Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-10
OUR WATER SUPPLY.
AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION BEFORE THE
WATER BOARD LAST NIGHT.
Civil Engineer B. W. Peterson Makes Some Pertinent
Statements and Suggestions ESTIMATES
10 be Made.

Last evening Messrs. Hastings, Hall and
Hoffman, of the City Water Board, Super
intendent w. II. Riddle and Civil Engi-
neer b. w. Peterson met at the office of the
Board, in the City Hall, to discuss the
matters pertaining to the improvement OF
our water supply, referred to the Board re-
Gently for report Mr.. Peterson had been
summoned before the Board as an expert,
and his exposition of the best methods in
the various plans under discussion was lis
tened to with the utmost attention by
those present. Three distinct propositions
were discussed, namely:
The removal of the pumping station to q
point at or near the Sisters Islands.
The building of brick, cast or wrought
| iron fresh water conduit from thcSisters TO
the present pumping station.
The building of an intercepting sewer
! from the mouth of JOnathan's Rayine to a
point below the present pumping station,
with the extension Of the supply pipes
across the river to cribs erected on the bar
at or below the north point of the Island.
Regarding the first of these plans-the
removal of the present pumping plant to
the SisteTs-the engineer proved to the
satisfaction of the Board that it was I'M
practicable in the present financial condl-
ton of the city. The present works would
have to be entirely dismantled and the
pumps set up innew buildings to be erected
at the Sisters, while not less than two lines
of 3O-inch cast ironpipe would be necessary
to supply to the reservoir the 4,OOOuOO
gallons per diem required for the city
| The Board concluded this plan was too big
an undertaking to be seriously discussed
at present. -
The second plan-that of a fresh water
conduit from the Sisters to the present
pumping statiOn-aSSumed even larger
proportions when brought before the Board.
| Mr.. Peterson laid down, rs q primary pro-
position, that the cOnduit must be sufficient
| iy large TO bring IN abundant supply OF
water to the pumps by the natural How,
and rs the incline in the bed of the river Is
AT the outside only inches to the mile,
and most probably only 4, the diameter
could scarcely be less than eight feet. a
double ring brick conduit, OF that
size would contain Sol brick
to lineal foot, or five and One-half million
brick for the three miles. This would
represent but q portion OF the whole eX-
pense. inasmuch rs the conduit would
| have to DC laid in the bed of the river, IN n
ditch. the eXcavating of which, under
water, would be more difficult than the
Panama canal, and the laying of the brick
would have to be done i'll CRIB under
conditions rs uniavOrablc as could well be
| imagined The cost would be something
colossal. Regarding the substitution OF i
cast iron conduit for brick, Mr.. Peter
man said pipe that size would have to
be 81 inches thick, and would weigh
something like 1900 pounds per llnedl
foot. Fifteen thousand feet OF such pipe
would bankrupt the community. The
five foot wrought iron pipe, inch thick,
spoken of at the meeting OF the committee
on Health, would weigh 400 pounds per
foot, and two such cOnduits would be r.
ouired. costing $500, 600 for the pipe alone.
Plainly conduit of any sort was out OF the
question.
The discussion then reverted to the re-
manning propoSitiOn-that of IN intercept
ing sewer, with system OF cribs on the
Island shore. This seem to meet with gen
eral favor from all present. Mr.. Peterson
stated that from 500 600 t0 $50, 900 would
construct a sewer adequate and sufficient
TO thoroughly drain all the upper portion
of the city, except the Top mill, which, he
thought, could not be got ut III any eiiec-
tive way. In conjunction with this, he
exhibited detailed drawings of the wooden
crib designed for the Wcllsburg water
works, and explained its workings, briefly,
rs follows: The crib should be constructed
on the bar opposite the water works, run
ming up and down the river, and should be
four or five hundred feet in length. 1t
is made by driving 3-inch oak
plank in two parallel rows, eight
feet apart. the plank being about eight or
ten feet long, and driven down flush
with the surface of the ground. The
gravel between these parallel rows OF plankS
is then eXcavated down to depth OF SIX
feet below the surface. Here StrlngcrS are
put in, and Il flooring of i-inch pIanklng Is
laid down. Cross and vertical braces are
then put in, and movable top OF the same
planking is put in, it being two feet be-
low the surface of the ground. The side
and roof planks are sawed full OF EertS on n
circular saw, parallel with their length,
the kcrfS extending for length OF four
feet in the centre of the vertical and SIX
feet in the roof plankS, before they are put
in, so that when put together and the two
feet of gravel is thrown back upon the
roof, We have long wooden con
duit, four feet high and eight
feet wide, sides and top being filled with
saw kerfs for the free admission of water.
The idea is that when wet, these kerts will
swell nearly shut, thus forming sort OF
slotted sieve, through which water will
freely seep, while all but the finest earthly
matter will be excluded. Into the lower
end of the crib or conduit the suction pipes
of the pumps would be laid and by this
means, in conjunction with the sewer,
a nearly pure supply Of water could be OBJ
tanned at minimum expense. Inc DIS
cussiOn lasted for fully two anu one-halt
hours, and was fully illustrated by draw
ingS, diagrams, and estimates. At the
conclusion Of the statement by the cngin-
eer, the Board directed Mr.. Peterson to
make estimates to Council Us follows:
First-Estimate the cost of bringing wa
ter from the Sisters by conduits or pipes
Second-Estimate the cost of an inter
cepting sewer from above Jonathan's Ra-
vine.
Third-RepOrt what plan, in his judg-
ment, would be best and cheapest to pro
cure better supply of water.
Mr.. Peterson agreed to have his csti-
mates ready in ten days. Ittwas under
stood, in the meantime, that Superintend-
ent Riddle should put down series of
drive pipes out on the bar, on the Island
side, and procure samples of water for
analysis.
CALL me darling, ducky, dear,
But never, never, never say beer,
When ONO VALLEY COFFEE can he got, |
By not going further than a corner lot.