The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-07-09


pAsY. The case of the Coldmbia Water
Power Company was continued. yester-
day. with uuabated interest: The testi.
mouy taken was Of decided but contrary
character.
Major Mahon's examination was re-.
sumed. In answer to the question ". @.
ther the water power is sufficient to run
the new Water Works and throw into the
city supply OF 1900, 900 gallons daily,
besides the contingent for the peniten.
tiary, he answered that it was not. He
explained that the whole amount of
power is 8l.75 CUBIC feet. If from this
49 cubic feet be deducted, equivalent to
100 horsepower, with 1S feet head and
fall, at peuitentiary. for it's use, there
will be left 81 rs for the supply of the
city; whereas 40 will be required for the
100000 gallons daily. There would
be deficiency of 1925 in each twenty
four hours. One reason why sufficient
quantity OF water was not secured for the
penitentiary and city was that the calcula-
tions were partly based on tile statements
OF ferrymen and fishermen as to the
msan water-mark. 10 point Of fact,
the mean average ot the wa.er il the
rivers of this State, and in the South
generally, for the last three years, has
been lower than ever before. To remedy
the difficulty thus arising. he had sug-
gested to Colonel Pearce to raise the
dam, or to bring the water of Smith 8
Branch. two and n half miles up the
river, either In wooden trunks along the
line OF the Greenville and Columbia
Railroad, or by canal along the river
hank ~ of olo Coo;k1,p,
Branch is below the old reservoir These
suggestions were not acted upon. The
It's cubic feet left after the penitentia-
ry is supplied. wilt throw into the city
1896. 600 gallons of water. head OF
% or q feet may be got at the peniten-
tiary. In that case, 1924 cubic feet
would suffice for its use, and would leave
i3 for the city. It would require seven
horse power additional to get the water
| from the river 80 as to secure "a feet
head ut the penitentiary. He testified,
too, that he had desired to give a diff
ierent and higher location to the line of
pipes.
| General Butler, Of counsel for the city,
read the conveyance Of the canal to s..
A. Pearce, trustee for VIM. Sprague. In
it supply for the penitentisry was re-
served, it was to be used for hydraulic
purposes only, aud was within given
time to be widened and deepened to
twice its original capacity.
Mayor Alexander was next examined.
He regarded the works as Of ouly a
temporary character, not calculated to
last longer than five or six years. The
shaft, which comes out of the water to
the bevel wheel at the top, is supported
in part by 10x12 timbers, with supports
running across 81S. The bearings are
bolted to fiat timbers, with nothing to
keep them from moving. They ought
to have been let into timber. He did
not see the foundations of the water
wheel, but could cay that the bevel
wheels on the top had not been put up
properly, and were not in line. They
were working on the edge Of the teeth
OF the gearing, and were out OF their
fifty feet long, from the wheel to the
pumps. The bearings are put down on
timber; also the shafting with brick
support to those timbers about twenty.
one feet There are also two temporary
wooden benches, one between the brick
pier and the pen stock. and one between
the pier and the pump house. with
screws, so as to be adjusted at any time.
The bearings of that shaft are put up
for only temporary use. The whole
strain comes on tho bolts. They are not
let into the timbers at all. In tho pump
house there are three sets Of mitre gear
ing which drive the six pumps; none OF
this gearing is put up properly. Neither
set is squarely put up. They all work
on the outer edge in the same way as the
large wheel, and show that they are
wearing ont now. The supports. OF
piers supporting the pipes. which cross
the canal, are about thirty feet apart,
with two temporary wooden trnsseq on
benches put down into the canal This
is only Temporary arrangement. II
the timber should give way, the whole
structure would tumble. The force
pipes, which run from the new Water
Works. connecting them with the old.
are improperly laid down. The faucet
is placed the wrong way. It ought al
ways to be against the pressure of the
water. In consequence OF being laid
tho wrong wny, they are already leak
ing and growing weaker.
Mr.. jerks, who was examined on Mon.
day, was recalled, and testified that he
considered the pumps sufficiently strong.
| w Il, ,:.i. Al.