Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-08
ras QUESTION NOW AGrrATINa TIE hSk-
BERS OF THE BOARD.
The Reservoir ALI Right Bu! tho Present fumP
ing Capacity Observation-Disclosures Oh
tha Bard Talk.

consideration, and by an lnvestisa'ioh
of the different ideas hope to mature
plan by which the city's water supply
will be rendered as pure as possloie'
They prefer, however, not to make tneir
views public until such time as they
have fully agreed upon a plan. III
regard to the insufficiency of the sup
| ply, two facts are patent:-(l) the new
| reservoir. with an ample capacity u
meet the require ments OF consumers
despite the ASSERT ons to the contrary
is all right, and will hold water, OUT W
the present pumping capacity IS hoS
great enough to put the water IN tne
basin. To remedy this there is but one
plan, to replace the present machinery
with new equipment with proper ca
pacity for the work. The present
pumps, four in number, are taxed TO
their utmost to keep water in the oiu
basin, and besides much OF the machi-
nery is worn out, and it is merely
question Of time until it would have TO
be replaced. What the city requires Is
abundance in quantity and purity IN
quality. A REGISTER reporter yester-
day interviewed the members Of the
Water Board, first securing
Mr.. MORTIMER PoLLocK's VIEWS.
1.-THE members OF the Board have
given these matters considerable
thought and attention." he said. "ln
the first place the impurity OF our
drinking water and the danger result
ing therefrom have been greatly ex-
aggerated. The Board secured sam
pies of water recently, and sent them
for ANALYSIS to one OF the most cele-
brated chemists Of the country. One
sample was taken from well on the
Island, another from the river near the
Top mill. and the third was drawn
from hydraut The chemist was not
Acquainted with the different sources
from which the samples were secured,
and when the bottles were returned
that from the hydrant was found TO be
the most pure, while the well water con-
tanned the most impurities. Among the
remedies which have been suggested are
the securing of the water supply from
point above the city, and from Wheeling
creek. The latter is certainly an alb
surd proposition, as that stream at GER
tain periods is practically dry"
sHow about the reservoir asked
the newspaper man.
"The reservoir is all right. The
great trouble lies in the inability OF the
present machinery to pump water into
it. There was waste Of ~ inches in
the water in the basin in "a hours. from
leakage and evaporation, which is prac-
tically nothing. Mr.. Dacrow, repres-
entative of the Holly Water Works, OF
Lockport, n Y. has been here within
the past few weeks, and made measure
ments at the water works. He stated
that the present buildings OF the water
works could accommodate two pumps,
with capacity of 100000 gallons
each, per day, which would be amply
sufficient for the present or future
needs of the city. If the water Is Sc
cured above the city, pipe should be
run to the present station, as the cost
of erecting a new station would be
probably $4,000, and nothing would be
gained. MessrS. Hall and Jones, of the
Board, will leave for Lockport, in
August, and will there inspect the work
of the Holly Company, and ascertain
the cost Of such pumping machinery Us
will be required for the new reservoir
1t is estimated that it will cost in the
neghborhood of $780, 600"
MIR. HENRY f. JONES
was next seen by the reporter:
1.-The source from which the city will
secure It's water" be said, in answer to
a question, with reference to it's puri-
ty, is a matter which has frequently
been discussed by the Board, but no
plan will be agreed upon, except after
an examination of the different schemes
suggested. The proposition of secur-
ing it from Wheeling creek is most
absurd one The cost Of building a
dam, In the first place, would be enor-
nous, and there are seasons OF the year
when the creek is almost dry. Think
OF securing 5000, 900 gallons per day
from that stream during July or August.
Besides this the water would be stag
nant and unfit for use. The plan is not
feasible The question of securing
water from a pure source is most
difficult one"
"Will the reservoir hold water?" was
asked.
"Undoubtedly. it will. A certain class
| OF people are crying about the useless
expenditure OF money in the con
struction of the basin, but they
simply take for granted the state
ments of certain persons, without max
ing an investigation. The city Of
| Wheeling has as good reservoir as any
in this part OF the country. There are
six feet OF water in the reservoir to-day,
and the average waste for 24 hours is
! little over an inch, part OF which is due
/ TO evaporation. Our present pumping
! facilities are not sufficient for the work
| OF pumping water in the basin. In fact
they are overtaxed-beyond their guar
/ anteed capacity-in the work they are
now performing. Accidents to the
! pumps are frequent, aud while those
! now at the water works can put water
! in the new reservoir, an ac-
cident would leave The city with
cut a water supply, which would
impede the industrial and commercial
progress of the city, and besides be a
source OF disastrous loss in case OF fire.
Every properly equipped water works
should have duplicate pumping
capacity, so th1tiR case OF accident or
breakage ias one set Of pumps
tie work e11la go right along
without interruption. The estima-
ted cost or such machinery as
would be necessary has been placed at
sl0O.OO0-an outside figure"
"Would not the expenditure of that
sum impose additional taxes upon
! property owners?"
''No, sir, it would not. The water
works Is self-sustaining, and besides it
contributes out OF its revenues the sun
OF Sl5,500 annually toward paying off
the bonded debt OF the city. II we were
| not asked 70 contribute that sum-and