The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-13

The members Of the Scranton board
of health yesterday began their an
nual inspection of the reservoirs that
supply the city with water.
Yesterday was spent in examining
the plant of the Providence Gas and
Water company and next Wednesday
the reservoirs of the Scranton Gas and
Water company will be visited
The inspecting party yesterday was
composed of Mayor James Moir, At
torney George $. Horn, president Of
the board Of health. and the follow
ing mcmpers: NJ. j. Kelly, DR.. George
n. Reynolds, w. G.. O'Maley, DR.. 4.
b. Rodham They were accompanied
by DR.. W. A. Allen, health officer of
the city; Food Inspector Fred Wild
mayer Sanitary officer w. II. Burke,
Attorney Robert r. Murray. secretary
of the board; Plumbing Inspector NJ.
f. O'Mallcy, II. J. Jennings. Frank
Thompson, Major j. b. Fish, superin-
tondent of the water company; V. II.
Arnold, the assistant superintendent
| and representatives of the press.
At Q o'clock the party left the city
| hall ana drove to the first reservoir OF
| the company this side of Chinchilla.
The mayor and members of the board
were not favOrably impressed with the
| appearance of the water in what Is
| known as the old reservoir. Major
| Fish attributed the color to fcrmenta-
tion which he said was in progress in
| the reservoir.
NO EVIDENCE OF POLLUTION.
The members of the party made a
| close inspection of the sources from
| which the water came, but found no
| evidences of anything that would pol
| lutte the water or make it in any way
unwholesome.
Samples of the water in the old and
auxiliary reservoirs were secured and
| will be analyzed, as is the annual GUS
tom.
Next the filter at the Leach reser-
| Voir, half a mile above, was visited.
! All of the water that goes to the old
and auxiliary reservoirs passes
through this filtering plant which is
| constructed in accordance with the
| most approved modern ideas
short distance above the Leach
| reservoir are two artesian wells which
| the company has sunk since the last
| visit Of the board of health. Water is
being taken from only one of them at
the present time. They are not flow
ing wells and the water has to be
| forced from them by means of COM
| pressed air. No. / we'll from which
| water was being taken yesterday is 7S2
feet deep and the hole is eight inches
in diameter. 1t yields 3O0,00O gallons Of
| water every tWenty-fOur hours No. .
| well is ten-inCh hole $50 feet in depth,
Its capacity has not been measured.
These artesian wells We're sunk large
| ly as experiments but it is possible
that in the not distant future the
| greater part Of the company's supply
will come from them.
TO SINK OTHER WELLS.
Major Fish now has in mind the
sinking Of ten more wells on the water
shed of the company. The water that
comes from No. l well now goes into
the pipe that carries the water from
the Summit lake and Maple Glen reser-
voirs to the filter at the Leach reser-
Voir.
| After leaving the artosian well a
brief visit was paid to the creamery of
the Scranton Dairy company and the
party's next stop was at the Gritiin res
| ervoir, the largest owned by the COM
pany. 1t has a storage capacity of
72A000,000 gallons. 1t is 800 feet above
Providence square. A careful inspec-
tion was made of the surroundings of
this reservoir, as it is the main source
of the Company's supply. 1t was found
in excellent condition.
Summit lake, near the poor farm
was the next point visited. 1t is used
to augment the supply obtained from
| the Griffin reservoir. Summit lake is
fed entirely by springs and has a cap
acity Of storing 2jO,000,00 gallons of
water. Maple Glen reservoir which
catches the overflow from Summit lake
has a storage capacity Of 1900 200.
After inspecting the Summit lake res.
ervoir the members of the party had
dinner served to them under the trees
on the shore of the lake and afterwards
spent an hour boating on the lake and
in other forms of outdoor sport
ADVENTURE AT POOR FARM.
on the return trip to the city a stor
was made at the Hillside home. The
party had scarce secured the protection
of the buildings when a heavy rar
storm set in. 1t was accompanied by q
brilliant electrical display.
President Horn, Of the board Of
, health, was standing near the telephon,
in the office at the home, talking witt
Superintendent BecmeT when light
ming entered the building on the tele
phone wire. Near the ceiling the elec
tricity gave out a report like the dis
charge of a pistol, \ great black spo
was left on the wall and a big bali OF
fire darted down over Mr. Horns heaC
toward the floor.
He was badly stunned and it wal
fifteen or twenty minutes before
, he returned to his normal condition
Further than blackening the wall II,
damage was done TO the building by tn,
lightning.
. | Enwnrth Laaeue Cnnuantinn In