People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-05-16
Our Waterworks System.

Our Waterworks System.
Wellington City pays S4,O5O per an
mm water rental for fire protection
This is the obligation imposed upoI
the city by its contract with the wat
erworks company. For what is thi
money paid? For two things: LIST. A
sufficient quantity OF water to txtln
guish fires. I'd. Certain pressure upOI
that water, So that the fire companies
NAV be able to get it onto burning
buildings. The company furnishes
sufficient quantity Of water, but i
they caused the Mississippi river II
flow past each burning building, how
could the fire companies use it witt
their apparatus? The waterwork'
company's contract requires them tt
furnish a pressure to this water az
follows:
The pressure from the elevated tank
alone and its capacity shall be suffi
Gent to discharge, through 30 feet Of
hose. from any four hydrants, foul
One-inch streams, TO the height OF g.
feet, for two hours continuous use,
without the aid of the pumping ma
chinery, and AT ALL TIMES said tower
or tank shall be supplied with water
sufficient to comply with said require
ments. Upon second alarm from
the fire department, the grantee here
in agrees 10 furnish, within thirty
minutes from such alarm, sufficient
pressure to discharge six One-inch
streams through 200 feet of hose,
from any six hydrantS in the city to
the height Of eighty feet.
We would like to see three tests of
the waterwOrks made. For the first
one take the company unawareS when
the water in the tank is at its ordin-
AIRY height, say at 80 feet, as Mr..
Thralls claims it was yesterday when
the fire alarm sounded. Put one hose
at Hur ter's mill, one on the plug at
the Santa Fl freight depot which was
used Yesterday, one at the Arlington
corner and the fourth one at the
Fourth ward school house; turn them
loose and let them 90 for two hours,
seeing that the pumps are not used.
Our reasons for these locations are
that on Hunters elevator every fO"t
in height is marked; the top of the
Arlington cupOla is just 65 feet, and
the Fourth ward school building
would serve as a good basis for meas
urement, while the Santa Fe plug
would show whether the pressure
beyond Hargis creek differs from other
portions of the city.
For the second test, have the COM
pany fill its Standpipe to the top. then
shut off the pumps and repeat this
same experiment.
For the third test, lengthen these
four lines of hose to 200 feet each, put
another at the court house and a
sixth one west of the slough in the
Third ward, give the water company
thirty minutes notice and let them
throw these six streams each 50 feet
high by any and all means within
their power.
These tests would have no bearing
upon the question of the suficiency of
the water pressure in the past, but it
would demonstrate whether the failure
of this company to give the city value
received for its money is because it
can't or because it can but won't. And
in any event, it would be invaluable
to the city in any future litigation
that may arise over the subject.
Moreover, we favor giving the water
company fair show. Mr.. Thralls
complained last night of prejudice
against them. Treat them fairly.
Give a practical demonstration of
their ability to comply with their
part Of the contract. If they cannot,
they have been obtaining money from
the city under false pretenses for the
past eleven years. If they can furnish
the pressure required, but negligently
fail to do so, then they ought to be
made to smart for not doing so and in
tentiOnally and Systematically plum
dering the city treasury.
As Mayor Savage well said last
night, one thing is evident to every
body, and that is the city of Yelling
ton is paying out $1,000 to this cOrpO-
ration every year and getting practi.
.cally nothing in return. A grievOus
wrong is being done the property
owners and taxpayers Of the city. 1t
is public outrage that ought to be
and must be stOpped.-Mail, Friday.
The Waterworks Tested.
Saturdays Mail.