Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-02-08
HoPk,nsvlLLE's WATER SUP
Facts and Figures In Favor of Sys-
tenn of Water Works.

tenn of Water Works.
How to provide larger supply o.
water for household, sanitary, manu-
featuring and fire-department pur.
poses, has become question of great
practical Importance to Hopkinsville
Even with our present population
the existing supply is plainly made.
quate to the demand. 1t is certainly
discreditable to the business judg.
ment and enterprise of the place that
during dry seasons water carts sup
ply not few families, sad manufac.
tories have to rent water from out.
side sources. II is estimated that the
saving on insurance alone consequent
on the construction of water-works
would be considerably larger than
the interest on the sum required to
furnish perennial supply of water,
If the saving within a period of ten
years would liquidate the cost OF
wster-works, economy strongly urg-
es their construction at an early date
With the prospect of greatly i'm
proved facilities for manufacturing
and the distribution of products, the
construction of water-w works becomes
pressing necessity, for water fam.
inc is the worst of famines.
Statistics gathered from various
cities show tn It tie average number
of gallons Of water used daily, per
capita, is follows: Boston go -;
Cincinnati 40; Louisville "a #; Newark
20; Chicago 81; Cleveland 80 Den
mis- Long Il Co., iron pipe manufac-
turers of Louisville, who have sup
piled water-works for many cities
throughout the West, state in their
manual on this subject that non
manufacturing towns bsgin with
about l6 gallons per capita, per day,
and increase the quantity about two
per cent per annum until about thir-
ty gallons per capita per day are
reached. In manufacturing towns
they begin with 90 gallons per capita
per day, aud increase to about so gal
Ions per day, at the rate OF three per
cent per annum.
Statistics of Western towns show
also that during the past i've years
there are but few which have not lost
enough by fire for want of convenient
water under pressure, to build an eff
ficient system of water-works.
The establishment of such q syatem
would be a strong inducement to
manufacturers aud other persons OF
capital to locate here and plant large
investments, and would enhance the
value of improvements generally by
increasing their security.
The city several years since voted
a subscription TO build a system OF
water-works and the contract was
taken by an Eastern company which
soon afterward failed, and no effort
has been made since TO revive the
work.
Several of our manufactures
have obtained, by wells, a supply
which more than meets their own
wants. 10 what extent any of these
could be utilized for larger use is
worthy of investigation.
A manufacturer who has given
much attention TO this subject ex
presses the belief that an abundant
supply of water can be secured by |
iammiDg Little River, at a point
near the quarry. The following data
are the results of a practical ell
yineeps observation. A dam s feel
N height, thrown across Little River
near the railroad quarry, would give
body of water 5000 feet long hay,
ng an average width of so feet and
mean depth of 4 feet, a volume OF
water equal to about 100000 gal
ons. Numerous springs of excel
ent water empty into the channel Of
he river, and continually increase
Is volume, no doubt in excess of da-
y consumption. But at the rate OF
consumption per capita in other
places, as given above, 100000 gal
ons, without increase from springs,
ain or snow falls would supply
own of 10000 population, for six
1t is well known that water works
Jay better, as an investment than
most bank stock. The stock is rarely
quoted because the owners seldom
want to change their investment. In
his case watered stock is the best of
took. The fact ia so well under
TODD that wise municipalities prefer
hat these works shall be owned by
heir own citizens, who draw from
his source an important municipal
evenue besides supplying water at
over rates than private company
would do.
COMMERCIAL CLUB Rooms.