Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-01-30
A COMPLETE SUCCESS.
THE WITNESSES AND THE WEATHER
WE'RE NUMEROUS

and Found to be o. K-streams of Water
Thrown to an Altitude of More Than One
Hundred Feet
Although the weather was inaus-
picious nearly the whole city and
many country folk congregated in the
streets last Thursday afternoon to
witness the waterworks trial and
properly celebrate, if the experiment
proved success.
The ease with which the pumps
carried water into the city on the
Tuesday preceding, warranted the
confidence that they were powerful
enough to furnish all needed pressure
and that the pipes were strong enough
to stand the strain, but as in system
of the magnitude and extent Of this
one some imperfection is so liable to
find is way, not little anxiety was
felt st some accident occur 1t was
bat reasonable to expect leaky joint,
weak pipe, or an imperfect fitting
somewhere. But such was the ex-
treme care and faithfulness employed
in the construction Of the plant that
not single accident or imperfection
appear 4. The works did everything.
and more, that they were expected to
accomplish.
At one time the hydrants were I'M
Intentionally all closed at once and
the register at the pumping station
showed the tremendous pressure of
considerably over 800 pounds to the
square inch One or two say that for
few moments it reached $50 pounds.
AS pressure of 800 pounds to the
| square inch will sustain column of
water $50 feet high. which is nearly
twice the altitude of the top of the
standpipe above the spring, it is evil
dent that our council have planned
wisely and well.
One of the first hydrants to be
opened on Thursday was the one in
front of the Meyer-Showalter bank.
The Phoenix Engine company were in
command; they had two lines of hose
attached to the one hydrant and the
tremendous force with which the
water rushed through them was sur
prise to the doughty firemen no less
than TO the spectators. 1t was with
handle the nozzles and direct the flow
After experimenting short time at
| this point the scene of active opera
tions was transferred to the hvdrant
in front of the building where the
HERALD office is located
| 1t had been promised that water
would be thrown over the top Of the
spire OF the Congregational church
which promise many regarded as a
| bit Of exaggerated enthusiasm But
results showed that altitude to be
very conservative estimates; not only
to the top did the stream reach but
way above it. twenty feel or more.
We are told that the church spire is
ninety feet high: so the stream must
have been forced to an altitude con-
siderablv more than one hundred feet.
Later an immense bonfire was lighted
on the old factory grounds. bells were
rung and the fire laddies promptly
responded to the cali. but the contest
was 50 unequal. the bonfire was SO
weak and puny an affair in the pres
ence Of he torrents Of Griswold spring
water which drenched it to death that
the sympathies OF the crowd were with
the fire. Lancaster's innate sense of
fair play was not satisfied by any such
one-sided contest. Nothing less than
another excelsior factory confagration
is competent to dispute for a moment
the mastery of the situation held by
our present facilities for fire fighting.
The inclemency of the weather pre-
vented carrying out the literary and
musical features of the celebration as
planned The vocal music and speech
making were for the most part dis
pensed with. The Lancaster band
enlivened the occasion however by
PLAYING a number of choice selections.
Although it had been decided earlier
in the dav to omit all oratory, the
presence of Mayor Decker's smiling
countenance was too much for the
beys and they captured him. elevated
him to their shoulders, carried him
to a goods box improyised as speak
er's stand. placed him thereon and
demanded speech. The mayor good
naturedly responded in few hearty
and appropriate sentences.
The Funny Part of IT.