Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-01

CdVUlb aEAtt0r klal-Uot0nIlOl
Hospital.
Another lengthy session Of the council
was the result OF the meeting Monday
night, adjourned from last week, and 1t
was close to midnight when adjourn
inert was taken until May ~. The ALL
important business to come up was the
water question, which was referred to
the body after the water committees
report last week. At that time. 1t Will
be remembered, no action was taken, on
account OF a general lack Of understand
ing on the part Of members of the coun-
Gil, other than those members of the
committee. and Mayor Pierce. His hons
or asked that action on the matter be
deferred until this week and 1t was
granted.
GIVES HIS IDEAS.
Mayor Pierce's object in this was to
prepare for the committeeman the; coun-
ell his ideas on the question, which were
not in accordance with those of the COM
mittee. as reported to the council as q
whole. Mayor Pierce furnished the COM
mittee his report in the afternoon, and
when it was brought up in the evening
session a recess Of two hours was taken
to discuss matters. A representative of
q filter company was called in confer
ence and when the council reassembled
Mayor Pierces report was made public.
1t was as follows:
Gentlemen Of the City Councils: 1
wish 20 thank the members OF the city
council for the courtesy extended me in
|spostpontng the consid Iteration OF the re-
port of the water works committee in
order that might present my views on
the subject of a water supply. have
always been interested in this problem
and have endeavored to keep in touch
with all investigations made with the
idea Of solving IT.. For some time past,
however, i have not nown exactly what
the water works committee was figuring
on or just what Investigations they have
been conducting, but / know that they
have been working hard and did not
feel like Offering suggestions until they
were ready to make their repor:, but
now that the report has been submitted
| 1t will certainly be appropriate for me to
presenI my ideas. lean not approve the
plan suggested for several reasons.
1.-THE frst question presented-in the
quality and quantity of the water to be
occurred from the gravel beds-Professor
Davis reports that this water is excel
Ilent for domestic use. which, without
doubt, is true. The only objection to the
quality of the water Is the amount OF
| iron held in solution, and this is impor-
tant, as the iron, no doubt, is the cause
OF cur service pipes clogging upas they
do. necessitating the renewal of private
services every eight or ten years, at q
great expense to the property owners.
AS to the quantity Of the water to be
secured from the gravel beds, am by
no means convinced that the supply is
ample. No man. in my Judgment. can
guarantee an unlimited supply of water
from these beds. Mr.. Hill, the expert
lemployed by the committee, after a
thorough investigation would not say
that the supply was sufficient, in fact, II
remember rightly, he said that he
could not recommend these beds as a
permanent supply. IL we are to receive
any value from Mr.. Hills services 1t
seems to me that we should consider his
opinion as an expert.
In the last two efforts to secure wa
ter from gravel beds near the river the
supply OF water seemed unlimited when
the work was done. but in each case the
promise was not fulfilled.
..If 1t is true that the gravel beds
north OF the river contain large qlanti-
tiles OF water. believe that the wells
lshould be placed nearer the present
pumping station, and a number OF wells
lcould be put in on our own land across
1.-THE river from the present works. If
there is plenty Of water at the place Of
the proposed works there Is certainly
plenty OF water nearer the river. BY To-
cating the wells upon our own land two
lof the principal objections to the pro-
posed plan might be overcome. Two
stations would not be necessary; the
dumping station could be placed any
where within 500 or 1000 feet of the
Ipreaent station, and the pumps operat-
ed by steam conducted from the present
works and the expense OF the second
station lessened. The idea of two sta
Itions is one OF the greatest objections to
1.-THE present plan. The further expense
OF right Of way would In this manner be
done away with, which is an important
Item. With sub-punping station
ling can be less than one-half cent per
L 900 gallons, based upon the amount Of
water We are now using. The estimated
cost Of the work, as reported by the
committee. is about $4,000, and is large
/ ly experimental. as any work with the
Idea Of getting water from the grave
beds must be. It seems to me tEat II
THE committee wishes to experiment
l,vith points in the gravel beds 1t can be
sdone much more cheaply and much
more satisfactorily by starting the work
Immediately across the river from the
present station, and then as the exigen-
cies OF the case require extend the sue
tion pipes indefinitely. II the present
plans are to be adopted / would like this
idea to be carefully considered before
1.-The location OF the work is definitely set
tiled.
at seems to me queer that the COM
mittee has not investigated more fully
before deciding this question the idea OF
putting in filter plant. In the past
few years more water works plants Of
ourssized city have adopted this system
than all other systems combined. Pri-
lvate corporations investigate these
| Quegtions carefully, and in our own