Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-10
|kAYP|N NNOR[ Wells
Council Discusses Plans for
the Meeting Of Future
Emergencies.
Special Meeting Held With Six
Members Present and Action
Forestalled.
Some Of the Councilmen Offend.
ed at Glucose Company's Ac-
ton Tuesday.

The city council is alive to the impor-
lance of being in a position to meet
emergency demands on the water sup
ply similar to that which arose last
Tuesday, when an unlooked-for COM
bination of circumstances brought about
d condition that necessitated the turning
of the river water into the mains for a
few hours. A special meeting was called
Wednesday night to consider the matter
and steps were taken looking towards
the construction of ten additional wells
in the gravel beds north of the pumping
station. The vote of one member, how
ever prevented immediate action.
But six members of the council were
present, Messrs Mcclure and Fisher be-
ing out of the city, as was Mayor Jones.
Immediately on converting the members
went into secret session to consider the
situation, but were not wholly agreed as
to a plan of action. Five of those
present favored the immediate
addition of ten wells to the
twenty already constructed on the
rev extension. but when the question
was put to vote Mr.. WATSON voted no,
and the question was declared lost be-
cause two-thirds vote of the council is
required to carry the necessary appro-
priation. The council, however in
structed Chairman Benson, of the water
committee, to enter into negotiations
with the St Louis company that sells
the Cook stfEiners and other necessary
material, and II b SiissstA certain thi, NJ.
the meeting of the council next MONDAY
night, when 1t is expected that all mem-
bers will be present, the committee will
be ordered to proceed with the work.
The plans for the water extension
were originally made with the view Of
putting down additional wells as occa-
sion required, the necessary land having
been purchased in the original tract and
the present twenty wells so constructed
that they can be added to. The cost
will be nominal.
A few of the councilmen are disposed
to criticise the glucose company for
drawing SO heavily on the supply Tues
day evening and in taking the hose from
ore of the fire carts. Chief Engineer
Merrill, of the company. says the emer-
gency was one the company had to meet
however. and that water had TO be Sc
cured or SO, 900 worth of goods In process
of manufacture would have been ruined.
Mr.. Merrill says he called up several OF
the councilmen and city officials. hut
could not reach them. He then hired
horse and buggy and sent a man to the
sewage plant for Superintendent Mack.
but the latter had returned to the city
by different route. Mr. Merrill then
had his men appropriate hose from the
Alerts cart and attached 1t to the fire
hydrant. He says it was a case Of ne
cessity to do this.
It is unfortunate that the necessity
Of the blowing out of the strainers
of the city wells and the subsequent eff
forts of thoughtless consumers to clear
the water by opening wide their hy-
drants, thus exhausting the reserve
supply, should have occurred Just at a
time when the glucose company had to
cess of manufacture.
FLUSHING HYDRANTs.
As the river water had to be turned
in Tuesday night, the water depart
ment officials concluded that they might
as well so ahead ana flush the city
mains thoroughly, and this work is
now in progress. It VIII require all the
balance of the week to complete the
flushing, and during that time some
river water must be used. Therefore 1T
will be we'll for every householder to
boil the drinking water until this work
is completed and the mains are free
from the river water. Then the hydrant
water will be better than ever. because
of the flushing of the mains. which have
not been thoroughly cleaned for more
than year.