Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-04
THE WATERWORKS.
|ssvTat Is Causing All the Dis
cuSSion.
AN INTERVIEW WITH MR.. NEIS.
The Improvements Required to Give tho
Necessary Fire ProtectiOn-The Cost
of the PEant-The Earnings of
the Present System.

As there seem7 to be many and varied
ideas about the condition of the waterworkS
and the contemplated improvements, j GA
ZETTE reporter sought Alderman Neis yes
terday. The result of the visit is given in
the following interview:
What about the proposed watcrworks
improvements that are causing SO much
TALK"
The matter of waterworks improve
| ment is one that has given rise 10 L great
deal of study and investigation on the part
of the friends of the waterworkS, ever
since the city gave evidence of heavy
growth and advancement. Among ether
things, after coming into the department [
found that land this was three years ago)
the city had entirely outgrOwn the original
plant, and that at an early day provisions
must be made for a permanent water sup
ply, more power and better distributing
facilities. The department was Just get
ting on its feet financially, after very hard
struggle, during which those in charge
were often compelled to give their personal
paper for the necessary supplies for operat-
ing, and even then performing the work
under great many disadvantages. A sySte-
matte repair of the machinery, begun under
our predecessor, was pressed all we could,
trying to make effective the power we pos
sesSed in order to at least, as fully as posi-
BILE, protect our business districts in case of
those deserving it. Much attention was
given to a clear water supply. The gang
| wells had been placed in thorough repair by
Secretary Early but these soon, on account
of the rapid growth, proved inadequate.
Other wells were added and for season
these seemed to fill the bill but they in turn
proved inadequate, and we were again at
sea. Many different schemes, cribs, drifts,
etc, were suggested, but these appeared to
be out of the question for variety of rea-
sons. Meantime our pump was being con-
tinually overloaded with continued in
creased demands. For temporary aid a new
pump was purchased and put in place and
to-day these two pumps are doing the work
as best they can, but if one breaks down
there is nothing to replace it,
WAS this the only difficulty"
No, another difficulty presented itself,
and that was the arrangement OF the pipe
system
What pipeage system have your
There is practically no system to our
pipeage No large distributing mains, and
"a large amount of pipe that must needs feed
populOus sections of the city no greater
than that used in supplying the consumers
1t was found that by concentrating the
power we had in given territory would at
best yield but poor results on account Of
immense loss by friction caused by small
sized pipe. The conclusion was finally
reached that if Fort Worth was to take
front rank among the inland cities of the
state, there must first of all be developed
firSt-class water system both as to quality
and amount of water and as to service.
This question appears to be ahead OF all
other considerations; ahead of city hall,
sewers streets and even school houses, for
the health of our community depends SO
largely upon a favorable solution of this
problem
1T is useless to talk Of Fort Worth be-
coming hat so many of US hope she will
be, the foremost city of the Southwest
unless the waterworks be placed upon such
basis as to give confidence in its future.
The importance of the problem immedi-
ately i'm pressed US, and for these years we
have been laboring so to perfect plans as
would more than satisfy its most sanguine
supporters and guard against the many
failures that have been made in other 10
calities. Every avenue of information has
been opened, all sources have been appealed
to and we believe no serious error will re-
suit if the people of Fort Worth will
squarely look the matter in the face and
give the movement their support
"But is not the financial problem stub
born one and not easy of solutionl"
1T is true that the financial problem was
and Is the greatest one to De solved. This
put check upon the early efforts at i'm
provements, so many other important mat
teFS Cditluk dtteuClOn Auu IHdl, LII d
measure, this, the most important of all,
was lost sight of. But when the late
amendments to the charter were made and
finally passed the legislature, there was in-
corporated section that provided for the
issuance of bonds. not based on the general
valuation Of the city, but upon the water
works plant, pledging its revenues and re-
sources and the property as security for the
same. and compelling the use of all these
before calling upon the taxpayer for any as
SiStance.
This began to make matters clear. The
earnings Of the waterworks have been
gradually increasing until to-day there
stands to the credit Of the department
surplus of $4,000. which will likely be in
creased by the 1st Of January to about
$23, 600, with all bills and interest accounts
paid.
THE revenue from regular consumers
amounts to about forty-one or two thou
sand dollars. ten Thousand or Whereabouts
coming from the railways, the balance
from ordinary consumers. A close investi-
Cation indicates that not more than one