The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-06-27
ZEE wArEK woRks oUEsr1oN.
The Preliminary Surveys and Estimate

The Preliminary Surveys and Estimates.
The committee of the city council ap-
pointed to investigate the question of es-
tablishing water works system, has
employed Robert Milliken to make pre-
liminary surveys from the city to the
NeOsho river, to ascertain the practi-
cability of a reservoir system from that
direction. MIR. Milliken has, accordingly,
run survey lines from the corner of Fifth
avenue TO the highest points north of the
city, viz: 1. E. Perley's hill east of the
Normal School grounds, and Dr. Hib-
ben's hill west of the Normal, and from
those hills to the several respective points
of the Neosho river, with the following
results:
Commercial street, at Sd. avenue, is
five feet lower than at 5th avenue, seven
feet lower than at 9th. avenue, and twenty
eight feet lower than at 18th. avenue.
The corner of 9Th. avenue and Commercial
is twenty-three feet below corner of Com
mercial and 18TH avenue.
Height of Hibben's hill above corner
of Commercial street and 18th avenue,
141 feet, and distance 2,OTO feet; height
of said hill above nearest point of the Ne
OshO river, near the NJ. X. s. T. water
tank, 961z feet, and distance 3,112 feet.
Total distance to said point on river, via
Hibben's hill, 5,1S2 feet
Height of Perley's hill above corner
of Commercial and 18th avenue, 10 feet,
and distance 1,77O feet; height of hill
above nearest point on NeOshO river, a
little east Of said hill, 1O6 feet, and dis
lance 100 feet. Total distance to said
point on river, via Perley's hill to head
of Commercial street, $3.50 feet.
1t will thus be seen that PerIey's hill
is AZ feet higher than Hibben's hill, and
that the river via Perley's hill is 1 ,252
feet nearer than via Hibbin's hill Per
ley's hill would therefore be the best of
the two for reservoir.
1t is estimated that the necessary en-
CINE to pump the water into reservoir
on top of the hill, and of stone reser-
vOir 40 feet wide at the top, inside of
walls ~ feet wide, and to hold $500 bar
rels of water, and of three mains down
Market, Commercial and Merchants
street from 18th avenue to 3rd avenue,
would be $4,000. We suppose this in
cludes stone hydrants on each avenue
corner.
| 1t being AZ feet from the top of Perley's
hill tn the corner of 9Th avenue, and the
reservoir walls being 12 feet high, an av
erage of feet of water in the reservoir
would make the water there so feet above
the corner of 9th avenue The roofs OF
two story buildings are about 35 feet
high, and the wafer would be forced up
to about the roof of three story build
ing at 9th avenue. The Neosho north
of the city has an inexhaustible supply
of water, reasonably pure, but probably
not equal the Cottonwood river water.
Surveys to the Cottonwood have moi
yet been made, as there is no elevated
land between that river and the city
The standpipe system would furnish any
desired amount of pressure, according
to the length of the pipe, but would neeC
two engines in case one got out of order
and would cost 40 per cent. more than the
reservoir system, and the water of course
could not be allowed to settle and cleal
itself as it can in the reservoir.
The committee is evidently hard a
work, and we trust its investigations may
develop feasible plan, as there is mt
mistake about the fact that our city real
ly needs water works system.