The age-herald., 1900-08-05

The boiler plant consists of twelve horiz- ontal tubular boilers of 100 horse power each
 The water flows by gravity from the river through a tunnel into q pump well.
 and from here it is pumped through two 20-inch force mains, one main for each pump, distance of 2.70O feet to a stand
 pipe, which is situated on a summit about 375 feet above the level of the river. This standpipe acts as an equalizer to relieve
 the mains of sudden jars. At this point the two 20-inch mains merge into one main, 30 inches in diameter through which the wa ter flows a distance of 125O0 feet to the
 reservoirs. The total head pumped against
 is 400 feet.
 These reservoirs of which there are two,
 are situated on Shades Mountain, about five
 miles from the city, the water level in them being carried at an elevation of 220 feet above the railroad tracks at Twentieth
 street. The smaller basin has a capacity of
 2S 600 gallons, and the larger. dam,
 has a capacity of 1l0.090,O00 gallons. The
 pipe connections at the reservoirs are so
 arranged that water can be pumped into or
 taken from either or both reservoirs, or can be pumped direct to the city from the
 Cahaba pumping station.
 From the reservoirs the water is brought
 to the city by gravity through 1G,50O feet
 of 30-inch pipe and 5000 feet of A-inch
 pipe
 The main from the Cahaba station runs through very wild and rugged country,
 and it was necessary to tunnel in two
 places. One of these tunnels is 900 feet
 long and the other, through Red Mountain,
 is 2,100 feet long.
 The distribution system of the city is
 laid out with a view to future needs and extensions, and consists of eighty miles of main pipe.
 In quality the water Is as pure as that 1 supplied any city in the country. Five-Mile f.vxy rerla 1Dh xFn n- 1 try with practically no habitation and no l possible means of contamination. The Ca 1 haba river passes through wild, rugged, 1 uninhabited section, ooursing down a l rough, rocky bed, with frequent cataracts. 1 It has fall of about ten feet to the mile | giving 1t a swift, strong current. This 1 rapid motion and constant aeration brings | the water to the pump house in as pure and healthful condition as it Is possible to find water in nature.
 The company is now using only small part of the available water supply, which 1 is sufficiently large for a city of six or l eight times the present size of Birming- | ham, that as the city grows there Is no 1 fear of the water supply becoming insuf- | ficient or contaminated
 In order to give some of it's patrons on l the South Highlands a better service, the l Water Company has recently gone to great 1 expense in constructing high service pumping system. This consists of gas engine and pump with which the water from the mains is pumped into tank on the side of Red Mountain. This improve
 ment gives the residences on the higher
 elevations a much peter pressure than it
 is possible to obtain from the regular dis
 tribution mains of the city.
 Within the past year the stock of the
 Birmingham Water Works Company has changed hands, and it Is very evident that the present management will render good service and continue to improve and eX- tend the system that has been so well con- structed under the management and ,direc- | tion of one of our able citizens, Major Will ] lis J. Milner.
 The courteous and obliging superntend- | ent is Captain George Reyer, well known water works man, who for eighteen years and until recently has been in charge of
 the municipal water works system at Nashville, Tenn.
 The operation and management of this great factor in Birmingham's prosperity is under his guidance, and he is always glad to do anything that will add to the con- venience and comfort of the patrons of the Water Company. This company is vitally | interested in Birmingham and it's develop | ment and nothing that it can do will be 1 left undone to advance her prosperity.