The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-11-10
ENGINEER HAYNES REPORT.

report submitted TO the council Sat-
urday night by City Engineer Haynes
in regard to the question of new
city pump:
To THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF MANKATO, GENTLEMEN:
Having made a careful lnvestlga-
tiOn OF the matter OF securing addl-
tional pumping capacity for our city,
l would present d few facts for your
consideration and such actiC n As you
may deem wise.
First, as to our situation and needs.
Our present pump, a 100000 gallon
Gaskill, has during the past season
been worked not to its full capacity,
but curing the months of June, July
and AugusU over Ii hours out OF "A, or
an average of S23, 900 gallons daily. For
the year ending Nov LIST, 1893, the
records at the pumping station show
an average of 6OO,UOO gallons pumped
daily. while this average is mucn
below the capacity OF the pump, we
have during The last season, while the
demand was the greatest, been able
TO give the pump rest of only sixteen
hours in eight days. Ii is this fact
"hICh ShUoS ~ ~ PNAP
a necessity. Much has been said
about the pump at the mill and the
aid IL can give us. If our city pump
were disabled, we could close the valve
at the reservoir and the mill pump
could, through direct pressure, keep
our city aIive,and it's connection with
our system is, for this reason, an eX-
cellenU arrangement, but it would be
rnnnh lilo u m plpI,h with
teaspoon, land for fighting fire would
be OF little value. If our citizens
who pin their faith TO this pump
would examine it and then look at
our big city pump they would see the
matter as 1T is.
Now, as to The kind and capacity of
pump We should choose. l am inclined
TO the opinion that 100000 gallon
pump will be better than a larger one
for The following reasons: Our pres
ent boiler capacity is l36 horse power,
by careful calculation. A 3,OOO,OOO
gallon pump under our conditions Will
require 12S horse power. Therefore
this is as large pump as we can ham
die with our present boilers.
Second, our discharge main leading
from the pumping station TO
the distributing system is not large
enough to receive more than the
volume of water from 3 10000 gal
Ion pump, without undue friction and
consequent sJrain upon the pump
ing engine.
Thirdly, while the absolute di charg-
ing capacity of our two arteSlan wells
is maUter Of uncertainty, am OF
the opinion that three million
pump, or one of twice the capacity of
our present pump, will take nearly as
that the wells will supply. Then
when we consider in addition to the
the added cost of the larger pump,
equal to about $4,000, we have the
fourth reason. With 5000, 00Opump We
shall have system very we'll balanced
andswOrking nicely.
Next, in regard to kind Of pump
needed. We have looked into this
matter at Chicago and find cOmpeti-
tion between the different companies
sharp and prices lower than we sup
posed. Prices for 100000 pump
range from $4,000 to $4,000 for low
duty pump, to $11, 900 to $4,000 for a
high duty pump, for our location and
conditions without foundation. The
exact figures and propositions OF the
different manufacturers should not
be given here or until further action
of the council in the matter. The
distinction and difference between q
high and low duty pump is a matter
of great Importance and should be
thoroughly understood by the council
The duty of pumping engines, tC
quote from engineering books, is "the
ratio of the product in foot pounds, OF
the weight of the water, into the
height it is lifted. to 100 pounds OF
coal burned to lift the water" Ir
other words, it is the effective value
of the pump for economical running
A pump which guarantees a duty o.
100, 100000 is classed as high duty. The
Gaskill, Worthington, Allis and three
or four others belong to this class. The
low duty engines are rated at $4,000,
900 to 60,0O0,0 900 and in all cases are
sold at from to Z the price of the
others. Parties selling low duty en-
gineS claim that the interest on the
difference in cost of the pumps will
pay for the difference in cost Of fuel
There is some force in this argument
especially where the pump is used al
a reserve, and this matter should bt
considered. If we use new pumI
con tinually, the present pump can b'
held as reserve and the larger one
with its greater capacity and les
hours of running can be operated b!
one engineer, thus saving in salaries
Assuming that we do this, it would
be good policy and saving in the long
run to buy first class pump.
In general way, we can estimate
that high duty pump will save one
half ton of coal for each million gal
Ions pumped, and the attendant COS
of using it, while the saving in inter
est on difference of cost between tn
two kinds could only be given in eacl
particular case. In my opinion tn
city should buy pump of the bes
kind, with guaranteed duty OF no
less than 100000 foot pounds.
would have competitive bids received
on this basis, with the agreemen
that the pump should have scien
tic duty trial before the city accept
ed and paid for it,
The demands upon us for waite
will steadily and legitimately in
crease, aud as the years go by we shall
see the wisdom and prOpriety of thi
action. Respectfully submitted,
M. B. HAYNES,