Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-31
F|NAL REPORTS SOON
Work on Water Extension Now
Awaiting Findings Of Engineer
Hill and Chemist Davis.
Former Will Be Here In a Few Days
Test Shows llenty Of Water,
Apparently.
On the Test as to Iron Will De
pend the Question of Removal
OF the Works.

While the public mind has been abb
sorbed with the circus, enjoyment of
vacations and how to keep cool, the city
officials have been saving wood on the
water problem and every thing SO far is
most encouraging.
The city has been pumping water
continuously now for five. weeks, sub
hitting the gravel beds to a most severe
test as to the quantity of water they
will furnish. Tkis is somewhat longer
than 1t was expected to carry on the
Itest. but Consulting Engineer Hill has
been detained in Philadelphia, where he
lis assisting in solving the water prob
lem. He is expected to arrive in the
u ever, and the water committee and the
council will soon know to a certainty
| how to proceed next
During the test and at the present
time Superintendent Mack has kept an
accurate record of the effect of the con-
tinued pumping on the outlying wells.
These figures have been forwarded from
| time to time to Mr.. Hill, and he has
them we'll in hand and will therefore be
able to make a report soon after his
arrival here. So far everything goes to
indicate that large supply of water is
lin sight and that the gravel beds will
furnish water for many years to come
unless the condition of the seasons
SHOULD greatly change. The stage of the
water in the outlying wells is not great
lily affected by the pumping, varying
Isomewtat from day to day, sometimes
being higher and sometimes lower.
An average OF about 100000 gallons per
|twenty-four hours have been pumped
and are being pumped at the present
time. This amount could be increased
somewhat were it not for the fine sand
| that accumulates in the we'll when the
head of water in the we'll is reduced.
The theory that some of the citizens
i hold to that the water in the gravel
beds has it's source of supply from the
river and Is affected by the stage OF
water in the stream has again been dis
i proven This claim was first shown te
1 be incorrect from the fact that the
/ water in the test wells stands higher
1 than the water in the river. During
/ the past week Mr.. Benson, who own.
the Touring mills on the river, drew tbs
water down in the mill pond in order t.
enable his men to make repairs on thu
dam and the wheel house The water
in the river above the dam was thu
lowered about three feet, but that il
the city wells was not affected in tn
lleast This explodes entirely the theor.
/ ~, $ba al hn1 al fad
river and substantiates the belief tina
there is a distinct underground stream
flowing through the gravel beds alon:
the river valley.
Four samples of the water now being
pumped have been secured and sent u
4 Chemist Davis for analysis. This
analysis Will be made for the purpose o
determining whether or not the guam
y THY of iron has increased to any grea'
extent. This is an important feature
because if the iron is present in large
!: quantities aeration of the water will bs
necessary. This is accomplished by
precipitat ting the water into reservoir
On this point Will depend largely the
question of the removal of Gle pump
ing station. If aeration is necessary
the reservoir can be built at less cost OF
the city grounds opposite the PUMPING
station, where there is less gravel ans
where it is not so far to bed rock.
the quality of the water is such that i
can be pumped direct from the gal
leries then the water committee vii
probably recommend that the pump
be removed to location near the gal
leries. The report of Mr.. Hill and tina
of Chemist Davis will be awaited Wit
interest.
At the present time it is necessary t
draw little water from the river. blu
following each rain the people do no
sprinkle their lawns and the old gal
leries and temporary extension furnis
! an adequate supply for public consump
ton.