Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-06-14
BISMARCK'S WATER.
An Exhaustive Account Of the City's
Waterworks System and its
Management.
A Distinguished Party Of Senators
Pass Through the City on
Fridays Express.
The Programme and Purses for the
Horse Races on the Fourth
nf Tnlv
The Bismarck water system.

The Bismarck Water System.
The Bismarck water works plant at the
river is an immense affair and worthy of
the men who engaged in the enterprise.
A TRIBUNE representative took it all in
yesterday and will tell just what he saw.
The boiler was made by Brownell 8 Co.,
Dayton, Ohio, and represents 110 horse
power. The engine was manufactured by
Deane s. Co., Holyoke,s Mass. and has a
Is horse power. This engine was selected
by Messrs. Bly, and Mckenzie of the COM
pany. because it is specially adapted for
just such sandy water, and has large and
powerful pumps, capable of pumping and
forcing UP to the reservoir, 200 feet above
the river, 100000 gallons in fourteen
hours work, under steam pressure of
forty-five pounds. The suction pipe that
extends outinto the river at first caused
much trouble by its contact with sand at
the bottom. President bly, is good deal
of mechanical genius and he, after much
study and experiment-devised what is
called a reversible joint, by which means
the suction pipe can be raised or lowered
according to the stage of water, and thus
the flow of water can not be interrupted.
Five ton of coal is used per day of fourteen
hours work. A new water heater will
soon be attached to the boiler, thus avoid
ing the injection of cold water, and saw
ing of Is per cent Of fuel thereby saved.
EDWARD SLOAN, ENGINEER
in charge OF the water works, invented
water guage by means of wooden float
in reservoir No. 1, connecting with
balance weight hanging in the engine
room. He can thus tell to an inch how
much water he has without climbing the
almost perpendicular hill.
The plant is one of the best in the entire
northwest, and the company were wise in
building for the future, having provided
power and capacity for the supply of a
city with at least $4,000 people. Mr.. Sloan
was asked after the Williams fire if one of
the reservoirs was exhausted. This shows
how little the people OF even Bismarck
know about the capacity of the water sup
ply. A big fire might reduce one of the
reservoirs to the extent Of twelve inches
from its depth Of twelve feet. In warm
weather, about fourteen inches of water is
used daily by the entire city, including
locomotives and all. Reservoir one and
two are. both circular and one hundred
feet wide, twelve feet deep, and each con-
tains 100000 gallons Of water. A twelve
inch pipe connects each reservoir with the
main feeder, which at that point stands 1888
feet, ten inches above Main street, and has
pressure of 80 pounds to the inch at the
hydrant, power sufficient to throw stream
out OF one inch nozzle.
OVER THE TOP OF THE HIGHEST BRICK
BLOCK
in the city. Reservoir No. 1, into which
the water is first pumped is covered with
tin roof. At the bottom and center of
each reservoir there is circular depres-
sion into which all sand that is pumped up
settles and is drawn off by a waste pipe
once month. About two inches of sand
accumulates in that time. When No. /
contains twelve feet of water, it begins to
overflow through two pipes into No. 2. In
the pumping process and reservoir action
OF No. 1, the water that flows into No. 2,
is thoroughly purified and is as clear as
spring water. Each reservoir has an in
dependent connection with the main SER
vice pipe, and either basin can be used at
the option of the engineer. The general
plan, construction, convenience and capa-
city of the Bismarck water works was
wisely arranged and built for the future
city of Bismarck, up to population of 5O,-
600 people, with iiberality of expenditure
that proves the wisdom of the men who
went down in their pockets to erect such a
grand enterprise,
COSTING AS 1T NOW STANDS, $1O7. 900.
The principal officers of the company are
E. H. BLY,, president, and Col. G. B. Little,
secretary and treasurer. Mr.. Edward
Sloan, the engineer, has charge of every
thing. He is a worker and genius be-
sides. None can imagine the splendid con-
dition Of the engine house and machinery
without visiting the same. Cleanliness
and the perfect order in which one finds
everything, denotes close attention to
every detail. The walls are painted pale
white, and ratings and trimmings in regu-
lar black and red. On the walls are hung
scenes and fire engines. There are ex-gOv-
ernors of Dakota, ex-mayors of Bismarck,
and many of the old-time Dakota boomers.
Mr.. Sloan takes much pride in his work, and
it would be difficult to find more, careful,
competent and reliable engineer in the
northwest. His family reside in hand
some cottage near the engine house, where
Mrs. Sloan lives surrounded by her pets
and flowers, and fifty feet below rolls the
mighty Missouri. The view from reservoir
hill is magniicent;. it takes in Mandan.
Bismarck, Fort Lincoln and grand scope
of prairie. bluff and valley.
Ike Hayes Challenged.
I hereby challenge Ike Hayes to a
fifteen-round, four ounce glove contest for.
$50 side, the fight to take place at Bis.
marck on July 8, 1889. The money must
be posted on or before June 20 I lost my
forfeit with Ike Hayes once before, and
am anxious to meet him, as am certain l
can best him. CHARLES PAYNE.