New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-23
CITY CoUNCIL--oFFICIAL
REGULAR MEETING.

presiding. and Administrators Brewster
Calhoun, Fitzenreiter. Lewis. Schneider and
Turnbull.
The minutes Of the last meeting we're
approved.
Communications from the Mayor and Ad-
rninistratOrs.
The following communication from Mr.
Fjtzenreiter was received and. on motion OF
Mr., Lewis, was ordered to be inserted IN
the ioulnal and printed:
DEPARTMENT OF WATERwoRKs AND
Public Buildings, April l9. 1875. }
To the City Council Of New Orleans;
feel it nv duty to call your attention to
the inadequate supply of water existing III
this city, and would urge the necessity OF
rpmedviug this want. A considerable mis-
apprehension exists with regard to our
present works. ! beg leave to submit the
following report
PUMPING ENGINES AND RESERVOIR
The works are supplied with two double
acting engines and one reservoir, one-hait
Of which was destroyed last year: the re-
naming portion is of out limited use. ana
its entire destruction would not Do very
detrimental to the water supply Each
,n,ins has two cylinders and two pumps.
The new engine is 40 arranged that II can
he disconnected and when necessary one
half OF the machinery can be worked. mus
virtually giving us three sets of pumping
machinery. which is sufficient under pres
ent circumstances to guarantee against the
entire stODpage of the water supply. 4he
capacity os the engines is az follows:
SEW ENGINE.
Seven 20 ten strokes per minute, forcing
1920 gallons TO each stroke; extreme ca,
pacitv 10 twenty-fOur hours. Il.oso oVo
gallons
Twelve 20 seventeen strokes per minute.
forcing AGO gallons TO each stroke; extreme
canacitv in twenty-four hours al ,4O' $50
Gallons. thus making joint capacity OF
Is .O95, $50 gallons. These figures are taken
from the records of this Office showing what
n. ENGINES ought to do. find from actual
obseryation that the old engine, when
worked with sufficient pressure TO keep
head of water in the vicinity OF Canal
street. ranging from twenty-five to thirty
feet, does not supply more than one-halI
the water that the new engine does. AS Tor
the CAPACITY of the new engine, think she
fulIy comes up to the figures laid down; but
+hn old engine must be set down tor
GOO 900 gallons, furnished with sufficient
Dressure to be serViceable. Now these TWO
engines force through the same main, and
can not be worked at the same tlmei cOnse'
ouentlv the serviceablc capacity OF the
works is what the new engine can furnish.
and not some 23OO0,OOO gallons when
believe they generally get credlt Tor. AN
Improvement could be made by furnishing
the engines with separate force mains
adarted to their power. The only force
main il not of sufficient size tor the new
engine: leading from the old engine.
II i. used by' the large engine by
connection made almost at right angle
These engines at night force into the Ieser'
| yoir; during the day they force into the
! pipes, the latter giving better head OF
water. The reservoir pressure. at dis
| lance from the works. furnishes water al
an elevation of twenty-nine feet; the new
! on gine can and has furnished 1t as high as
! torty-seyen feet near Canal street, but TO
! keen i at that il will be necessary TO pre-
vent the waste from street plugs. There
are some sixty miles OF pipe laid. without
| regard TO uniformity IN size, ranging IN
| diameter from four 10 thirty inches This
| ;rreoularity in the distribution OF the pipes
IA ,nr of the disadvantages that we labor
! under that can not well be remedied at
rr.sant. but i will have 20 be before the
| works can be made as servlceable as they
| ought 20 be.
The only Improvement that ought to be
! made at present i the laying OF additional
pipes. extending the same to sections en-
! t;I.iv without water. We should not hest.
! tate in this for the fear that the machinery
can no. furnish the water. for do not
hesitate 70 say that the machinery can fur
n;sh double the quantity of pipes with
| water that are in use to-day. The increased
! length Of pipes does not increase the con
! sumption OF water comparatively. FOR
years past the quantity used has, in but one
instance. reached 100000 per day. and
that was last year. when there was the
| greatest scarcity OF water; that amount
| would not have been necessary. but 1t had
| 70 90 70 feed leaks and plugs that were lett
running continually. | have known OF forty
| five plngs closed off in one day, shortly
| after entering Oh duty i'll this department.
! attribute the scarcity OF water TO TINS
| simple fact. During the past four months
| have in few instances, found 1t necessary
10 employ more than One-thlrd OF the pow
er to furnish an abundance OF water: the
profitable results Of the stOppage OF water
| has been the decrease of the consumption
of fuel during the past two months. The
reduced quantity OF coal consumed can no:
| he puua!eu BY any months, even in years
| when the reservoir was in good order
| Everr gallon of water furnished requires a
| prupOrtionate amount of coal to supply the
same, matter that few think OF III the
| manner that water is wasted at times. Ia
| connection with this matter l would advise
tina purchase of d number of mod n
fire plugs that can not be so easily
opened as those in use at present
y number sufficient t. place Il
localities most addicted to waste would
answer. All that is required at present
would be the purchase of sav thirty mile:
of nine. which would be sufficient to ex
tend three main. through the Fourth int
the Sixth District. The extension of thu
mains III the upper portion OF the 4hirt
District to its lower limits. and two main:
running parallel t. each other from Felicity
road to El,sian Fields. sklrting the QUITE
area of the present water districts. EN
tensions tor domestic purposes could ot
made from time TO time ON Application by
those requiring water. which would by IN
| creased revenue pay for itself. The ah0''
extensions properly made could supply {
| larger section and protect the saintshetteI
| than double the length OF pipes does to-day
! Aftr. extensions have btcn made. othe'
| Improvements can Ice added. such as IN
pr0vin. the present reservoir and placing
! atid;t!una! reservoirs az convenient points
! The mere reservoir room yon nave. IN
more ecnncmira. viii b" your works, an,
| n. better vii! YOU be protected in The
event OF a large conhagro ton. rs tor the
| quality Of the water furnished that can IL
materially improved. and az but compare
tive s!ighf cost mere II @uNlcltut room II
front OF Il 9 works that could be used to
tie construction o! liltering basins. which
would furnish water lar superior 10 that w
| now use: if Il would not n hiteIng RAPIDLY
! through gravel come ont as clear as crYSta!
it would. after passing through one OF NOR
,.ser. nirs and many miles OF pipes. Toe waite
til for all purposes. and much 10 be pre-
tprred 30 ;h' water used that Is turni>he'
by summer ralns.
| The city owns large river front. which
could a. small cost be fitted into basins 10
this purpose. Water settled and filtered
II this manner is better than the water :ur