The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-07-05

horse power boilers. This gives us
, two complete pumping systems, Ell
ther Of which is sufficient for our
town, keeping one in reserve all the
: time, and both can be used together
. when needed. We have about two
and one-half miles of distributing
mains, beginning with ten inch
pipe and running down to four
} inch, and twenty-three fire hydrants.
), In addition to our water works
system, we have a fire alarm sys-
tenn with two and one-half miles of
wire and six alarm boxes, so that
in case Of fire in any part of the
city, the alarm can be Immediately
flashed to the pumping station and
fire pressure raised at once. The
domestic pressure carried is about
fftyto fifty-five pounds, and this
can be raised to fire pressure Of
125 pounds in five seconds. This
pressure is equal to stand pipe
300 feet high, is constant and steady,
and can be kept up for an unlimit-
! Ell time, whereas, with stand pipe,
such as one Of our sister cities has,
1.-THE pressure at best would be less
than half as much, and this made
quate pressure would be constantly
decreasing as the water lowered in
the stand pipe. Besides this ad-
vantage, our water is always cool
and fresh, being always in circula-
ton, taken from the wells and con-
lveyed underground to the con-
lsumer; while in the stand pipe sys-
sem, the water stands for days in
the iron tank, and gets warm, in
lsipid and unpalalable, in summe.,
fland is liable to freeze in winter.
1 The cost of operating our plant is
very light, running, as we do, with
natural gas, the item of fuel is
slight Our water is excellent, and
the water rates are low, amounting,
for family, to about one and one
fourth cents a day. Our people
can have a running spring of pure
water in their houses for this small
sum. This means greater amount
lof comfort, health and convenience
than many can appreciate now. 1t
means healthful, pure water, and an
immense saving Of labor to the
housewife, as well as green lawns
and gardens, cool streets, with the
dust laid, to say nothing of the re-
l duced insurance rates and the best
fire protection.
! BY referring to the insurance
!, schedule established by the State
Board of Underwriters, used by all
insurance agents, in fixing rates, it
can be at once seen that where we
were in the fourth class before we
had water works, we are now in the
: second, with saving of % per
cent. in our basic rates.
}, We are inform, d that one of our
larger factories, which is somewhat
removed from the pipe line, spent
$500 to extend the mains to their
factory and around the works, claim
ling that they could more than save
, the cost in SO doing, in insurance
in one year.
4 There have been commi tees from
/, several adjoining towns to witness
the working of our plant, and they
have expressed themselves as being
much pleased with its operation and
surprised at its efficiency and ex-
tent, when they consider the small
Iamount Of money it costs us.
| At the test of our fire alarm sys-
tenn, it was arranged for the engi-
} neer at the pumping station to re-
Ispond to the fire alarm with an
equal number OF blasts on the fire
whistle there.
The alarm was sent in from the
box farthest from the station, about
flone and one half miles away, and
in eight seconds the response was
/ received back from the engineer,
flthis response serving as general
fire alarm.
At several exhibitions Of the p ant
the pressure wa raised from domes 4
tic to fire pressure in four or five
seconds ard four powerful streams
,Ithrown over the tallest buildings.
i Two lines Of hose were attached
Ito the hydrant on the dead end
rIfarthest from the pumping station,
land two efficient fire streams were
,Ithrown. II had been claimed byI
some who were not well informed
on the subject that it would be i'm
: rpossible to get sufficient pressure
|, at the dead ei.ds, but this was
! shown to be a mistake, the pressure
fbeing ample and the streams very
! strong.
| Our people should give our city
council great credit in this matter.
J, If the council had not had large
,lamount ot energy, persevei ance and