The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-11-30
WAFER NORRIS


= from the Dubuque Daily Times an
) the Dubuque Daily Herald are OF veT
recent date:
We are in receipt Of late Dubudut
J Iowa, papers, by which we learn tbs
the people Of that city are greatly II
Joice1 at the completion Of their Ne
water works On the new Holly DlaT
The works were tested on the 25t
ult., not only to the entire acceptaue
, OF the City Council, but to the great
est delight and satisfaction Of tn
people. The water is obtained from
the Mississippi rIver, by filtration
through the banks into a reservOi
provided for the purpose, with a ca
pacity for holding 30O,O to 400. 90
gallons. At the trial, To test both tn
capacity of the reservoir and the ei
hciency of the Holly machinery an
pipes, the two steam fire engines O
the city were stationed at the reser
yoir and hose attached to five of tn
1re plugs Of the street mains. Tn
size of the nOZZles used was from
to inches, and at i given sigma
all commenced playing at the sam
instant, and the seven cOntinuOu
streams were kept running, with tn
Iull engine power of the works an,
the Two steamers, for one hour AM
thirty-five minutes, during which
time the water in the reservoir, whicl
at the time of commencing was 4 fee
8 inches in depth, was lowered but =
inches. The several streams of waite
were thrown to a height of from on,
hundred to hundred and fifty feet
and the aggregate volume of waite
thrown was sufficient to have almOs
instantly drowned out any possibl,
contiagratiOn that might get Started
The Dubuque Daily Times, in speak
ing Of the works and the test, SAYS:
Better, more serviceable for do
nestle uses and for quenehing fires
/ than the most sanguine had dareC
hope have the water works proveC
| themselves on their final severe test
which took place on Wednesday af
/ ternOOn."
The Dubuque Daily Herald, allud.
ing to the value of the works 70 the
city, and the influence which they
should have on insurance, editOrially
says:
''The final test of the new water
works was made, yesterday, and
seems to have given general satisfae-
tion. Dubuque now has an abund-
ant supply of good, pure, fresh water,
luxury no other city in the State oi
Iowa possesses. 1t is u matter of gen.
eral cOngratulation.
SIN view of the facilities now Of
fered for extinguishing fires-facili-
ties such as the city never before had,
and which have been obtained only
by the expenditure of a large sum OF
money-the question arises if insur-
ance rates can justly be raised in
Dubuque. We trust our insurance
men will take this matter into con-
sideraUion; and while they look at the
fearful losses by the great Chicago
fire on one hand, they will also con-
slider our fine water works upon the
other. One shOuld have its rights as
well as the other"
The indianapolis people also, have
done themselves the credit and the
justice to adopt the Holly system,
their new works having been tested
on the 18th nit. These works were
built by q private joint stock COM
pany, under charter granted by the
city, and are driven by water power
instead of steam. The supply of
water is obtained from wells through
filtratiOns from White River, we be-
heve. The test was made from eight
sections Of hose. each fifty feet IN
length, from as many hydranIs in
different parts of the city at the same
time, the pipes being strapped to lamp
posts and telegraph poles by the CaIef
Fire Engineer of the city under whose
direction, in connection with the
Water Works Committee of the City
Council, the test Was made. rne
calibre of the eight uOzZles used was
as follows one one incn; one one and
one eighth ineh three one and one
fourth inch two one and three eighths
inch; and one one half inch, making
in all ten and one eighth inches solid
opening, besides the usual city supply,
which was not in the least restricted
when the test was made. The pres
sure was for the first hour Of the test
80 pounds to the inch, the hight to
which theseveral streams were thrown
ranging from l25 to $50 feet.
The pressure was afterwards reduced
to so pounds to the inch, and still the
water was thrown over their highest
four story buildings. Some idea Ofthe
amount of water thrown during the
test may be formed when it is known
that at a pressure Of So pounds to the
inch, q one inch nozzle at the same
pressure, will discharge 665 gallons.
The charter required that at the test
trial eight streams should be thrown
a One-inch nozzle 100 feet
high, and the actual performance was
equal to about 13 One-inch streams,
and the average hight fully One-fOurth
greater than that required. Both the
Sentinel and Journal speak in the
highest terms Ofthe performance, and
the City Council promptly accepted
the works, as completely filing tire
of the charter, and made
provisions for taking the required
of hydrants for fire protection
at q rental of fifty dollars per year
each, and to regulate the prices to
private consumers, which for a dwell
ing house of six rooms or less is only
5 per year, and 81 for each addition
al room, and for other purposes a.
about the same rates.
Des MOines, Iowa, has her Holly
Works almost ready for operation.
Rock Island, Ill, is pushing the build
ing Of hers along vigorously. Moline
IS about commencing hers, and
Davenport is now taking hold of the
matter in earnest. In our own State,
TOO, Springfield and a number of other
towns, besides those
which have them in successful opera
ton, are now agitating the question,
and it is hoped that the good people of
Akron, as with one common impulse,
iOr their own individual comfort and
"a well as for the public
good, will again move in the matter
If the Holly system is not the best
hat can De devised, let some other be
but at all events, let the
people of Akron, enterprising and
Drovident in everything else, not be
behind other cities and towns of far
ess importance in a matter 50 essen |
.ial to the public health, the prOtec-
ion of both public and private prop
srty, and the future growth and pros
Derity Of our city.