Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-16
At Least One Consolation for the
Southside Consumers Of Monon-
gahela River Water.
FHECOUNCILNANIG INVESTIGATION
Apparently Convinces the Seekers After
knowledge That Improvements
Have Been Made.
THE SHOWING MADE BE TIE COMPANY.
4 sOuthside Citizen Has Scheme Whereby All
Could Get Pure Water.

most rigid investigation OF the pun ping sta
tion, reservoirs and tank of the Mononga-
hela Water Company. The members of the
committee present were: Chairman Robert
son, Messrs. Ferguson, Mullin, Dunn and
Shannon.
The party were taken charge of by Mr..
Preuter, who is purchasing agent of the wa
ter COMPANY. At South Twenty-ninth street,
the first stop was made and the new
3O-inch main that is being laId from the
pumping station to the reservoir on the hill
side was inspected. The work of laying
the new main is we'll under way at present,
and the contract requires that it shall be
finished by September l. The reservoir is
at present supplied By a 1o-inch main.
The committee then proceeded to the
pumping station, where they were met by
Mark d. Watson, Esq, President Of the
Mouongabela Water Company, Superin-
tendent Stengle, John H. Dalzell and Mr..
Mccormack, the agent for the engines and
pumps now in use there.
IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDER.
Before making any inspection, President
Watson informed the members of the COM
mittee that the company is at present ex-
pending S15O, 900 in improving and enlarg-
ing its plant. Among the added improve
ments are to be a new pumping engine of
10 600, 900 gallon power. The present
capacity is 5000. 900 gallons per day. There
will also be two new batteries of boilers,
three in each battery. The average amount
of water pumped each day for the present
year was II, ,000.000 gallons.
After an inspection of the engines and
engine room the committee went down into
the receiving well, where a careful inspec-
tion of the water showed it to be rather clear
and pure. This is the well into which the
water is drawn from the river and then
forced up into the reservoir. The members
of the committee found one objection here,
and that was that the wall about the we'll
was not high enough. The argument used
was that rainstorm would wash dirt down
into the water. President Watson explained
that the washing of some dirt into the water
would be but small matter, as the water
was pumped to the reservoir and there given
time to settle before it was distributed to
the citizens.
The committee was then taken aboard
steam launch, called ''The Dart" and car
ried out into the middle of the Monongahela
[lNer, MIere .f Iu LneenuGno n iaotod T
1Te outh doth of the te 3 nroJ 81 %
faat. onrIood ~ IN bo,tie ros then Jronned into
tbe liver and allowed to sink 10 the bottom,
when the cork was pulled and bottleful OF
the water obtained. This bottle of water
was taken charge of by Chairman Robertson,
who will have an analysis of it made.
e Before leaving the pumping station Pres
ident Watson explained that among other
S;o',n " stations ,b;oh Iii
be of brick and stone.
zo,-,-n mn
Inc next place visited was the reservoir
on the HILLSIDE above Ihlrtleth street. Here
tnere are TWO iarge sins; one iot & Teceig1ng T
tne We tS Huu Si.O ~ ~ ~ " So. g.;
80 IT, o+Lar 90 on+o;,a5 a. - 80 e.
- d;.+rIkntaJ - +bo Io,ror -" Th;S
-; 80. So =. h. = .,S,,5J. -, T.
49, AZ " 80 - . Ill
g. p IT, orr,Ionat;on ~ +b;s o+fsra6 r1 br
SUnerintandent StengIe was that owing n
the intense heat and the unusual demand
fer water thev had not had time this sum-
mer to clean the basin out, but they
intended doing so at the first oppor-
tunitv. From this basin new
2O-inch main is being laid out to
the tank from which the hill wards are
supplied with water. At present only TO-
1neh pipe is useo' Inc distance 10 the
tank is 3H miles, and miles OF the line are
finished, and 1t is expected that this work
will be completed within three weeks. AT
the reservoir pumping station there are
three pumping engines. One engine mas
capacity oi 5,20O, ,OOO gallons, and the other
two less quantity.
rr,r 1,,cr,sr nm Az,
LIE ni0ihh'A 0R ALL
From the reservoir the party proceeded to
the tank, which is located on the highest
hill on the Southside group, the exact
height OF which is 900 feet above the level OF
the Smltnneld street orldge. Inc tank is
massive one and holds 3,OOO OOO gallons OF
water, from which all the hill wards are
supplied, the average consumption in these
wards being 1000, 600 gallons per day. This
tank is reflled every night, and President
Watson was positive that this supply was
even purer tnan Ihat lurhlsneo tne lower
wards, Tor the reason that 1t had
more time to settle. Mr.. Watson
also explained that the company had
already given out the contract
for another tank of the same capacity as the
present one. When asked as to the scarcity
OF the water supply on that side, Mr.. W atsop
admitted that ior two or three DAYS there was
q short sunnlv owing TO the failure of the
gas. He was nos;tiye that the sunnlv was
now eouaI to the demand and that the
water was as pure. if not purer, than the
supply in the city proper. The new i'm