The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-10-30
Shall We Have Water work.a


As will be seen by an ordinance and
election proclamation published this
week, the proposition for the purchase
ola Silsby Steam Fire Engine is to
be submitted to the voters at an cleo
ton to re held Oh the llth day of
November. While We do not wish to
be ranked among those who are really
opposed to a proposition of this kind,
flor We consider that the city is very
much in need of some efficient appar-
atus to protect its property from the
ravages Of fire., we do not like the
idea of having anything intervene
which will deprive us of some system
of water works, should it be found
practicable to construct them here.
We were in hopes that some definite
information with reference to their
practicability for Salina, aud cost,
would reach us before the fire engine
proposition should be submitted. A
number Of our citizens were awaiting
upon the reply of Mr.. A. B. Dickinson,
who is now i'm the east and was COM
missiOned by them to visit the Holly
water works establishment near his
home. for the purpose of ascertaining
the facts relating to the system, but
no word has been received from him
yet. And the persons in favor Of the
water works are still at sea.
1t seems that Emporia. with a pop
ulation of about 5000, is agitating the
water works question. The News Of
that city produces some information
which may be regarded as pertinent
here, and hence we copy the following
extracts:
1t is proposed to use the well known
Holly system of two powerful steam
engines. furnishing n continual and
direct pressure sufficient to- throw
streams of water over the highest
buildings i'm the city, and to begin
with eight miles of main pipes SO dis
tributed as, with the Use Of hydrants
and hose, to throw two to four streams
of water upon any building in the city.
This can he done with fifty hydrants.
one at each crossing on Commercial
and one Mt every other crossing OH 9TH
or streets, where the mains are laid.
The main pipes has q capacity Of one
million gallons of water per day, and
more than that If the pressure of both
engines il put Oh, as 1t would be in
ease of any extensive fire.
(. The water j. to he furnished by the
NeOshO river, at y point north of the
city where large body Of water is al
ways found, and which will furnish
an inexhaustible supply. The water
will be first filtered through from the
river to large well about ~ by %
feet, and five feet deeper than the bed
of the river. This will insure pure,
clear, healthy and good tasting water,
and in case of any large fire the
engines can also draw directly from
the river. The supply Of water, one
million gallons per day ii necessary.
will thus be ample in the future. ~
we'll rs now, for all purposes, fire, do
nestle. manufacturing, and for lawns
trees and sewerage, and its purity will
be beneficial in q sanitary point OF
view.
: The expense Of this complete and
effective system can he kept down to
S50.000, As responsible parties who
make business of constructing water
works, stand ready to contract to
build the system for that amount and
To complete the works and set the wa
TER to running through the mains
within ninety days from the day of
election ifthe bonds are then voted.