The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-18
GRAVITY
WOULD Be
CHEAPEST
Chicago Engineer
Talks of Water
Works.
EXCELLENT SYSTEM
IN USE HERE NOW
John Ericsson, an Expert. Pleased
With Some of the Arrange.
ments and Roads.
I Ohm ERICSSON. city engineer Of

4 Ohm ERICSSON, city engineer OF
a. the corporation of Chicago, one
OF the best known engineers of
the Middle States, and the man who
has brought the water works system
OF that city up to its present high
state OF development, is a guest at the
Moana Hotel. He has been in the ISL
ands for the past two weeks looking
over the development of the water sys-
TENS of Honolulu and upon some of the
plantations, and returns tomorrow in
the Sierra with a high regard for the
modern machinery and up-to-date
methods employed in Hawaii. He came
to the Hawaiian Islands In the steam
ship Alameda, accompanied by his
wife. seeking rest from the manifold
duties OF his responsible position, and
praises Hawaii as an FL Dorado of
health.
Mr.. Ericsson, though a comparatively
young man, stands high in his profess
sion, and that he is at the head of one
OF the most important municipal bu-
reaus OF the metropolis Of the Lake re-
gion, indicates that his ability need
not be questioned. He has been the
city engineer for the past five years,
and was assistant for many years pre-
vious. He has held his position under
various regimes and political parties.
and at present retains it under civil
service rules. Unless compelled to va
cate for cause, he has the privilege OF
remaining in office for a. lifetime.
The city engineers Office contains
personal supervision over the work OF
the water works bureau. and under his
direction the city system has a capac-
ity OF $50. .000.O 900 gallons per day. keep
ing thirty-six pumps and eighty boil
ers at work most OF the year. The ar
chitecural division OF the public works
department is also under his supervI-
sion He has charge of the machine
shops and various other essentials for
the maintenance OF this important ad-
junct OF the city corporation.
Mr.. Ericsson has evidently kept his
eyes open during his brief stay in Ho-
nolulu. and has picked up much valua-
bic information concerning the water
system OF Honolulu. -S5S~
Your new pumping station at Ka-
Iihi is modern and up-to-date," he said
yesterday, but what I cannot under
stand is this; why you people here
don't establish a gravity system, when
you have such excellent opportunities.
As far as L could learn from the engi-
neers here, you have to go about six
miles into the hills to obtain the prop
ct elevation.Sor a reservoir site. They
claim there is plenty OF water for do |
mestic purposes. but they cannot get
enough money to carry on the work |
and increase the supply.
When one takes into consideration |
the fact that in Hawaii the Depart |
ment OF Public Works has to pay sucn |
high prices for coal; suppose 1t is |
about sS or 80 a ton; that is tremend- |
Gus item Of expense in n year. This /
is Il matter for reflection. There is not
a city anywhere where they have op-
portunities to- build gravity system
that they do not take advantage OF II.
! made surveys for the gravity system
for Seattle, and we had to go twenty
nine miles to obtain the proper eleva-
ton. This method does away with all
the expense Of pumps, machinery. sta
tions, etc. The expense comes an the
Of the pipe lines. and af-
ter these are in maintenance is very
small compared with that of the pump
ing system.
In Chicago coal is cheap. and we
use the pumping system bSeause the
.ity is built on a prairie. The system.
however, costs us about fI= cents a
'not-head to pump the water Here I
presume IL costs from Is 20 20 cents
Then. too, you are limited in your
pumping capacity. You have but two
pumps Both are liable 10 get out Of