The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1883-03-29
the WICHITA WATER WORKS.

For weeks more than nine miles Of our
streets have been rendered almost impass-
bile at times by two or three hundred men,
who have. with pick and shovel. been maxi
ing the trenche, for the pipes for the city's
future water supply. The term, OF the
supply have been set forth in an ordinance.
The franchise may revert with the city ut
the expiration Of ten years il the people de-
sire. No town any where is blessed with a
better natural supply of wholesome water
than Wichita, but the time had come when
something must be done 10 protect and
save property from fire; the ~ stem adopted
was thought 10 he better and cheaper than
any other proposed methods. The plant
Spiritually completed At the works the
company have fixed up room with tools
and workmen in which is kept different
styles OF fountains and house fixture, for
water.
The system H. known AZ the stand pipe
system and has all the improvements that
time and experience have developed to
make a system n success. The general
plan Of the works are a large well 30 feet
in diameter sunk down TO a bed of gravel,
the walls are twenty inches thick laid in
the best cement, and ARE made imperyious
with the idea Of forcing water In at the
bottom through the gravel, in this way all
water that is furnished TO the citizens for
domestic purposes has been thoroughly
cleansed by yilteFstion; the depth OF the
well is twenty-three feet, and water rises
10 within ten feet of the top. The section
pipe of the pumps reaches within eighteen
inches of the bottom of the well, the water
at this depth Is found very cold.
The pump house Is of brick forty feet by
sixty feet, divided into three apartments
known a. pump, boiler and fuel rooms; two
independent boilers offorty-fye horse-pow-
er each, with independent smoke stacks
set In the boiler room. The pump room
contains two Of smith. Raiier 4 Co. i'm
proved pumps OF I.I50,000 L. :. gallons ca
pacity zach every twenty-four hours, and
for smooth positive work have no superb
ors. The pumps and boilers are set and
arranged so that they can be run either
separately or together, and are connected
by five inch steam feed pipe and six inch
exhaust pipe.
Inc pumps anu boiiefs were uSeu up ihst
Friday for the first time and were found TO
do all that the manufacturers represented.
The pipe or distribution system consist Of
about nine miles Of mains, varying In size
from six inches TO fourteen inches, and so
arranged that there Is u complete circula-
ton without any dead ends. The hydrants
are double discharge, and are connected
with the mains by six inch pipe. Close TO
the engine house l. a stand pipe thirty
inches In diameter aud 1850 feet high, this
10 connected with the mains by a large
main. There Is on the pipe running from
the main TO the stand pipe quick opening
or closing valve, so that in case the city
should require greater pressure than could
he obtained from the stand pipe, the en-
gineer IN charge has simply TO step to this
valve and with one motion put direct pres
sure ON the mains. No other city in this
state has so complete u system Of works,
there Is not one foot OF pipe laid smaller
than six inches, and between all blocks |
the area Of the principal main is main