The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-23
TgE OLD WATER TOWER.
,,ytc OF THE CITY'S FIRST SYS-
TEN OF WATER WORKS.

Improvement of Franklin
.,,,re--The Tower and Reservoirs
,.,,.tructed in 1S53-54, and Are
I'm substantial Specimens of Ma
and IronwOrk-Until 1851 Sa-
,,obians Drank Pump Water.
,c They Drink the Purest Arte-
lam Water to BE Found.
--s suggestion by the chairman of the
MI and Tree Commission that the Old
..r tower in Franklin square be re
..5 ip order TO permit of the improve
m.r- Of the square has been generally
,.,,neated upon. Some agree with Chair
man uaHn that the improvement of the
s,uare requires the removal of the Old
+ao.r Others hold the tower is an old
-.rirark which does no one any harm
or5 whilh should be allowed 10 remain.
There IS no question but Franklin square
ts very greatly in need of improvement
avid that the old tower is now distigure-
m.rr TO the square. Doubtless it was once
considered the chief ornament of the city
The Old tower is the only surviving relic
NJ sayaunah's first system of water works
unless there are some of the old mains
still remaining under ground. which have
not vet rusted away. The tower was con-
,trucJed together with the first system OF
water works in 1851 and although less
than half a century old has outiived its
usefulness. It was considered a great
work in its day and Savannahians were
won't to datter themselves upon the pos
adjunct to their water department The
tower is stiu stout and strong and viii
doubtless reach its hundreth anniversary
unless the Park and Tree Commission or
other modern iconoclasts effect its re
mov1l.
Col John Screven, whose attention was
called TO the subject OF the tower, recalled
the fact that the tower was built in 1853 or
1854 when mis- father DR.. James p. Screv-
e., afterwards Mayor OF the city. was
chairman OF he board Of water commits
soners Ii was largely due TO the efforts
Of Dr. ScreVen that the system of water
works was constructed.
Previous to the construction of the wa
ter works" said Col, Screven. the people
OF savannah depended almost entirely
up0n pump water. There were some few
house eisterns. but practically the entire
population made use of the pump water.
Pumps were located at the intersection of
all the principal Streets in the
squares and in the yards
OF many of The citizens. Reservoirs or els
lens were constructed in the ctnter of the
squares Tor use by the fire engines These
were hiled with the rain or from the
pumps. The pump water was, of course.
nothing but The surface water which had
inferred through the sand and as there was
lrle drainage in Savannah in those days
b was not necessary TO sink a pump very
deep in order TO obtain water"
Strange as il may SEEM" said Col
Scfgven, the water was not generally con
sdered unhealbhy. In fact, many inteli.
gent people cOntended that it was the
healthest kind of water and that no other
supply was needed for drinking purposes.
As matter of fact it was probably az
fealtly as the river water which was used
W4en the water works were constructed
aud for long time afterwards. When the
sewers were laid on Broughton and other
streets, however, the pump wells began to
G'N up ana had necessarily TO be abau-
don'a The first sewers laid in Savannah
were intended primarily for drainage pur-
poses, tde lower half being constructed of
porous brick and naturally drained d con-
Siderable area. Many of the old pumps re-
man, however, and We're used until
comparatively recent years"
Artesidn water was unknown when Sa-
lann3h's first system of water works was
NesUh In 1888. The works We're lOca ted
on the river just west of the Ogeechee ca
h1i, ana consisted of a receiving reservoir.
divided INTO four compartments, each com
p'fment being $50 feet square by s feet
oeta The reservoirs served the purpose
q setJlng basins, the water being pumped
from one basin a a time while it was set
uNs III me others. In this way moder-
aleF clear water was secured. The basins
were estimated to be capable of containing
w." tons OF water. There were three fore
iHs pumps of the Worthington & Baker
patent by which the water was forced
through two separate lines of pipes to the
"4s lpulng reservoir in Franklin square.
4le tower was a very necessary feature
u lhe hrSt water works system as without
H. II would have been impossible to give
iHe water sufficient head to force it into
'uIi"lhss. or TO make it available for fire
purposes The tower and reservoir con
sisls now, as il did then, Of a circular brick
structure about 80 feet in hight with di-
aueter OF 30 feet at the bottom and 80
i'5' al the top. II is surmounted by
CIeuldf ron tank 80 feet in diameter and
~ --'t msh Both tower and reservoir
are oil the most substantial character the
"W1r being massive piece of masonry.
a hollow shaft of brick work is carried up
u5Al cast iron Orders, resting upon the
inner and outer walls, form the floor upon
NAIea The wrought iron tank rests. The
o'Hom is on an elevation of fifty feet
eooNe the street and the whole
H'sH' 10 which the water was raised by
l'e pumps was 100 feet. The water supply
was ample for that day, each of the three
pumps being capable of delivering into the
reservoir 100000 gallons of water in
we've hours. The reservoir was used up
10 NE Tine of the construction of the new
Sa'ef works, the third set which the city
-a1 mad In less than half a century. The
Powerful pumps at the works being su1i-
.." 70 give all the pressure needed the
'S7 Oh the reservoir was discontinued.
tae people of Savannah continued TO
S..." iNer water until artesIan wells were
9u.A az what is now known as the old
~''ei works, on the river, a bout two mics
wi. ' OF the city. The artesian system was
ri 'l 'u the experimental stage and tbe
pa-' was not entirely successful. The
'@4 no" followed by engineers, is to ex-
I, ,.I 'He wells out on line at some dis
part in order to tap as large an
Eva as possible. This plan was followed