The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-12
WATER PLANT SCORED
SYSTEM OF MAINS IN BUSINESS DIS
TRICT SHOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE.
Meeting of Fire subcommittee Last
Night Brings Ont Some Inter-
esting Information.

cldi CiuD 10 investigate the cftyS needs
in the way of better fire protection met at
the Commercial Club last night to hear the
reports of the suscommittees appointed at
the meeting held last week. In response to
an invitation from the joint committee
Mayor Taggart delegated four city officials
to attend last nights meeting. They were
City Controller Johnson and Councilmen
Allen. Cooper and Clark. D. p. Erwin
presided as chairman of the meeting. The
first report heard was that of the commits
tee which investigated the city's water sup
ply and the contract existing between the
city and the water company. The report
was exhaustive in detail and treated the
water question in all its phases. E. b..
Martindale was chairman of the committee.
Following is the full text OF the report.
containing the views of F. NJ. Griswold on
the condition of the plant:
THE Indianapolis Water Company, which
is under contract to supply water to the
s5Ol00O. 1t has a bonded Indebtedness of
Sl,OvO,00O, Of which $4,000 Is drawing per
cent. and 100000 is drawing per cent. In
pany has little, If any, floating indebted
ness. The company has laid and Is now
supplying water in about 160 miles OF
mains, which range in size from four inch
es up TO twenty-four inches. The dimen-
slons of these mains are. in certain locali-
ties, not equal to the standard required by
water-works engineering to furnish ade-
quate fire protection to a city the size of
Indianapolis These mains were all tested
before being laid in the ground to q
POUNDS to the square inch The thickness
OF metal in each size OF main Is made by
standard adopted by the factories, based
on long experience In actual tes'sf Tneir
strength Of new pipe free from defects.
All pipes will weaken from year to year
in proportion to the time they have been
in service. and the rust. decay and weak
ness resulting therefrom.
THE WATER CAPACITY.
1.-THE company has ten pumps at its low
er station, with combined capacity of
q, 100000 gallons in twenty-four hours 1T
has two pumps at the upper station, with
a combined capacity Of 100000 gallons in
twenty-four hours. 1t is now putting in
two large "snow pumps" at the upper
works. with a combined capacity of 20,oOo.-
900 gallons in twenty-four hours. The foun-
dations are in and the building well under
way in course OF construction for these
new pumps, and by the terms of the con-
tract with the water company these new
pumps are to be in place ready for use by
the 1st of April next. When these new
pacity Of all the pumps of the water COM
pany will be 57OO0,000 gallons in twenty
four hours, and will be ample for fire pro-
lection to the city for several years to
come, provided they are amply supplied
with water and the street mains and hy-
drants are so laid and constructed as to
The water supply is now taken from a gal
lery about forty feet wide by two thou
sand feet long, and eight to ten feet deep.
the estimated capacity OF which Is 10000,
600 gallons. This gallery is supplied main
ly from six flowing wells, each of six
inch diameter. and. In case of emergency.
from White river. In addition, the COM
pany has a main with thirty-two-feet head
for supplying water from the canal to the
lower works; and BY order Of the City
main with White river. This connection
was sealed UP after its connection, and no
demand so far has required it to be I'M
sealed. The water in the gallery in the
upper works was not reduced over two feet
at either of the last two large fires. If.
therefore, there is fair amount of water
in the river, by the use of the thirty-six-
inch inlet at the lower station we can con-
fidently rely upon a sufficient supply of
water to fight any fire the city is liable to
"While, however. the water supply is
ample and the capacity OF the pumps ample.
yet IL the water mains are not properly
connected of sufficient diameter and the
fire hydrants are not the latest and best
and properly located on mains where great
pressure can be concentrated, then the
ample water supply and ample pumping ca
confiagration.
ION this subject Of the proper location
of mains and the character and location OF
services of Mr.. F. NJ. Griswold,- the gen.
eral inspector of the Home Insurance Com
pany of New York. who has made this sub
ject q lifelong study and who has been
in this city for nearly two months inspect
ing our fire protection. He has made to
this committee an elaborate report which
the committee herewith transmit and fully
indorse.
GLARINGLY BAD CONTRACT.
1.-The contract now existing between the
city and the water company, which was
approved May 5. 1892. provides that the
same shall be In force from Jan. ], 1892,
until Jan. /, 1897, and thereafter until a
new contract shall be made The rights
of the city under former contracts and un-
der the new city charter TO purchase the
water works property are fully protected.
The terms of the present contract as to
furnishing water for fire protection, how
ever, are not definite. The company agrees:
Gent to supply SO7 fire MIGRANTS or plugs
for fire protection as now located and
with sufficient power and pressure to throw
hundred feet vertically through one-incf
nozzles, said pressure and power to be
furnished within six minutes from the time
an alarm of fire is sounded from any fire
alarm box located on the line or within
one square of the line OF water pipe" This
contract is glaringly defective in these par
ticulars:
'Ffrst-It provides for a test through a
one-inch nozzle. while 1t is we'll known that
a one-inch nozzle In too small to do ef-
fective work at fire.
''Second-It does not define the length Of
fire hose through which the test shall be
made and it Is fact that the pressure Is
reduced twenty-six pounds through one hun
dred feet of hose. and while the test re-
quired may be easily complied With, where
the hydrants are supplied with only thirty
or fifty feet of hose. but in case of fire
the water must be taken from hydrants one
square from the fire. II short lines of hose
can be used pressure Of one hundred
pounds at the hydrant will throw a stream
one hundred feet vertically, but where two
hundred feet OF hose is required, the one
hundred pounds pressure Will not throw a
stream fifty feet vertically.
AT the late fire the water company
maintained pressure OF 100 pounds at their
upper station. 40 pounds at their lower sta
tion and 100 pounds at the department head
quarters. and they contend that this pres
sure was a substantial compliance with
their contract with the city, while. as a
matter Of fact. they did not throw eight
streams fifty feet vertically.
1T will be seen that this contract Is so
loosely worded as to leave It largely TO the
discretion Of the water company as fo-what
protection they will furnish the city In case
of fire. The most advantageous thing about
this contract Is the short life Of IL, having
only little over twelve months to run.
Your committee are unanimously OF the
opinion that the city ought to own its water
works. The power exists. under the present
city charter. in the city authorities 10 pur-
chase the water plant, or construct one OF
its own. BY the terms OF the contract be-
tween the city and the water Company
which expires in January. 1897, the city ms y
may select two, and the four thus see.. %
may select a Nth. and the i've persons