The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-12
ALMOST A WATER FAMINE.
-FOUR DAYS WITHOUT WATER
ABOVE THE LOWER FLOORS
OF HOUSES.

the Water Into the First Stories.
Hundreds of Pipes Bursted by the
Free1e-The Danger From sani-
tary standpoint-The Only Reme-
dy the Closing OF Open Pipes and
Hydrnnts.
The universal complaint all over the
city is a lack Of water. Since the cold
wave arrived last Thursday night there
has been no water to be had above the
first floors of houses and the pressure is
so slight at times that in many instances
the flow there is very weak. Everybody
is suffering from the Inconvenience. Wa
ter viii not rise to bath rooms, the pres
sure is not sufficient to supply the hot
water pipes. people in houses heated by
the hot water system have had to find
some other means of keeping warm during
the last few days. Hot water pipes from
boilers have frozen up, while the water in
the boilers was hot because there was not
sufficient pressure to force it through the
pipes.
The greatest evil from the failure of the
supply is not so much the Inconvenience
Closets in dwelling houses are becoming
choked up and there is no means of flush
ing them. The whole situation is serious
The last cold wave proved that il would
take several days to recover from the eff
fects Of such condition and the report
that another cold wave was moving down
makes the situation more serious. People
are not going to close the pipes in their
houses as long as there is any danger Of Q
freeze. The landlords suffered heavily
by bursting water pipes during the last
freeze ana many of them have notified
their tenants that they will not be respon-
sible for broken water pipes this time and
that the tenants must keep the water
running and look out for themselves.
With almost every water pipe i'm the city
open 1t is impossible for the waterworks
to get up any pressure and so long as this
condition of affairs prevails the people
must suffer the Inconvenience of doing
without water on their upper floors. The
waterworks are pumping 5000 900 gallons
a day and still cannot get up more than
half the regular pressure.
Mayor Myers was seen yesterday about
the situation. There is nothing that can
be done just now" he said. I'VE are sim
ply not prepared for any such spell of
weather as we have been having Such
weather does not occur down here more
than once in a dozen years. We can't
blame the people Tor keeping the water
pipes open, though it is contrary to or
dinance. 1t would take an army of in
spectors TO keep the water cocks closed.
As soon as an inspector would leave a
house the water would be turned on again
The loss of water was increased BY the
bursting of a number of fire hydrants and
also the breaking Of a water main near
the gas house The main has been re-
paired now. and new hydrants are be-
ing put in. so this loss has been stopped.
1t is very evident that our system Of
water distribution is defective. The peo-
pie of Savannah use twice as much water
as there is any necessity for. The greater
part OF il goes to waste. Atlanta with
15,000 to 10000 more people than we have is
pumping only between 1000 900 and 5000
000 gallons a day. whereas we are pumping
100000 gallons daily. The only remedy is
to put in the meter system, so that the
occupants of each house can be made to
pay for the amount of water consumed
and wasted there. We can't do that now.
of course, but it is a necessity. and will
have to be done some time"
do you think the works are really
pumping 100000 gallons a day?" Mr.. Ny
ers was asked.
II am well satisfied of it, he replied, Mr..
Myers was a member of the water COM
mittee for a long time, and is Weli-posted
in the workings of the department
Gould not the city connect the old
wells and the river with the new works
so as to secure all the water wanted in
an emergency of this kind?" he was
| asked.
1T could be done" he replied. THE mat
ter was Investigated by the former water
committee of which Mr.. Cam was chair
man, and it was found that conduit to
connect the old works and the river with
the new works would cost about $50 600
This was part of the plan in construct
ing the new works, but was not carried
out because it was not thought that it
would be needed. Such emergencies oc-
cur so rarely that it is a question whether
it would be advisable to go to the ex-
pense, 1t might be better to bore new
wells at the present site if it should be
found that more water is needed"
Mayor Myers said that as soon as the
weather shows signs of moderating the
inspectors will be notified to enforce the
ordinance against leaving the hydrants
running and thus compel the people to
shut the water off.
Alderman Garrard expressed himself in
favor of the meter system. THE present
system is entirely ineouitable," he said
Il probably use more water than great
many people who are paying a higher
water rent. The only equitable system is
to make each house pay in proportion to
the amount of water used there and this
can only be done by means of meter"
Various remedies are suggested for the
present evil. There is no reason why
the present state of affairs should exist >
said one gentleman Yesterday Every
house Is provi .. with ms ans of turning
the water off at the point where the con-
nection is made with the pipe leading to
the house. Instead of allowing the water
to run il should be turned off entirely
Then what water remains in the pines
inside could be drained off by opening
the pipes There could be no danger of
| freezing then and the waste of water
would be saved. This is not practicable
however, as the water could not be drained
off from the pipes after shutting off the
water outside as there would be no pres
sure to force out the water remaining in
the pipes. What is needed is a waste
cock for each house at the point where
the connection is made. Then the water
could be turned off from the outside ana
the waste cock afterwards turned on 81
as 10 drain off the water remaining in the
pipes This would leave the pipes ernnt1
and there could be no danger of freezinr
There could be no complaint then on sc-