The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-20
100000 GALLONS
AIR LIFT MUST SUPPLY THAT
MUCH WATER IN "a HOURS.
THE OFFICIAL TEST MADE.
MAYOR AND ALDERMEN VISITED
THE NEW PLANT.

1O-uuE " VI
the Water Committee, when the
Data of the Twenty-fOur Hour
Test VIII BE Considerable All the
StfpuIntiOns of the Contract Are
Met. Payment for the Air Lift VIII
Be Made-Engineer Titus Talks of
the PIant-saSs 1t Meets Every Re-
irement-Savannah Uses Twice
as Much Water as Most Cities Its
Size.
Mayor Myers, Alderman Bacon
chairman of the Water Committee. AL
derman Watson, Director of Public
Works Gadsden and a representative
of the Morning News visited the city
water-works yesterday afternoon to
witness the operation of the air lift,
which has been completed, and which
has about doubled the city's water
supply.
All the officials expressed satisfac-
ton with the lift. All of the party
were at the water-works a year ago,
when the experimental air lift was
temporarily established, and they We're
struck by the contrast in the flow of
the water at that time, and that in
duced by the influence of the perma-
nent plant.
To-day a meeting of the Water Com
mittee will be held at the Mayor S
Office when all the data of the twenty
four hours test to which the plant has
been subjected will be submitted. 1t
30
the wells was, and the committee will
Judge as to whether all the require
ments of the contract of the city with
the Pneumatic Engineering Company
of New York have been fulfilled.
10000, 900 Gallons "a Day.
1t is stipulated that there shall be
10000, 900 gallons of water supplied i'll
twenty-four hours. The test began
yesterday morning and this morning
at o'clock 1t will have been complet-
ed. Mr.. S. w. Titus, expert engineer
for the constructing company, said at
o'clock last night that the flow up
to that time had been such as to
show that the volume required would
be more than furnished within the
designated time.
Two assistant engineers of the COM
pany have aided Mr.. Titus in the es-
tablishment of the plant, and eight or
ten additional men have been employ
ed by the company here. Their work
has been arduous and difficult, and
there is a spirit of relief among the
experts because it is complete. Mr..
Titus and his assistants expect to leave
within two or three days.
viii Cost $50 900.
The city will have paid $25, 900 for
the air lift with the last installment.
About one-third has been paid. One
third is to be paid as soon as the test
has demonstrated that all of the stipu-
lations of the contract have been met,
AND the remaining one-third will be
paid sixty days later. The aldermen
regard the money as well spent.
Last summer the flow of the water
from the wells of the new works had
decreased to such an alarming extent
that the Water Committee began an
investigation of the methods of add
ing TO the natural artesian now. 1t
was then that it was decided to give
an air lift company an opportunity to
establish temporary plant, which, by
a connection with the Springfield WELL
might give an example of the increase
in the quantity of water.
The experiment worked well and so
advertisement for bids was made
Three concerns put in bids, and that
of the Pneumatic Engineering Com
pany was accepted. After considerable
delay work was commenced. Estab-
fishing the plant was found to be a
matter of greater difficulty than was
expected.
Delayed the Work.
Several causes have initiated
against the progress of the work, &"
said Mr.. Titus. The heads of water
in the various wells was found at
various depths, and a series of expert
ments was necessary in making the
connections in order to attain the best
results. This meant trouble and te-
dunn, but it was finally been accom-
plished. AS all save one of the wells
empty into the conduit, it has been i'm
possible to ascertain just what the
flow of each is. Savannah now has as
complete and perfect a plant, however
as any city in the country, save for
the lack of a duplicate compressor No
piece of machinery, no matter who
made it, can be relied upon to work
continuously and remain always in or
der. That is why duplicate is need
ed. If the compressor now established
should be temporarily disabled, the
duplicate could take its place.
"All. the stipulations of our contract
will be met. The flow of water will
be 100000 gallons in twenty-four
hours. have seen it flow already, for
q short period, at the rate of IL 600 900
gallons a day, but that is a quantity
that is only attained by forcing the
machinery and the wells, and that is
not wisdom"
Duplicate Compressor.
Mr.. Titus advice about a duplicate
compressor impressed the visitors. AL
derman Bacon had already been con-
sidering this ultimate necessity, and it
is probable that there will eventually
be a duplicate compressor, just as
there is a duplicate pumping engine at
the waterworks.
MY company has been operating
the air lift for fifty days" said Mr..
Titus and during that time the city
has had an excellent test We have
been securing about S,0000 900 gallons a
day, without continuous work, as
against the 100000 a day that repre-
scented the natural flow of the wells. "
During the period mentioned by Mr..
Titus the results of the air lift have
been apparent in the city. Water may
be secured on the upper floors of build
ings at any time. Prior to the in
now and then that the pressure was
Discussed Water supply.
After making their inspection. the
visitors had a general talk about the