Daily globe., 1882-03-03


toh, railroad. The twelve-ipch pipes TO De
connected on all cross streets by slX-lnch pipes
The latter again by six-inch pipes, forming a
net work of pipes over the whole CITY,
Tn the Vadnais project there will be four
senarata districts inaccessible to the graVlta-
tion supply, viz: L. st. Anthony Hlii, anu
tbe region to the north and west. Dayton.s
Bluff. and the grounds 10 the eastward. 8.
The high ground between Phalen's Creek and
the Trout Brook. 4. The high ground OF
West ST. Paul. The two latter will probably
not need high service connections for several
years.
FOR A HIGH SERVICE RESERVOIR
have not been able to find suitable location
within the city limits. For the purpose OF
the estimate, adopt the same location as In
the pumping project, though nearer tRe city
than in that case. 1t need not pe more tnan
five hundred feet beyond the crossing OF the
Short Line road. Its capacity put at ten
million gallons, as it might be desirable to
provide for connecting it with the low service
in case of fires, in which case it might have
to supply the whole city for several hours.
THE LOCATION OF THE PUMP WORKS
NAV be chosen at convenience. The only
ground of choice in the location is, to have as
little high service pipe lying in the low ser
vice district as possible. a very good loea-
tion would be on Rice street, at its junction
cine should be about three million gallons
day. The lift would be only seventy or
seventy-five feet, which would not require
very powerful machine. A siXteen-lnch pipe
would extend from the pump works, up West
ern avenue to Summit, sending OFT branches
at intermediate streets. A sixteen-inch pipe
would extend along Summit avenue 10 the
reservoir. A twelve-inch pipe would extend
from the pump works to Dayton's bluff. The
only objection to this arrangement is, that the
pulsations of the pumps would extend to all
parts of the high service system, which is q
matter of little consequence in SO low lit.
The remainder of the high service would con-
sist of six-inch pipe.
A thirty-six inch pipe leads the water from
Sandy lake to the city. Near the Manitoba
railroad it sends off q twelve-inch branch
along the line of that road, reaching to the
company's siXteen-inch line at Minnehaha
avenue. Near Como avenue the high service
branches occur, and from thence the main
pipe can be reduced TO thirty inches diameter
to the Seven Corners. From that point the
arrangement can be the same as in the other
project. The system here outlined is con-
slderably in advance of the immediate wants
of the city. Parts of it can be deferred for
several years; especially the twelveinch line
on Minnehaha avenue and the twentY-four
inch line in that part of Seventh street already
occupied by the cOmpany's sixteen inch pipe.
The principal object of this estimate is to as
certain what debt the city will have to incur
on account of the water works. | therefore
aim to include all the pipe that will have to
be laid up to the time that the extensions can
be paid for from the income OF the works.
1t is also proper 10 observe that more de-
tailed study of the subject, such as will de-
volve upon the constructing engineer, will,
no doubt. lead to many notifications of this
system. He will, very probably, find it ad-
vantageous to introduce intermediate sizes, as
eight, ten, or fourteen-inch pipes.
The table at the end of the reporG gives the
probable current cost of supplying the city by
differ, Mt methods for period of 25 years. |
am not informed as TO the number of people
supplied by the present water works. The
Company has l,6l7 service tops. The ratio IN
Boston. Providence and other cities is about
10 persons TO each service. The same ratio
here would indicate that about One-thlrd of
the people are supplied by the present system.
The proposed improvements will greatly en-
large the area of the gravitation supply, not
only from the increased height of the source,
but from the greater diameter of pipes, avoid
ing the loss Of head to which the present sys-
tenn is subject. Probably not over six or eight
thousand people would require to be supplied
by pumping at first; but as population
promises to extend more rapidly on
the high ground than elsewhere,
have assumed, for the future, that one third
Of the supply will require to be pumped.
An important element of this estimate is
the current cost of pumping by steam. This
varies much in different localities. A few
years ago, IL cents per million gallons,
raised one foot, was regarded as the average
cost of steam pumping in the vicinity Of Bos
ton, not including interest Or depreciation oi
machinery. Late reports show, in many
cases, much lower results than this. Engines
working to nearly their full capacity, with
coal at four or five dollars a ton
sometimes show results as low
raised one foot. In Philadelphia, last year,
with coal at an average of s3.45 per ton, the av-
erage of number of engines was 6.6S cents.
In Milwaukee the cost was 7.6 cents. Adding
two dollars ton to the price of coal would
have made 1t nine cents, which think is as
low as it could be done for in st. Paul.
The city of Philadelphia pumps in part by
water power and in part by steam. The cur
rent expense of pumping by water, last year,
was stated at a trfe under two cents. The ex-
pense included pay of policemen and watch
men employed on the water works, which
might, with equal propriety, have been
charged to the steam power. The exception
ally low condition of the Schuykill, also, by
diminishing the amount of power available,
made the expense appear greater than it other
wise would. The current expense OF pumping
by water, here, need not exceed one and three
fourths cents per million gallons raised one
foot. The column in the table giving the eX.
pense of pumping by water power is com
puted on this basis.
column is added giving the cost of pump
ing the total supply, by steam, from the river,
at a point near st. Paul. The enormous an
nual expense attending this method shows
how desirable it is to avoid that necessity.
CONCERNING THE CONTINUANCE OF LAKE
PHALEN AS A RESERVOIR.
The pump works might be arranged to draw
from Lake Phalen, and that lake might be
continued, as reservoir, so long as it fur
nishes a supply satisfactory in quality and
quantity, deferring the other parts of the pro-
ject till the wants of the city call for their ex-
ecution. A supply of water could, no doubt,
be furnished to all parts of the town by this
method at less immediate expense than by any
other. AS to the advisability of this course,
there are the following observations to be
made:
The company's pipes leading from the lake
to the plow works are sufficient TO carry the
ordinary volume furnished by the lake. The
pipe leading from the plow works to the city
is entirely insufficient, as has already been
stated. The first step, on assumption of these
works by the city, would be to lay new pipe
from the plow works to the city, twenty or
twenty-four inches IN diameter. Some ten
thousand feet of this pine would be rendered
useless on the adoption of the Vadnais pro-
ject.