Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-06-27

VI w u4C1 NAY EIOVS Oh illuminate
Value.
Mr.. J. L. Wsrtz, of Newark, N. j., rep
resanting the Smith Taper" an ap-
pliance for tapping large and small
water mains without shutting of the
water. and which has been in success
full use in this city by Supt. Varney fer
two years pas, has been in the city for
a day CT two, stopping at the McLure.
Last evening Mr.. Wertz, who is pos
seSsed Of very wide information upon
the subject Of water supply for cities
and whose observation covers all the
problems now attracting attention in
this department of municipal govern
ment, met Mir. Lewis Jones. of the
Water Board, and Superintendent Geo.
Varney, and had an extended and
thoughtful discussion OF the general
subject of water supply with the gem
tlemen named. In the course of this
conversation Mr.. WertZ, after asking
a number of questions calculated TO in
form him upon some details of the local
situation, said:
THE people Of Wheeling will have to
come to filtration and a better sup
ply Of water sooner or later, and you
ought to do it now, instead OF waiting
for the inevitable Filtration is the
current problem all over this country,
and it must in particular be solved, and
that speedily. by those cities which
take their water supply from rivers.
The condition Of the river water is
steadily growing worse, year by year.
and this must necessarily be so. There
are number OF systems in use, and
you should seriously consider this fact,
and adopt some one.
Il am informed that your storage
capacity is but 100000 gallons, while
your daily consumption is 100000. That
Is an awfully bad arrangement, as at
the very best, you can keep but half a
days supply on hand. That is simply
tritling with a grave matter. Very
much smaller towns and cities do very
much better than that. Your storage
capacity should be fifty millions, at the
least. | can't understand the public
policy which brings about such i re-
suit. Some day you will break main
Nr force pipe, and then you viii be
at the mercy o. fire. Besides that.
public health demands large storage
capacity and settling reservoirs. 1t is
very bad arrangement. The little
city OF GAINESVILLE, Ohio, is away ahead
of YOU"
Mr. Jones recounted the late expert
ence Of the city, when the force pipe
broke. in North Wheeling, and the
water had to be completely shut off,
while only 100000 gallons were in re-
serve in case Of fire. Mr.. Wertz smiled
and lezumed:
'Ycu ought to vastly enlarge your
system. Your pumps are too small
ID your reservoir is trifing. You
ought 10 put ON meters, restrict the
consumption, and get an income for
what is consumed. In Dayton, O.. with
10000 population, their consumption is
only 100000 gallons a day; your pop
ulation is $4,000. and your consump-
ton is 100000 gallons a day. You see
the difference. In my city. of Newark.
we have immense storage capacity. and
bring the water by gravity a distance
OF ;wenty-Oce miles. The cost of the
storage reservoirs and main. to the
city limits, was S7.000,000. The main
Is a 4S-inch steel main, and is not to
be accepted by the city until the wear
1900, although it is in use. After if
was put TO use Ue had blowout. and
the city was without water. and mad
10 start up the pumps held in reserve
D supply water from the river. The
people saw the situation. and that the
city was at the mercy Of a single pine
line tWenty-One miles long. and then
the contract with the water company
was examined. 1t was found that the
contract called for daily delivery Of
100000 gallons, break or no freak.
The result was demand for 4 second
main, and General Hobart met the CITY
authorities and talked a good deal
more earnestly to have the city stand
half the expense than he ever dig for
the Vice Presidency. It was no use.
however. and the second pipe line is
bieng put down. at a cost of a million
dollars. In Minneapolis they had a
great water supply problem. and they
inI ted the National Water Convention
to meet there for no other purpose
than to have the matter considered end
an opiniofRdgiyen. A little supper
given the delegates cost $500. but they
got an opinion which was of immense
value. The modern way of meeting
this question is to find the best method
Of securing the largest supply Of pure
water no matter what the cost in Goi-
lars. That is largely immaterial. With
a pumping capacity just about equal %
the needs of the community. ana with
storage capacity of but hat days
supply. Wheeling stands near the dan.
ger line. and l do not understand why
the public VIII allow that state of af-
fairs to continue"
MesSrs. Jones and Varney were at
pains to explain not only the p-culiari-
ties Of our city government. but the i'm
mense actual improvement IN the st0r-
age capacity and supply which has
been made in the last three or four
years, but nevertheless Mr.. Wertz ap-
peaIsd to be aS,oUlded by the local
situation and viewed it as a grave dan
ger, which should receive attention be-
fore it was eternally too late.
The fact is that, notwithstanding the
great improvements made during the
past three or four years in our local
water department, the city is still very