Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-08-17
the Daily aevess aud 1atstaiau
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YAhkToN CAkofA
Friday Evening, August ", 1877

Friday Evening, August ", 1871
MISSOURI sve.
Preparing ss- Water ~ b River for ~.
Sse1trsss Ass@aehs 81 ~. D.ssss
Isl. ID.as Daily Timrs.l
For i've years she talent 81 one ws.er
board after another has been directed 10
The problem Of cteooiBRs the reoefvOiFp.
Learning that the wOfk was 10 operation, q
Ttmes reporter Waited The p0toa lase week
and there witnessed the plan Of operation
- st present PuIsued. 10 =
Tho cleaning which follows the June
rise 10 always the heaviest, for The wster Ut
that time Of the year holds more sediment
tsan q any other" remarked Mr.. Tesuay,
. shScwd yOuny man. who was overseeing
the process. This year the June rise
water has had q heavier sediment than for
years" f'
"Why"
We'll. there v.ss verv little rise in The
Mississippi, and nearly all the water We got
here was from the Missouri. which brings
The mud. There Is basin No. 1; we have
en- days. II was pumped full this morn.
ing" "Yes," chimed 10. the veteran aate.
keeper, " and just observe the difference
between the settling when q reservoir has
just been cleaned" gg3ff -
The reporter examined the water. and in
eight hours Of settling In q clean basin. it
hsd changed from the muddy color OF the
Missouri TO that OF the Mississippi Above
Alton.
sHere Is basin No. 9" said Nj. Tieruaav.
We commenced ON it this morning. Il
hadn't been cleaned for four month"; In
the condition It was only six and q half feet
Of water could be dmwn of for use. and
the last two feet Of that would be awful
muddy"
.What did you find ?" a
"Well, we ran off through the sewer three
feet Of liquid mud, and there l. four feet
left, which is too solid to move Of itseIf,
We work that off by gradually l~oosen;np II
with shovels and letting the water which re
get carry it into the sewer"
Into the corner nearest the sewer a stream
Of water from the low service pumps ~
flowing which had already cleared ont the
corner. Then along the side q ditch had
been run by means Of . constant working
with shovels and . three inch stream Of wa
ter brought over from the adjoining re,er-
vIoir in a syphon. The water poured upon
the deposit had no further effect Than to
loosen it and carry along the sohest portion.
The rest was showed along down to the pnt
ter with great wooden hoes. When the cut
ter had been worn ont along the side of the
reservoir to the western end . heavy stream
was let In through the gate house. This
stream ran down the gutter to the corner
already cleared, and then bore of ~ an
angle to the sewer opening. As the gang Of
men work along the bank of mud, thew Kent
the stream in a sluice close up against them.
and as the bank was broken down. the chr
rent and the hoes hurried down toward the
sewer. The magnitude Of the work TO he
appreciated must be seen. ga
"1fs like glue" said Tiernay, "aud no
body understands it who hasn't worked on
Pr You notice that peculiar twist The men
give to the shovel - they break down the
edge Of the bank into the water? There's
. brick In that A green man viii vear
himself out in 4 few hours trying to ne the
shovel In that stuff. But q little tvist cets
the air under the lump and it breaks dovn
easy"
There were forty men on the floor Of the
reservoir, up TO their knees and va;sts In
the mud and water. The city pavs them
81 % day and those who wish are furnish.
cd with rubber boots and leggins. The
most prefer not to wear them. The reporte,
suggested bare feet and legs n the IA nren.
aration for that work.
No." said Tiernay,, shat stuff n Ike
glue in its place, but spread out on the BOT.
tom Of the reservoir it is like grease. Tho
men with ordinary shoes on have to nv
nails in them to keep their footing At all"
There we're forty men At work on The
basin, and. five days was the least time they
could expect to complete the work Of clean.
ing that single basin in. Before thevS fni.h
they will have to use . million ~pafions II
water in cleaning out the mud. Affer The
four basins are cleaned Tiernay will take :
smaller force and go over them again. one
after the other, until frost sets 10, When sthey
will have to be let alone till spring. Then,
ifthe river gets low enough, they Will re-,
spring cleaninga If not they vill hsve h
wait till after the June rise, when the rive,
always goes down. That Is the f.nlt NJ ~.
reservoirs. They are built toolow 10 msts
the sewers available, except when The rive,
u down. lfthe bottom Level v.s ten ~
higher than y il, they could Be cleaned 4
almost any time except when the river, i
booming. The commissioners have stnd;ad
The subject Of cleaning a good deal. and
With Mr.. Tiernay's practical experience
have got the process down % that f. ~.
about half a much annually now Is it did
three years ago. this time q The ct.
ting OF winter clearer water than far M.
past month may b looked for.
the sruFFsse KNOCKED OUT.
Chicago Inter Ocean,
They met Ga the outgoing train q few even
ings ago. One . distinguished republican
senator, the other an ex-oficial of high char.
acter. who has longssood prominently before
the country. Said the latter:
TELL me, now, iissr NO., what do you think
Of The republican prospects and the policy O
the adminiatratioo?"
Said the fnrmar.