The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-07-12

\ eeldent 10 tbs WOFlhiDgtOn Pump-A
Crack discovered mas . been hnOWn
10 superintendent Riddle ainee Last
February.
Our citizens have Just begun to congrat.
ulAts themselves upon the TACT that the
danger ola water famine had been safely
tidsd over on account Of the vigorous
measures rssorted to by the present eff.
Cient committee on Water Works. But
yesterday an alarming rumor was aaoat
that was calculated to dlssipate all the
hopes that had just been formed, and give
rise to the grayest apprehsnsions for the
immediate future, The Tumor, which
proved as the sequel will show, 70 have
been true was that n oil the cylinders Of
the new WOrthington pump Was cracked,
and go badly rs to be iTrepaIable, thus
necessitRting the Htcppage OF all work IN.
til 4 new onecould be ordered and brought
to the city, For prudential reason very
little was said In regard 10 the matter IN.
til late in the afternoon, when = meeting
OF the Committee on Water Works was
called, at which all the members were
present except Messrs. WsLerhouBe and
Halter. At this meeting Chairman Will
son announced to the committee that last
Saturday night while M, Drew, who. was
representing the Worthington company
here, was experimenting with the pump
he had discovered q crack in the north
cylinder Of such q nature and extent as to
precludss the possibility Of present uSe
except In case OF an emergency.
MI, Riddle, the Superintendent Of the
works, was present Ut the meeting and
was asked for an explanation OF the mat.
ter, and after some little hesitation said
that he had discovered the leak some
months ago, but had Contrived To patch
It up until he thought that 1t could not be
noticed.
"When did you frat notice this thing,
Jim?" Intercepted Mr.. B~utter6eld.
"0h some months ego"
"But / want to know how long ago" in.
sisted Buttsl6eld,
"WelL, l think 1t was in February"
finally said Mr., Riddle, The secret thus
being no longer q secret the committee
proceeded to q consideration OF the 90.
cident and the best means Of remsdying
It. All the members were very much
surprised and some Of them actually
alarmed at the turn affairs had taken,
while one ortWo otthsm were very candid
in their expressions Of opinion, not only
OF the accident, but also Of the singular
conduct OF Mr.. Riddle In suppresaing the
matter 30 long. Mr.. Drew was requested
to telegraph 10 his principals at once and
ascertain the earliest tlmethRt q substitute
for the cracked cylinder could be pro.
cured and also Its cost,
Our reporter encountered Mr.. Drew in
the City Building late last night aud asked
him how he happened 10 discover the rent
In the machinery.
"Well sir l was testing the pump last
Saturday night and my attention was at.
traCted TO the very great conclusion made
by q certain part Of the pump and know.
ing this to be contrary to all precedent be.
gan o search for the cause, and after some
little time had elapsed found o slight
crack from the center OF the cylinder, ex'
tending To the bottom OF the suction
chamber and on each side OF the cylinder,
There could not have been q worse crack
"What induced the crack, In your
Judgment"
"Well, | think II was caused by frost or
freezing, which ever you please. l an
told that last winter, which, by the way
was an unusually hard and severe one
the pump was submerged several times
and no doubt some water entered the
cylinder, and being frozen, burst II, % you
know ice will burst anything"
"How long will 1t take to get a new
cylinder2"
'"That l don't know, nor can l say what
II will cost to replace It."
"Had there been any attempt made 10
repair the cylinder.
"0h, yes; something In the nature o.
Caulking bad been done with copper, but
OF course, II really did not amount Ia
much. AZ soon as steam was started up
the defect was made apparent"
~ have heard that you will not permit
the running Of the pump until q new CYL
Under shall have been put In. Is this
true?"
ayes, sir" the Worthingtons cannot
afford to have the good reputation Of their
pumps impaired by such an accident 81
this, and II the pump Is run at all II will
be at the risk Of the city to Wheeling, mol
ours. In case OF an emergency, however,
It might be operated for q short time"
Mr.. Drew also made some other re-
marks, the most prominent Of which was
that our reservoir was not one.fourth
large enough.
There was but one expression last nigh
from all who had heard Of the affair, and
that was censure Of Mr.. Riddle for so lone
conCealing the matter. Mr.. Riddle said
himself that he was wrong and he had
done wrong Ia 30 doing, but had thought
he might repair the cylinder and make II
as good as aver and thus avoid the embar.
rassment incident 10 the discovery.
Water was very scarce all day yester.
day, and we presume will be until the
new pump 10 10 thoroughly good condition
sgain. or course the scarcity Of water
will enbarrass the operations OF factories
and other shops dependent upon the city
for their supply, but II will not be long
until everything is all right.