Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-29
Water supply.

Editor Morning Mems: see by your paper
of the 18th inst. that the Mayor, Water
Works Committee, and Col. Cole took a
view Of the system, ETC., and that Col. Cole
expressed high opinion OF the DC site for
the water works, the surrounds being
less Objectionable than those at tie present
source Of supply. Thus far 90 with them,
and think that almost anywhere on the river
bank would be better than the spot from
which the present supply comes.
But as / was not on the committee,
and have not access to the plans
and estimates, the description OF
and recommendations OF the "stand
pipe,n and its uses, which was, no doubt,
full and clear to the authorities. l take ii
for granted that it was all done o. X.
Yet / cannot help turning few things in
my mind.
I've been thinking what is meant by a
pipe, "stand pipe" A pipe. usually, 10
this connection, is a metallic tube an inch
or less in diameter; and Of late years en-
larged to two feet or more. The prefix
stand implies, probably, that its position is
to be upright.
/ next thought Of the height OF the tower,
two hundred and twenty five feet, and
whether the stand pipe is Included in this,
or is on top Of it, and what additional
height it would give, and what is the use
of #.
Mr.. Editor, l never studied In the books,
though | have read little, and thought
somewhat about hydraulics, bydrOstatics
and hydrodynamics, or In plain English, the
mechanical qualities of water, at rest and 10
motion.
l don't know much, but l do know that
even editors seem befogged when they talk
about water pressure.
| cannot tell the actual height Of the pre-
sent reservoir. A friend said 120 feet
"Citizen" in yours of the 10Th instant says
81. Let us take the latter as a basis for cal
culation and it gives thirty pounds pressure
to the square inch on every faucet aud
pipe, big and little in the system, which is
below the level OF the bottom Of the tower;
of course less pressure as you go upstairs,
by about half pound to the foot, as well
as greater pressure as you 90 below,
always promising that the cistern Is kept
full. II it is not the upper stories will suf-
fer first, and there is blame somewhere.
That is the query the committee and
Mayor should have worked. But / forget
| should have said sent their detectives to
work up, before getting Colonel Coles ad-
vice. IL that cis,ern is not kept full by a
pump whose service is three million gallons
'rOtten IN Denmark" and It becomes the
committee tC explain and correct it before
saddlng the taxpayers with an additional
debt of $26, coo.
I've been thinking Savannah must have
builded immensely Of late years II there are
any houses with seven stories above the street
averaging twelve feet high, and that height
q Y 12-S4), eighty four feet, is three feet
below (the much abused term the ''water-
pressure" Of the condemned cistern, tower,
or reservOir-by whatever name it gOes-in
Franklin square.
Let some OF the boys or girls cypher out
for their papas how much the delivery of
three million gallons implies (Which the
present pump guarantees) even in twenty
four hours Of steady work, how many gal
Ions per minute, and how many gallons each
for all the inhabitants of Savannah, big and
little.
I've been thinking how all this water gets
into the tower. Is the "water pressure" on
the WOrthington pump all the time 1t is in
operation or is there a check valve at the
tower to relieve the supply-pipe, and save its
leakage when the pumping ceases, or does
the supply pipe enter the bottom OF or over
top the rim Of the reservoir. Or is the check
valve only at the water works and the sup
ply pipe left under pressure to do its portion
of the leakage and wasteg
I've been thinking whether or not the iron
OF the old tank is so rusty as to condemn il,
and IL the expense Of changing the location
and that Of the service and also of the sup
ply pipes is advisable.
And finally, on this branch OF the subject,
I've been thinking whether or not the old
affair could bear the honors Of stand pipe
by way OF testing its water pressure, and
seeing how this specially" works before
we ego the whole hog"
Nous VERRoNs.