The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-19
OLD WATER WORKS TESTED.
Can supply 100000 Gallons of Wa
ter Day on Two Hours Notice.

Can supply 100000 Gallons OF Wa
ter Day on Two Hours Notice.
Savannah now has a water supply SUI
perior, probably to that Of any city In
the South. The old water works, which
have been thoroughly oyerhauled, are in
readiness to be put in operation on two
hours notice. The two plants, that on the
Springfield plantation and the old works,
nave combined pumping capacity of be-
tween 100000 and 100000 gallons daily,
from a supply of more than twice that
amount Of water.
The old works, which have just been put
IN repair, have been given a thorough test
tnis week and everything worked to per-
Iectlon The machinery, engines ana DOLL
ers, has been overhauled in every part,
the pumping building has been repaired,
new well houses and valve houses have
been built, the grounds have been put in
proper condition, and all that remains
now Is TO light the fires in the furnaces
when the works are needed, and In two
hours time the engines will be pumping
at the rate of 100000 gallons of water a
day.
During the four hours the test was made
Savannahians used the water from the old
wells without knowing the difference. The
engines at the Springfield works pump au-
tomatically so many gallons an hour.
When the old works were started the
engines at the new works came almost
to standstill and would have stopped
altogether had not the relief valves in the
pumps been opened so that the water
might flow backward and forward with
out being driven into the mains. The
pressure from the old works was SO great
that it met every demand of the mains
in the city without using the, water from
the new works.
There was no lack of water in the wells
at the old plant, as it had been feared by
some there would be on account of the
new wells. On the contrary the supply
was fully as great as it was when the
wells were put down. Neither was there
any diminution in the supply from The
wells at the new works while the old
works were in operation. The water in
the wet well at the Springfield plant in
creased 2la feet during the time the old
works were in operation, showing that
there was no decrease in the flow, on ac-
count of drawing from the old wells.
Supt. Lotion does not believe that the
use of the wells at either plant will affect
the wells at the other, on account of the
fact that they penetrate different veins of
water. The depth of the wells at the old
works is 500 to 500 feet, while at the new
works the wells only reach a depth of
from 240 to 400 feet.
Inc putting OF the Old water works in
readiness for operation is an added protec-
ton to the city in case of fire White the
new works can supply the mains at the
rate of 100000 gallons a day for a con-
siderable time, the old plant, capable of
being put in operation in a short time,
could supply water indefinitely.
The entire cost of the repairs and over
hauling Of the plant is about 81 800.
Supt Lotion has given his attention to the
yKybi hQs ha1 hn las
two months With the two plants, having
a combined pumping capacity of 100000
gallons a day, an artesian water supply
of more than twice that and, if necessary
to connect the plant with the river which
can be done by simply opening a valve.
the city's water supply will be unlimited.
When the large main has been put down
on River street the entire city win have
no lack of water for fire purposes.