Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-23
What Was Done Here With the Aid
of The Star.

From the Municipality and County.
There are several cities wherein the
scarcity of the water supply is at this mo-
ment very serious matter. notably Chca-
go, Washington and Buffalo.
A special investigating committee in Chi
cago made a report to the council on
February %. in which the reasons for the
scarcity and suggestions as to remedy are
set forth. There is no lack of supply, but
simply lack of machinery and system in
the utilization of the water that is avaiia-
BILE. The combined capacity of the four
tunnel is 434,OOO,OO0 gallons per "a hours,
while the greatest amount ever pumped IN
tWenty-four hours is 2S4,OOO.O0O and the
nominal capacity of the pumping engines
in service is 2.B,UO.0OO. Much of the ma
chinery is worn out, besides being of old
fashioned and inadequate type. There is a
fatal flaw in ChicagoS system of water
works, in that the pumping stations are all
along the lake shore. instead of being To-
Gated inland and near the centers of the
districts to be supplied. This necessltates
the pumping of an immense quantity OF
water long distances and through mains
that too small to carry the water re-
quired. The result of these defects is a
scarcity in outlying districts and upon all
above first floors of dwellings,.
The committee besides recommending an
increased pumping capacity. and the re-
laying of some mains, advocates the estab-
llShment OF a hyuraunc plant IN the DuSl-
ness center of the city. This plant would
supply the tanks for a large number OF
hydraulic elevators in Chicago, and SO stop
the necessity for individuals to do their
own pumping into tanks. 1t is estimated
that this would do away with at least 400
cfimney5 in the business portion, and XIII
much of the present smoke nuisance
But the most important use of the ny
draulic plant would be increasing the eff
cheney of the ire department.. All the
downtown hydrantS could be connected
with the system and so at all times have
a pressure equal TO that obtained from the
best steam fire engine in the city.
The supply Deficient.
Buffalos case is different from Chicago S
orly in the source of the trouble The eff
fects, viz, scarcity in outlying districts and
in upper stories. are the same, but Buffalo
is not so fortunate as Chicago in having a
sufficient supply of water ready for the
pumps, for the tunnel capacity is not great
ly in excess of the ability of the pumping
engines that are daily throwing 11i.UD,UU
gallons into the city MAINS But in respect
to having in Lake Erie an ample source of
supply Buffalo is to be congratulated. for
with this big reservoir at its doors, the
question of obtaining a plentiful supply is
simply one of spending. say, $JDoo Tor the
enlargement of tunnel capacity and the
erection of more pumps.
Some trouble. but not much. was caused
by the ice blocking UP the inlet Of the crib
Chief Engineer Guthrie was dispatched to
the other lake cities to investigate their
methods of avoiding this troublesome ex-
perience He, in a carefully prepared re-
port and analysis, recommends that the
port holes of the cribs be made large
and placed deeper in the river. The theory
is that the smaller the hole the greater the
current, and the greater the tendency of ice
to follow that current the more easily will
the hole become clogged. The lower the hole
the less danger of surface ice sinking down
to it. When the ice once passes into the
crib, it can be iished out by baskets, or al
lowed to follow the tunnel where the
warmer temperature renders it less trou-
blesome. An ingenious device for preventing
clogging at port holes is one which carries
steam down to the opening, and when the
steam is forced through and turned on the
ice, the trouble ceases.
Washington, d. c., is suffering very
| much from insufficiency of water, but the
decision of the conference committee to
recommend an appropriation of $l2o.0oO for
the purpose of increasing the capacity of
the dams brings in sight means of relief
for which the citizens, aided in most
vigorous manner by The Evening Star,
have made a strong fight.