, 1880-08-08

OF angles between the two pumps. Ii the
central parts OF the city--that is, ABOUT m1o-
way between the pumps-located the gfea-
est amount of colnCustlble properly n1o
the largest number Of high buildings In tnat
section the high buildings form coulpa afaa'eiy
solid mass, and this mass is extending and
at the same time becoming more com
pact every day. In these n1lllHlh@s
are stored the grrat bulk OF the mercnanolse
and valuable personal nroperty OF Chicaeo.
Every store and warehouse Is crowded. anu
the amount of property therein can ohi5 oe
computed by hundreds Of millions OF dollars:
The improvements OF the real estate in this
same section will compare favorably III value
| with any like Number Of buildings In any
other city In the country. Our entire system,
therefore, presents the anomaly Of furnish
ing less water and having less force
In the SECTION Of the city where 1t Is most
needed, and where, in case Of any contasr
ton, the loss would be most overwhelming
aud calalnitous It is d mistake to assume
that in case OF a disastrous fire IN che business
section of the city the loss would fall alone
upon the immediate owners of the property
DESTROYED; that loss would fal! upon all
property-owners. and upon all persons resld-
ing in the city, and be felt more severely
BY the interruption to employment aid wages
which would be direct result
The Maror has appealed 10 the City Council
to order the preliminary steps to bc taken to
complete the pumping machinery at tits West
Side works, by duplicating the present en-
gires, and thus give to that tstaDlishinenta
capacity Of pumping Ii, QUO, 600 gallons OF water
directly At the same time it is considered
by intelligent. thoughtful citizens who hare
considered the matter carefully that the most
pressing need Of the water services is the
provision for central pumps Oh the South
Side of the city, near the South Branch Of
tile river, Which can be supplied with water
from the long and large tunnel 1T point
where that tunnel Is at Its greatest depth,
and hence has the greatest fall from the lake.
Such an establishment at that Point would
at once relieve the water service at the other
points of the less Of force in the supply
caused by the friction in the long distances
the water has now to take to reach con-
sumeys. Il would eQualize the force now
given by the stand, ,ipes; it would give
strength and power to the water de-
livery at the very points where the
greatest supply Of water is needed, and
where that supply is now weakest. By
. equatizing tIla power in the mains the pres
ent pumps will be able tn furnish the same
amount of water they now furnish at a less
expenditure Of fuel and force. Tile strain
on these works will be largely reduced with
out reducing the service actually performed
by them. The water system will be made
more symmetrical by having the distribution
proceed from the centre instead Of the re-
mote extremities. Nature did not put the
heart in the feet hands, or head, but supplies
these extremitics from the centre of the hui
man system.
Mayor Harrison comedies that the location
OF the Water Works originally on the lake
shore and Chicago avenue was blunder,
and, for the same reason, the location of the
second works at Ashland avenue and Twen~
ty-second street was 9 repetition Of that
b1under,-that is, unless central works are
built. Had the original works been located
on the South Branch, between Jackson and
Harrison streets, then additional or auxiliary
works might have been located elsewhere.
But the presentduty of the Council is to avoid
any further perpetuation or repetition Of
the original error, and now supply the de-
fciency in the system by locating new
establishment exactly where the original one
should have been located, and leaving the OK
isting works to operate as au&iliaries to the
central works.
If any member of the City Council wishes
to understand the economy of locating the
water-works on the line of the river, he has
- hat SC
to haul the coal by carts to the Chicago
avenue and to the Twenty-second street
works, and as to the difficulty at times of
severe weather in having the coal furnished
at all. With the works on the river the coal
could be delivered direct from the vessel and
stored on the grounds if necessary.