The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-09-11
.SUPI. ZACHARY EXPLAINS
Says There Is No Lack of Pressure
at The~Works.
The Superintendent Answers Cards
1 Published in a Contemporary and
ii Exhibits Letters TO Substan-
tiate His Assertions. Some ID
Comparisons Made.
Editor Of the Nirginian:

want of pressure III the water mains,
printed IN yesterdays Landmark, /
desire to again call the attention of
the public TO the facts contained in the
following card, published but short
time since, and which has never been
answered, because uuanswcrablc. The
card is as follows:
Editor Landmark.
SiH:- Referring to your editorial in
yesterdays issue OF your paper in re
gard to want of pressuo III our water
pipes IN the city. | wish to state, for
publication, the following fncts: For
the week ending June 2S. 1894, just be-
fore the present board took charge of
She works, the pressure at tho works
was fifty pounds md tho pumpagc for
that week was 81. $40. 200 GALLONS. For
the week ending Thursday, August 5,
1898, during which the same pressure
(hfty pounds) was carried with nu nd
ditlonal ten pounds from 7 o'clock to
10 each morning, the pumpage
was only 35,9l9, 600 gallons = n
saying of 1851, 200 gallons in
une week. Now the pressure mt
ths works being tho same or moro and
the pumpage much less, l submit that
the pressure In the city is necessarily
much better now than in Jure 1924.
Ii you can find an hydraulic or civil
engineer, or even prominent citi
zen, who can get around above propo
sition, l would be pleased 10 hear from
hun. This gain IN the pressure and
the efficiency of the works Is owing to
the superior system Of inspection re.
Gently Exaggerated, and for the same
reason the pressure will continue TO
improve and the waste and the pump.
age to decrease.
III any customer is getting n scnnty
supply now as compared with that fur.
nished IN June, 1894, 1t is simply be.
cause his supply pipe is partially
stopped up or out of order und lie can
apply the proper remedy only 10y call.
lug the servlcesECt his plumber into
requisition."
Very respectfully yours
Il. Y. ZACuEHY,
SUPERINTENDENT.
Now as to present conditions: We
have but 54 inches Of pipe at the Lake
Lawson auction pipe ns against 81
inches to day one yeur ago, and at
Lake Bradford but IL inches to-day, as
compared with 81 one year ago.
Ience. rs we arc now in the midst OF
an unusually protracted drouth, the
chief engineer at the works was or
dered on August the 10Th to take of
Inc ten pounds extra pressure that he
had carried tho past mouth or two,
between the hours of I O'Clock and 10
IN the morning.
All increase of pressure under pres
ent conditions, and when we are giving
sufficient pressure to throw water from
clean pipes, over four stories high
wonld be suicidal policy. And il the
present droutn continues, aud | deem
IL necessary, l shall not hesitate to re
commend 10 the board that tho pres
sure at the works be reduced both div
and night. Gentlemen who Affirm that
tglven clean servlceplpes,) this depart
ment is not giving sufficient pressure TO
throw water to the second story, are
simply mistaken, as the following Ger
slhcate from tue Office of the City En-
glneer will abuudautly show, to.wit:
OFFICE or Cry ENG!SEuR.
NORFOLK, Va, Sept. 10Th, 1895.
Ar. II. y. Zachary, Superintendent
Water Department.
DEAR SHIN the absence of W. Il.
Brooke, City Engineer, / have at your
request this day III easured the height OF
the water gauge IL your Office above
the pavement and found the same to be
twenty two and eight-tenths feet CD 81.
The gauge at this time showed u pres.
sure OF twelve and oue-half pounds
tl2.5) which ls equivalent to column
OF water twenty five feet (25) high
above the gauge, or column OF forty
seven and elghttenths feet (4T.S) above
the pavement. ! also "phoned" TO Mr..
Wright, your chief engineer ut the
works, and was informed by him the
pressure there was forty-tiye pounds
t45) Very Respectfully,
". l.. REV.
DrauRhtsman.
T. S.-The column of 47.8 would
feach to the top of an ordinary four.
story building, W. e. Il.
Mr.. Wright, the chief engineer, over
nauied and tested the guage at tie
works few days ago, and found that
whilst 1T had been apparently register.
ing fifty pounds, 1T had really been reg
asterlng only about forty five pounds,
making difference OF cay, two aud
half pounds IN the city, hence he 10
carrying forty five pounds pressure
now--the same, he considers, us that
actually carried before the repair was
made. 1t was because of Mr.. Wrieht's
vatchfulness that this little t,Iscrepuucv
was discovered. No reduction OF pres
sure was ordered by the Board or
superintendent, but We deem 1t m.
wise TO increase 1t above forty-fye
spound5 at this time.
(. Our water gauge at !hie Office has
been repaired and tested within the