Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-08-20
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
"HOLDS WATER" +"

The Eastern Reservoir.
The councilmen, clerks and visitors who
inspected the work at the eastern reservoir
yesterday were pretty unanimous in pro-
nouncing it an excellent job of masonry that
will repay the expenditures and give gen.
eral satisfaction. OF the necessity for it
councils and the public were convinced
before it was begun and any delay
in undertaking it only added to its
costliness and trouble. We yesterday
published detailed report of its extent
and cost. After it had been carefully in
spected, the visitors ascended to the bank
to prepare for turning in the water. Owing
to some difficulty in making the engineer
at the water works understand the signal
there was few minutes delay in getting
him to learn that everything was ready, but
at 3:2O the water came with a fine dash
through the supply main at he top of the
southeast corner of the reservoir, and in five
minutes it had spread across the bottom of
the reservoir showing the slightest differ
ence in the level of the old and new
parts of the bottom. BY $40 the water
had touched every part of the bank, on the
entire perimetcr Of the basin, and when
about eighteen inches of water had been
pumped in it was turned off. Meanwhile
certain points where the water bubbled up
from air holes in the bricks or little crew
ices in the cement, had been carefully mark
cd for attention.
About 4 o'clock the visitors took their
omnibuses for the water works, and ar
irving there made an inspection Of the
machinery, which was found in satisfac-
tory condition. 1t works well, is carefully
watched, oiled and polished, and everything
seems to be kept in excellent mechanical
repair by the careful superintendent, who
saves to the city much money by his own
attention to the pumps and engines. The
water works are also managed by one less
man than was hitherto employed and paid
upon them.
The councilmen returned to the city
about p. m. wiser, and after seeing SO
much water, very sober men.
A False Alarm.
The action of the first water upon the
cement caused reddish hue to tinge the
water in the eastern reservoir and Supt.
Kitch resolved to give it complete scrub
bing out before finally dcdicating it to pub
lie use. After the inflow had been stopped
at eighteen inches, men were set to work
with brooms and were employed until mid.
night last night in scrubbing the entire
floor. The superintendent then let this
wash water out by the waste pipe
at the bottom of the reservoir
on tho cast side. Its flow caused
persons who saw it run down tho Groifs
town road to believe that the "reservOil
had busted" DR.. Boyd, who was making
some calls in that direction, brought the
news down town and there was quite an
excitement among those who heard it.
After Superintendent Kitch had gone te
bed, weary with his labors, he was twice
called up with reports Of a great disaster
and greater danger, and upon explanation
of the work done his panic-stricken inform.
ants were eased.
To-day the water not used nor needed
from the western reservoir will be run into
the eastern, but no doubt is entertained
of it's complete security and sufficient
capacity. By Sunday the accumultions
arc expected to fill in.