Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-18
OUT OF THE RIVER
W. r. Goats Believes That is
the Best Source
FOR The ClTfS WATER SUPPLY
he Would Build CRIB and q Filter
Allows the Soldiers Home.
Tbs Cock System.

W. r. Coats of Kalamazoo, the
hydraulic and SaultAsy enslDeer is
guest at the Morton. MT. coats Is II
the city supernl- nding the manuiac-
tuTe OF come water works machinery
winch BGtterwOrth & Lowe are making
Tor the plant al TexaIk&na. Isster-
day, while discussing tue question OF .
wafer supply for Grand Rapids with
reporter Tor THE HEKALD, Mr. COais
said: "One thing is certain. Crane
Rapids can never Obtain suitable cup
ply OF water blythe Cook well system.
You can't otiS n a subterranesn cup
ply OF water anywhere with
IN the vicinity or Grand
Rapids. know II. Probably
| nave given as mEcn attention 10 sub
terranean water supplies as all the
other hydraulic engineers N the
country. Only few have devoted any
study TO ii, most of them having made
specially II surface supply. The
Cook straIner Is or no particular use II
there isn't any water tor II 10 strain.
When was asked about q supply Of
water for Grand Rapids last spring,
advised the authorities TO 60 10 Rogue
river; but looking the ground over
again, | have since changed my views.
! believe the city can get supply OF
comparatively pure. sweet water by
gong above the Soldiers home. A crib
can be built in the middle of the
river and conduit built TO the pump
lug station. The water could be iil-
tered al the crib and the city would
have an inexhaustble supply that IL
purer than nine out of ten cities of an
equal size have. That believe To be
the solution of the water question IN
Grand Rapids. AS matter of fact
the river water even at the source from
which II is now drawn ls much better
than most persons suppose 1t is al
most infinitely better than q supply
from q smaller stream or from wels
could possibly be. In fact
we'll water is the most deadly Of
all. But many persons will use
it in preference 10 river water, which
is comparatively cleaner and purer.
The great trouble with river water is
the prejudices of those that use it.
Now, so far as the Cook Well COM
pany's success at Memphis is concerned
l don't know anything about it. But
/ do know that the fact of its being
possible to procure a subterranean sup
ply OF water in Memphis Is not con
elusive evidence that such . supply
can be obtained here.
The Cook Well Company.
If the Cook company has been sue
cessful at Memphis, 1t is one of the
few southern towns which it has
been able to furnish satisfactory
supply Of water. The company in
whose employ L am now has purchased
the Texarkans water works, in which
the Cook system is used. The supply
is adequate and the company intends
to discard the wells. / am here now
buying machinery for the new plant.
The Cook we'll system is all right If
there is water, but when you can't &c,
All underground supply what is tine use
of attempting TO use wells OF any kind.
/ believe the best and the cheapest
supply of water that Grand Rapids can
| obtain may be taken right from the
river. | still believe that water which
is a little better may be found IN
Rogue river; but | don't think the ad-
dltional expense would be justified by
the probable slight Improvement in
quality. If were asked for my opln-
ION now, l should advocate crIt
above the Soldiers home, filter and
conduit to the pumping station. AZ
finale i would have a new reservoir.
The old one has long been inadequate
| TO the needs Of the city,"