, 1873-09-01
WATER.SuPPLY.
A Discttssinn n1til Uomrnri1dn or the
Vnriolas SystUniH.

VnriONs bystUniHs
HYDE rAnK, ILL.,, Aug. 10 1S73.
10 tho Editor n 1'hs Chtcago Tribune:
Sin: Our groat pnmp-War," which ngitntod
tim minds Of tho ontfro community for months
pnot, having boon brought to all ond by tho
adoption Of the Holly ayssou1, ind tho ignorntn-
ioua tlofoat OF tho mornborB OF tho Water board,
who woro bo strongly opposed to It, 1t may not
bo out Of pIaco to mako comparison botwocn
tho various systoms Of water-Bupply ss adopted
III somo of tho larger and smaller cities In order
to create discussion on tho relative merits OF
onch, and thus enlighton tho public OH worry
important question, which la far from boing as
oloar to tho groat majority az tho linlpid waters
Of Lake Michigan.
Where sufficient head Of water oan bo OBJ
tninod. tho Vt natural law Of gravitatlon fur
nishos tho boBt moaua Of gottiny a supply for O
largo city, even whore tho water Inns to DO
brought from great distance the City
Of GlhHgos, ecotland, having porhnps the
most extensive works Of. this kind In
tho world, bosidoa tho best supply Of water,
whother aB regards quantity or quality.
II is over twonty years ainco tho proposition WAS
mado to bring water to tho city from Loeh
Katrine,"a a distance of 40 1nilos ard, az tho
country through which the worlts had to bo con-
structod WAS as wild md rugged az the high
lands generally are, tho projectors of tho scheme
wero worry generally looked upon aB promising
graduates for lunatio asylum. Neverthetoss,
the work wnB commenced in duo time, aud buc-
dollars, to tho great joy of tho Inhabitants,
mud tho utter discontinue and astonishment
Of those who opposed tho schemo. Tho
wator is conveyed through monster Iron mains,
having uniform ,grado tho wholo dlHtanco to
tho reservoir, passing underneath mountains Of
granite, acroBa doer gnlloys and gfens; and tho
T'';ala work combined Ii certainly one Of the
loading engineering tfiilmphs0f tho age. The
reservoir iB several hundred feet abova sLa
level Of tho city, and is large enough to hold two
habitauts. Consequently, taking everything
into consideration, the Glasgow Wator- Works
aro certainly modsl in every respect, upon
which no improvement could, be easily sug-
gostod.
The System Of forcing water to . sufficient
elevation, into reservoir, is scarcely inferior to
grayitation, except in the expense Of pumping
and tho riska attending the breaking Of 1naehin-
cry. ii tho storage, however. is ample, no dan,
aa people are always willing to pay for good
thing, tho one III just about good as tho other
il tho supply OF water be abundant. At the
Tairmount Water Works, III Philadelphia, water
powor: is brought; into requisition to do tho
pumping, which, being considerably chehper
than steam, tho annual saTing from using 1t
must be quite an itom. 1T MONTREAL tho water
is forced by steam-power to height Of nearly q
Thousand loot nbovo the city, the gfoat e!eVetlon
making the use Of hro.engincs anpeshuous; Il ana
tho water-supply Is undoubtedly the beHt on this
Next in order ia tho "stand.pipo systeu,." :"
| and with which the citizens Of Chicago arc best
acquainted; but, unfortunately for them,
they lavo q koen knowledge OF the fact
that, although they ara living beside an
ocean OF oxcellont water they nave barely enough
| for the common necessarios Of lie. while the
luxury OF bath can only 10 insurou by having
tho bathroom on tho ground noor Of, Buror stiil
in the basement, ana uecont,looKlnE fountain
is out OF tho question altoGethof. Ihia IS noE.
however, the fault OF the system bns afleoa IRON
o. want OF IT'S proper application. u inc nfs'
place. Tug 10 ,.1s pu.is am 81 1ssat
worBe than either, OF inc
arc too small 70 equai1ze tho pressure. u Ihll
eVil was femeaiou' OF, o9ttor Blu, nna ~ nosei "
existed, tho city conid haYo . gooa Supply 0.
sufficient. without the aid Of another pumping ne
works. "a good many cls!es suneI 1ro1l u tnt
sane cause, TIC oSli bolhg III propoTtlon TO tn'
head Of Wator.1 when the WaSei-Works vert
built, aud tower erected to tho height Of Aot
foet, million OF inhabitants could get super,
abundance Of water from this source alone, will
aporfect system OF dlstrlbutlon' anti thero woaie
bo ITO necessity OF mailing second tunnel. at
cost Of millions Of dollars and waste OF pre-
cioua years ; md vonturo to predict that "ho'
this elephant il full grown and aet to work, th
supply will scarcely bo an improvement on whn
it il to-day, as tue population by that time VII
10 doublc what it Was before the tire. Mean
WHILE tllo oitlzoi,B Will continue to taRe patl
in their cellars or In the lake, curse tile boasd o
rublic Works, aud growl through the columns Q
tho press at any ono who ls bold enough to nav
sck'y spray thrown from fountain or lawn
sprinkler during the heated term.
Tho Dircct-pross,ro system, which is OIL NJ
lately coming, into general use IN our smalle
Cities il by. far the best and most economics
method which thoy could adopt. Il is the onl
plan by Which uniform pressure eau be ut
laned all over the works, and that, too, at PREF
suro equal to nearly 200 feet head OF watel
which, in case Of fire, can DO greatly, incfeaset
when I'LL that is necessary il to attach the hos
to the hydrants, from which mora oneet.s [e.''a
streams call ba thrown than from any ordanar
tra-ongino. What is known as the Holly 81
tenn is decidedly the best and most popular
having already boon introduced huccebstuliy
all the principal btatoa OF tho Vmoh' 1nos
who swear by Holly ai1lrm that his pumps ~
: superior to ovory other at least gooa mar