Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-13

At the meeting Of the CITY Council on
Tuesday last, the Committee on Water
Works reported q resolution directing
that committee to select site for new
reservoir, have the surveyor lay it out
and then employ the force ut the work
house in constructing Ii.
This resolution, we presume, will be
acted upon by the Council at its next
meeting. The impetus thai has been
given to improving the water works By
recent events, has created an impatient
desire to do sometAiIag. e~s
There ought to be an equal eagerness
to be assured that when we do some
thing, we do the best thing, and not
blunder and bungle as in the past.
We admit that we need a reservoir of
increased capacity. No doubt about
that. We need il even if there Is but
one old riekety engine to pump water
In 1t. We have needed IL for loi these
many years, Just as we needed a well
to protect the Worthington pump-and
We needed prompt action, as the REGIS
TER pointed out, while the river was
dry last summer-but We didn't get the
well, nevertheless.
But there will be difference of opin-
ion about the site, the. capacity, and the
kind ola reservoir we need. This Is
important to be settled deliberately.
We have elevation enough ut any
point on the hill, and n good site will
not be difficult to find, but there may
be an important question as to whether
it is best and cheapest to go down into
the mud and wan up pit after the
f hSfe IN t 2Eds {h sS eaS 3 new ana
plausible idea about building reservoirs,
TO which we desire to call the attention
of the City Council, and which they
might as well consider in this cOnnec-
ton, for what il is worth. It may be
worth a good deal.
The idea seems TO have originated up
at Pittsburgh where they are engaged
i'm providing improved water works for
that city. The idea would be, If adopt
ed here, to procure a number of large
iron tanks and set them down on the
top of Wheeling hill, and it is believed
that this can be done at less expense,
and that they will be more durable than a
estrvoir dug in the ground, and will
not leak or require repairs.
From the discussion which arose over
this subject in the city council at Pitts
burgh the following extract is taken:
"Mr. Baily said he had been talking
to one of the largest manufacturers of
oil tanks, ond he said that he felt conf
dent that for So, 900 to 100000 the city
could have erected number Of iron
tanks at Brilliant Hill which would hold
more water than Brilliant Hill reSer-
voir would hold if it were completed.
These tanks would last for fifty years,
and having fegeral tanks instead of one
reservoir would make it much easier'to
make repairs when leakage took place.
And in this respect alone the tanks
would be better; they would not leak
while there never was reservoir built
that did not leak like a sieve. There
need be no fear of them ruSting, as
when painted inside aud out they did
not rust"
As we have said, this is a new idea,
but it may be all the better for being
new. There is no reason apparent why
iron tanks may not make a. better res2r-
voir than a walled pit. There are some
strong reasons for supposing they would
be an improvement on the old plan,
which will readily suggest themselves.
We would like to see the matter re-
ceive intelligent investigation by the
Council, and if ii turns out that the iron
tanks are cheaper, most durable, most
desirable and worthy of adoption, We
will charge nothing for this suggestion.