Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-23

l
at the new phmping station
north Of Ire city, took the
precaution to draw sufficient amount
OF water to cover the necessities of
Sunday No person dreamed that the
, water would be shut off during the en-
tire day, and as result everybody suf-
fered great inconvenience. 1t was an
unusual situation and IL 1t had been a
week day instead of Sunday, it would
have been infinitely worse.
The consumption of water on Sunday
is the smallest of the week. The eleva-
tors in business and Office buildings are
not running, and the industrial plants
are idle. This was the case yesterday.
The greatest inconvenience was prob
ably suffered by the hotels and restau-
rant keepers. They were supplied with
water hauled in barrels from the river,
and one hotel man said his water cost
him three cents a gallon.
Families generally suffered from the
lack Of water for washing and culinary
purposes, and the sight of men, wom-
en- and children carrying buckets to and
from the river, was very unusual. Most
of the hotels and cafes secured barrels
of distilled water from the plant of the
Wheeling Ice and Storage Company,
and the demand was remarkably heavy.
Enterprisng boys secured buckets dur
ing the day and carried water from
the river, which they disposed of at
five or ten cents pail, the price being
paid without a murmur in most in
stances.
The river did not supply all the
water, however. There are several
springs in the city which were COM
PEELED to work overtime, and they sup
piled virtually the entire wards in
which they are located. There was no
time during the day Or evening when
there was not crowd about the spring
On the Fourteenth street hill, west of
McCulloch street, many persons carry
ing buckets for half dozen blocks.
The pipe at the Whitaker mill,
which is supplied from the spring at
Coal Run, was visited by people living
End. There is also a large spring on
the hillside in the North End, and an
other near Schmulbach's brewery, as
we'll as several smaller springs, and
great amount of water was taken from
them.
Liverymen were among the suffer-
ers. ihere was no water for their
horses, and it was found necessary to
take the animals to the river. 1t is
seldom that there are SO many horses
seen on the Wheeling wharf as upon
yesterday. Many other owners of live
stock drove their animals to the river.
There was great anxiety about the
time when the water would again be
turned on, and the people at the pump
ing station were called by phone I'M
til life was made a burden for them.
The telephone girls were kept busy,
and their patience was sorely taxed.
Along in the afternoon, instead of an
swering calls with the usual number,
please, the operators asked: do you
want 10 know about the water?" a4A
receiving an affirmative reply, they
gave such information as they had.
The information was misleading,
too, from the fact that the water works
officials were delayed beyond the time
when they expected to resume pump
ing water into the reservoir. The time
was first given as two o'clock, then
four, then five, six, eight, and so on
The Wheeling & Elm Grove Railway
Company experienced considerable
trouble Saturday night through their
inability to secure water, and were
even forced to discontinue traffic for a
time. Yesterday they succeeded in
securing water for the power house,
by pumping it through a line of hose
from Wheeling creek, and by using
the sprinkler car. The service to the
Park and suburbs yesterday was sat
isfactory.
The Wheeling Electrical Company
also suffered, and was compelled to
close down its plant last night. Pa
in instances where houses lhre not
piped with gas, the result was very
annoying.
The Reymann and Schmulbach
breweries, the Whitaker mi-A and the
Wheeling Corrugating Company are
supplied with water by the city, and
it is not likely that any of these plants
will be enabled to start in operation
this morning. Several of the smaller
industrial establishments have ar
ranged for hauling water for the boil
ers in barrels.
The cause of all the trouble and an
noyanee to the public, was the max
ing of connections between the new
supply pipe and the large main lead
ing to the reservoir on Wheeling hill
Work was started about five o'clock
Saturday afternoon, and the force Of
workmen continued for nearly twenty
four hours. Superintendent Oliver, of
the water works, and members of the
Water Board, were present, and did
all within their power to facilitate the
work.
The new supply pipe joins the old
line just outside the pumping station
The mains are about fifteen feet below
the surface at the point at which the
connections are made. The metal con-
nections are extremely heavy. By
hard work the connections were COM
pleted about 430 o'clock yesterday
afternoon. The valve in the new sup
ply main was closed, and braced with
heavy timber, but there was a water
pressure of 10000 pounds against it.
About S:45 o'clock the valve gave
way and was twisted about, causing
deafening report, flooding the ditch