The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-26

shS ASoelf oir through the Varl0u
tributaries. Few persons in Purdy'
now, however, believe that there is a pa,
ticle of evidence to substantiate tina
theory. :. w
And, again, we hear as follows fror
the braclng climate of Montana. Let Il
ADMIT that his reservoir was not over
noWing. 1t was anyhow flowing O
would have been, if fit for use. Doubt
less the same fascinating idea of
storage reservoir, whose water woul
be sweet, was just as firmly asseverate,
as in our case. Let us sympathiz
then, with the people of Butte, but le
us also profit by their bad example. /
seems to have an almost providentia
relation to our own case. Indeed, nj
Illustration have of the reservoir look
IKE reach in our own beautiful LAX
Mcdonald.
THE BASIN CREEK DAM AMI
RESERVOIR OF THE BUTTE
CITY WATER co.
BY Eugene Carroll, Chief Engineer and
Superintendent.
During the year 1895 the Butte CITY
Water Co. raised it's Bason Creek dam
about "A feet adding 26OO Gu. yds. of
masonry, making a total of 1880 GU,
yds. now in place and raising the ton of
the dam to elevation $500. The present
dimensions of the dam are SO #. from
the top of the masonry to the bottom of
the foundation; 259 fit. long on the crest
The construction of this dam was be-
gun 1893, and it now holds back an
lmpounding reservoir of a capacity of
2OOOO0,OOO gallons. The dam is built
OF rubble masonry, faced with cut stone.
The foundation is built to carry the crest
of the dam to elevation 5000. The lines
OF the present structure were drawn
in at the top of the foundation, about
~ TT. above bedrock, to conform to the
height of the present elevation, the face
being left rough so as to make q good
bond with the balance of the masonry
to raise it to its completed height.
Owing to the fact that so much new
ground was flooded during the present
season, and that there was not sufficient
water to give the reservoir a top over
flow after construction closed, the water
has become stagnant, having a bad
taste and smell. The writer thought
that by placing air compressers upon a
boat and moving the same from place to
place over the surface, he could suffi-
GENTLY agitate the water to prevent this
Before the boat was COM
pleted, however, the water had become
so badly spoiled that it was deemed
and the project was aban-
doned.
A recurrence of this trouble is not
expected, as during the spring months
the daily consumption.-Eng
News, Sept. IL.
the daily consumption.
And now, having touched on the first
three of my propositions, let us admit
frankly that our consulting engineer is
opposed to filtration. Before endeavor-
ing to show how and why he may be
wrong, notwithstanding his deservedly
high reputation, both here and in Eu-
rope, think it fair to both sides to bring
in an independent controversy which an
other engineer has had with him on this
very point. l would be more than will
ing to think that what l consider the
error he has fallen into in this case was
due to an ignorance OF local condltlohs;
an ignorance which can not possibly
been dispelled by the angels visits which
have been deemed fitting to meet all the
requirements of success. One might ar
que that Milwaukee has an intake from
Lake Michigan; then why shall not AUS
tin have one from Lake Mcdonald!
But the point / am about to make pre-
vents me from taking this view as q
explanation.
Before taking up this part OF the SUP
iect let us see where our engineer STANDS
THE FILTER BEDS OF POUCH
KEEPSIE, N. Y.
By Chas. q. Fowler, Superintendent wa
ter Works and Sewers.
The filter beds of the POughkeepsie
water works were constructed on the
european plan, from designs by the late
P. Kirkwood, as described in the Man
lal of American Water Works Tor
.SS9-90. They have capacity OF SUM-
MOO gallons in "a hours, and have been Ill
Use nearly 20 years.
A wide misapprehension seems to pre-
yail as to their usefulness and efheiency.
+. #. Fanning's Water Supply Engin-
ering," fifth edition, 1887, states that
hese filter beds are at present used
tut a portion of the year, subsistence IN
he main reservoir being sufficient to rem
Ter the water acceptable to the consum-
rs" 1t is understood, however, that the
ater edition modifes this statement
The report of the water
for the year 1874 states:
The use of these beds has been aban-
Ioned except as may be occasionally re-
Iuired, when from the stage of the river
he water may be unusually turbld. In
leu of filtration, subsistence in the reser-
DIR has been adopted"
In the year 1875 the beds were in use
bout six months. In the year 1876 they
were in almost constant USE In the
eport for 1877 it is stated: 1.-The entire
upply for city this year was filtered"
n the report for 1873 the volume filtered
S the entire volume pumped, and II is
.dded: 1.-THE consumers accustomed to
rink filtered water will accept nothing
Use. nor will they consider any circum-
tance. or complication of circumstances,
IS offering any excuse for their non-use.'"
n the reports for 1879 and 1880 the vol
INES filtered are the entire volumes
jumped.
Cal The latest edition, 1891, states:
The filter beds during their first. few
ears were used but a portion OF the
ear. subsistence in the main reservoir
eing sufficient to render the water ac-
eptable to consumers"
Analysing the water (which by the
way has only feet instead of the usual
or feet of filling materiaD Professor
Drown gave the following results from
hree samples:
No. 1. ,0126 per 100000 for albumoid
mmonia.
No. 2, .OO70 per 100000 for albumoid
n o nn-i 49, 100 nnO Gov olbunoo;d |