A hole cut in
The root, the fire oxtinguished, and
The Seminary saved. At another
lime while Ill were at dinner, q
arge Dye House roofw was discovered
IN full blaze. In eleven minutes
rom the alarm it was put out and
saved by the hosemen from
The Hydrant near by. The city has
lost no property since the establish.
ment of the works. Insurance
against damage by ,Oater instead Of
ire will soon be 10 demand, when tho
system becomes fully perfected.
Their hosemen say they can take
the siding and shingles from a
building faster than three men can
with the best of appliances.
The Mayor obtained the amount
of insurance paid BY the entire city
for the year previous TO and the year
following the completion of the
Works, and found . saving of el4,-
500 the first year. As continued proof
is added showing absolute safety from
large fires, less amount of insurance
IL taken ON property, thus saving on
gross amount as we'll at rate per cent.
About e66, 900 was expended on the
Works the first year, giving them
Blk miles OF water main. Now they
have nine miles Of main and ninety
costiog al ssld MP. to this
t,me 5000. They regret now not
having purchased the Gang Pump at
The beginning, aIso that they built
their buildlngs Of wood instead of
brick, as considerable saving in year.
y expenses would have been the
result. The total running expenses
This year will be 36, 800. The cost of
coal at Ottnmwa would reduce this
amount to 5000 per year. The re.
ceipts from Water rents is about
81, 1000. This small amount is owing
10 impure water for domestic pur.
poses, it being drawn from small
brook Of doubtful cleanliness. I'm.
provemsnts now going on will, when
completed. double the Water rents
before the end Of q year. | am in /.
formed that Water Works bonds is,
sued by cities are regarded by
as first class, and are
sought for by those seeking invest
mente.
Now that Ottumwa has, byl her
vote, determined to put in the Holly
system, allow mo to make . few sug