The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-23
THE WATER
FAMINE in
WHEELING
Yesterday Was Brought Home to
neutrality-suspicious. Of the
Day Given in Detail
AN UNFORTUNATE BREAKDOWN
Occurred Last Night That May Pre-
vent Resumption Of Pumping
Early This Morning.

tl
With the water works pumping sta
ton Idle. hve-foot stage being held in
/ the reservoir for fire protection, and
the Ohio river in plain View, the aver
& age Wheeling man felt yesterday the
peculiar appropriateness of those old
lines, Water, water everywhere and
not a drop to drink"
The water Misunderstanding" Is not
too strong a sword--was brought about
by the shutting down Of the pumps at
the Slucktown station Saturday even
ing, in order that connection could be
made between the big reservoir supply
+ main and the new pumps Just being in
3 stalled at the station. AS many men
as could work In the limited space were
employed constantly through the
night and during Sunday, and 1t was
confidently expected the work would be
completed In the afternoon and that
the reservoir would seen be filled and
water furnished consumers. There
were delays, however. and the next
!. prediction was that water would be bad
at G.p. m. This, too. was far from be-
Ing realized, and not until $50 did con-
sumers get any water, and then only.
in a small weakling OF n stream In the
lower sections Of the city, and none at
all In the localities OF higher altitude. ,
Water To-day.
Just when Superintendent Oliver felt
that the situation was clearing nicely
and that first class supply for all
j consumers throughout the city would
be given, the unexpected and the disns-
trous happened in the breaking Of one
OF the new thlrty-inch valves at the
pumping station. making 1t imperative
to shut down the pumps again. This
was at S4o o'clock. and the superin-
tendent came to the conclusion that
the scant and fast decreasing supply OF
waterin the reservoir should be kept as
protection against fires. and he there
fore ordered the closing OF the valve at
the reservoir. In d short time the sup
ply In the pipes throughout the city
had been exhausted and water was
again at an enormous premium.
Superintendent Oliver stated last
night after the breaking of the valve
that he hoped to be able to turn on n
good supply of water this morning. but
his hopes might be shattered for the
reason that his men had worked faith
fully all of Saturday night and through
Sunday, and when they completed their
labors Sunday everine were all but
entirely exhausted. The .superintcnd-
ent said he would endeavor to secure
men to prosecute the work through the
night, thus assuring water supply
this morning ~.
When the Sunday night shutdown
came. there was four and one-half or
five feet In the reservoir. none too much
in case OF big fire.
TIL. Public Needed Not.
In Saturdays papers, superintend-
CIT Oliver asked consumers to use
water sparlngly. but ne stated last
night that the reservoir gauge showed
over five feet had been used between
and 8 p. m, evidence that the public
had paid little or no attention to his
precautionary request. With water
used sparingly he had hoped to COM
plete the connection at the pumping
station with but two or three hours
absence OF the supply. But the water
was used with the usual extravaganza.
and then came the accident to the
valve, the two making q bad situation
worse
Without water supply, the scenes
about town yesterday were reminder
of We olden time. when water pumping
was unknown. Horses by the hundred
were driven to the river, even water
carts were brought out from neglected
stable yard corners and impressed into
service for the nonce. The score or
more OF springs and the wells in indus
trial plants were the Meccn for thou
sands who had failed to lay In store
OF water. At the big spring at the head
OF Fourteenth street. there We're even
scenes Of turbulence, especially among
the women. At noon there was n
crowd of 200 or more around this spring
and the crush so great that II was
finally decided to let the people ap-
proach the spring In squads OF four.
Just at the height Of the excitement n
drove OF cattle came down the street.
and seeing the water made dash for
the spring. The women scattered In
every direction. and many was the
pitcher that was shown to have gone
once too often to the spring. One girl
fell down right In front OF the cattle,
and narrowly escaped being killed.
Soon after this drove OF sheep came
down the street and the seekers after
water gave them q wide berth after,
their recent experience with the bovine
tribe. @
Springs We're Popular.
Island people made the state fair
{ grounds well their Mecca, and on the
South Side the spring near the whtn-
\ ker Iron works enjoyed day OF popu-
larity such MS 1t had never before ex
perienced. Other springs TINT attract
cd the public included the one back OF
the schmulbach brewery, another on
the Fairmont pike, on the side of Gimp
line hill. and one on McColloch street.
Eat End. The river attracted resi-
dents near Its banks.
The Inconvenience arising out Of the