The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-23
ROANOKE, VA. SUNDAY MORNING, April % 1898
THE WATER SUPPLY.
Springs, Underground Streams
and Artesian Wells.

Inc town II more interested III the water ones
tion just now than In any public matter outside
tho primary election. People do not IKE this
iues OF having meters thrust into their house,
and IL there fs plenty OF water in Crystal Spring
tnere is no particular use in putting them in,
except TO increase the revenues Of the Gas and
water close by Roanoke ought to get ali the
s @aier snc needs at very low rate, and is
the Gas and Water Company In supplying water
at much lower rates than those now in force
ourbv N Whole Subject is going to be thor
start WITH Judge Dnpuy rendered a decision a
ear ago that the ordinance OF April Is, 1884, was
nnii anu VOID from non complianec by ,he Roam
te9uirements as to creating plant within ninety
The Gas and Water Company has maintained
only two watering trOaghe and neither OF them
nae9nate, and has nev cr erected any of the three
pn ,, drinking fountains required OF 1t Prob
ably it's failure to do go belongs to Council in
railing TO- locate them. but the city hasn't got
them. Then there is II requirement that the
Powclls house, should be maintained and kent
fulI This Ii rs not been done.
30 Inc Moomaw spring.(not the Moormsn spring,
as some enormously have called it) Is about three.
miles from the n g w. depot It is in small
pond and the outlet cmpties into Lack run at a
short istancc. Its flow is about I5 OTO) gallons
day. enough TO give o people $50 gallons
apiece; 1t would be enough to supply North
Kosnoke for years to come. But springs are pre-
at times. One man put Il dynamite shot into his
spring In order to increase ite fow The carrid ge
went or and 60 did the spring. 1t has never come
Dack Another man wanted 10 bring his eprip y
up about four feet, so he walled 1t In. The spring
rose about three feet and then the bottom fell out
and for aught he knows the spring went through
TO China The man who owns the sprinp NAV
not own the source Of supply There arc plenty
there is another up in the mountains down that
way. The Salem spring is almost ns big as
crystal Spring and The one Mt Elliston lie still
Did you ever notice that Lick run seldom :,
ever, has flood: 1t is because out In the country
along lite course are numerous sinks The rains
go into these sinks instead of into the run and
seep into the ground forming In the limestone
"n9cIground streams which may run for miles
Dut Delorc cxpcnoing any large sums OF money
III buying springs the legal status OF the Gas
anu alter Compapys franchise should be nbso.
inteiy settled by court proceedings Three hun.
drcd thousand dollars would not buy the Moomaw
spring and install an equally good plant OF mains
and pipes as that now in use, and the city will
not involve itsclf in any snch expenditures with
any uncertainties staring us in the face.
besides thcrc Is the artcsian well idea. Every
citizen or Roanoke knows or ought 10 know that
there are several underground strccms passing
underneath the city. One OF them seems 10 bq
as strong flow rs Lick run below the mouth of
trout run IL cost, about a dollar foot to sink
artc-iau wells. Men make n business goino
around the country snkin. them on II no water
no pay plan for that price
The edges of the drainage basin of Roanoke
valley are from 10. to 15e0 feet elevation above
the valley itself. IL the rain fall which seems
through beneath the limestone strata. rcts under
at 5oIfoot level at distance OF i've miles il
Wouiu come ont OF an artcsian we'll in column
nearly 2CO feet in height There would lie pres
sure enough in THE II put on the mains in Roa.
reservoir. II woud be wise fc Council to invcs
tiSntc Inc subject more thoroughly before acting