Daily Republican., 1878-12-06
TsE WATER SUPPLY.
The PrOpOs zion Of the Bancroft
Brothers To furnish the city with
Water.


At the meeting Of the City Council
last night, Mr.. Paynter chairman o.
the Water Committee, sent to the clerk 4
desk and had read the following com
munication from the Bancroft Brothers
in relation to furnishing the City with
water:
ROCKFORD, 18th Mo. ID, 1878.
To The Water Committee Of the Cty Coua.
ell @ Wilmington:
We wish to lay before you our views
in egard to wha! should be the cost to
the city of taking water from this place:
We think we can show that-while
by this means without building any
sewer along the Brandywine-the un-
desirable matter from factories, GENE.
teries, dwellings, &C., on all the ground
which drains into that stream south =
east of the ridge on which the Mt.
Salem meeting houie and cemetery are
situated, will be avoided; the burdens
Of the taxpayers will not be even TEN.
porarilv increased; and that the cost of
getting water must in few years be
much less than If it should be pumped
at the present station.
We need scarcely refer to the proba.
BILE Cost of building sewer along the
creek. The difficulties and vast ex
pense of trying to protect the water
from impurities in that way are forci-
bly, shown in the report for the year
1877, of NJ. c. Connell, the city's Chief
Engineer and Surveyor.
Our proposition, laid before the
Water Committee some months since,
was in substance as follows:
I've are willing that the city
should take any amount OF water ont
of our race, or out of the stream above
here, if it will pay for the loss of power,
in,the % le-t fall at this place, 81 for
each million Of gallons 80 taken.
2-If the city will lay a 30-incl
main to this place We will agree to put
in sufficient machinery to pump 5000,
900 gallons day; and fore. water into
the main for 81 million gallons, max.
ing the whole charge from us S. pei
million gallons.
3-We will, when the city may 81
desire, sell to it at prize to be decided by
referees, if not otherwise agreed upon,
site for steam pumping machinery
where water can be drawn from oul
race, or, in case it is empty, from the
creek.
In addition to what We would receive,
the city should compensate the
owners Of the water powers below here
for the loss which they would sustain
from the water being taken out of it,
natural course. We estimate that the
power derived from 1000, 600 gallons o.
water falling one foot can be replaced by
steam power at q cost of five cents
There is not more than 25 feet fall be
tween this place and the millers' dam,
therefore 81 .25 for each million gallon
taken out would enable the owners Of
water rights to replace it with steam
power.
In regard to the water right at the
head of tide, the Water department es-
Inmates that in the first and second
rights now owned by the city there are
l7,0o0, 900 of gallons each "a hours.
Should the city discontinue pumping
at that place it will have the water
power to rent except it will be lessened
by the amount of water takeu out
above. Ifthe city used 10000 gal
Ions day, and it was all taken out OF
the water rights now used by it, this
would only lessen the power about one
fourth. For use in the comparison of
cost which We wish to lay before you
we have estimated that the remaining
three tourths of the power would rent
for 81 900 year.
If we add to the amount which we
have proposed to charge, $1,000 the
sum which We have estimated would
compensate the owners of the water
powers below here-other than the
city-($l.25) it will show the whole
probable cost TO the city for water TAX
TN from this place, for pumping and
water rights to be $6.25 per million
gallons.
In regard to the cost of pumping from
the present station, it appears from the
report of the department for 1877
that the running expenses of the
water power pumps-exclusive of the
cost of epairs-amounted to $2.52 for
each million of gallons pumped, there
being about $50, 900, 900 otgallons raised
during the year. This was to the Mar
ket street reservoir, TIE surface of which
is ue believe, about 100 feet above tide
water. The Cool Spring Reservoir is
about 20 feet higher. The water power
will, Of course, not l. as much wate,
to the new basin. II 'eems large es-
innate, but say it will raise 1856, 900, 900
gallons year.
If the total running expenses
should continue the sane, they
will be tor each million of gal
Ions 81 So
This machinery is we understand
in bad order; We suppose the
cost of repairs to 1t may be put
down at $3.50 year. This will
be, per million gals. pumped, So
Making the whole cost Of pumping
a million Gals. from the height
Of tide, by water power, and -
with the present machinery, % rs
The running expenses of the Will
mington pump during the year
1877 were, per million gallons $40
The 20 feet additional height must
increase this, say 80
During 1877 the price Of coal was
exceptionally low. We think
that for q series of years it may
be- estimated at least one-eighth
part higher. This will add 80
We find in Fanning's Water Sup
ply Engineering that the aver
erage cost of repairs to steam