The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-06-25

on water works were instructed TO pur-
I. ID. Bragunier, ut Il cost of 5000, for the |
water works site. ON the 9Th of Febru- |
AIRY a contract was made by the council |
with w. =. Herring Ia dig a supply |
well, the cost of which was Sl,I50 On !
the 11th of February the water works |
bonds were sold To G. Hood for $751;
cents, and on the 9th of April tile con
tract To construct = building Cor the Wa
ter works, 32N52 feet was let ga Joshua |
Rosenberg for 81 1880.
In the meantime the council had
closed a contract with Mcssrs. Russell
* Alexander, which called for pumps
and engines with capacity Ia furnish
one million gallons of water every
twenty-four hours, 1t twenty-five rev
olutions per minute, two boilers, each
OF sufficient capacity Ia drive said
engines all the pumps are at work;
the four pumps when working togeth-
CT 10 throw at one time four streams
Of water one inch in diameter each.
through one length of hose, To n
height of 100 feet from the nozzle of
each hose, the several sections of
hose 10 he attached separately 10
hydrants in any part of the city; 50
double nozzle Holly hydranis, with
frost cases; six combination hose and
hydrant wTenches; three S-inch, two
6inch, six 4-inch and ten 3-inch double
gate Ludlow valves, with valve boxes,
covers and valve-wrcnches, etc, with
piping on certain streets and avenues,
all of which was fully set forth, but rs a
good many changes were made in the
original plan, as set forth in the contract
we will give elsewhere the amount OF
piping and where ii was laid The city
was 10 furnishish the right of way, The
supply well and building. The contrac-
tors were to supply all the pipes and
machinery and put them in operation
the pipes To be laid four feet below the
surface, and when laid 10 be proved, I'M
der tt pressure of 175 pounds to the
square inch, liz the presence of the mayor
and city council. The contractors were
to dig and fill all trenches; furnish salts
factory guarantees as to the frst-class
quality Of all materials and machinery
and complete the entire work by the 1st
day of May, 1880, provided that the CON
tractors should have the benefit of any
time lost by any delay resulting in the
transportation Of materials, or incleincnt
weather or any failrue on part of the
city to get buildings ready for ma
chinery. Such, in brief, were the terms
OF the contract, the important consilcra-
ton not mentioned being the payment
to the contractors at certain times of
certain portions of the total sum of $44,-
$50.
On the 18th day of January, Messrs
Russell & Alexander began laying pipe
and the work was completed by the 10Th
of February. There are about seven
miles of pipe and upon test of 200
pounds 10 the square inch there was not
break discovered, fact which speaks
well for the manner in which the work
was done.
The construction of the supply well
was urged forward by the council under
peculiar difficulties and much adverse
critisism. 1t was thought by many that
II would never turn on. TO be = SUCCESS,
and the water works committee deserve
praise for the pluck which they mani
Tested in prosecuting the undertaking to
a successful termination. 1t is % feet
| i'll diameter and was excavated to "A
| depth of 20 feet, where a fine stratum Of
gravel was found which seems to abound
in wafer The depth Of accumulated
water in the we'll is about eight feet, aud
the wafer flows after pumping it out, in
al ihe rate of 200 gallons per minute
or 10000 gallons per hour. As the pres
ent demand OF the city is not likely to
exceed 1000 gallons daily, the we'll
may be safely voted success 20 far as
the supply for ordinary purposes is con
cerned, and arrangements have been
made for fire by running pipe into the
river which can be used in the case OF
any emergency.
The estimate cost per year Of running
the works has been placed at $500 and
capable engineer, H. G. Munger, of
Indianapolis. has been engaged for that
purpose. The council have shown
much determination Of purpose
in this difficult undertaking,
and the final outcome of the project
which has absorbed so large a measure
of public interest, is that EmporIa has
been furnished by the contractors.
Messrs- Russell & Alexander, with as
perfect system OF water works as any
city in the west can boast of. These
gentlemen have met all their contracts
and engagements with singular fidelity.
and have won the confidence and esteem
of our citizens by their uniform courtesy
and gentlemanly bearing
The day stands out clear and bright as
the most momentous in the history of
our town, and abouDds in recollec.ions
which shall be carried by grateful hearts
to the remotest boundaries of our young
commonwealth. Its stirring scenes and
grand achievements render Emporia the
synonym for enterprise and progress,
and lift her into view as a fair city which
is set on hill, and whose light cannot
be hid. The grand fruition of her mu-
nieipal hopes proclaims in characters Of
living light that all things are possible
~ ostas1.aant 40 Sf.o 1901