The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-08

xV,s,8n the next two or three years
tnnt did landmark. tho Old Pump House,
.rill 30 relgated to tho rear ana ia'o
ppon the she'll SO to speak
For wear, the Old Pump House was
.,,ensure resort Cor old and young. AND
The thousands Of visitors who went out
20 Hollywood spent part OF thelr t''ne
In the pretty, comfortable. rustic retreat
far below ta,e hills Of Hollywood ana upon
the picturesque banks Of the James.
II was indeed. q romantic spot, where
lover. told their tales OF love and had their
.,ttle ouarre.s. and where older folks
rested amid the beauties and grandeur
OF the spot.
For many years tho approach to the
Pump House was throuS subterianeah
pss.age, under the old canal. On either
side OF this passage. beneath the waters,
were rustic benches that afforded cool.
resting places for those on pleasure
bent.
The Ola Furap House was the only
pleasure resort near the city. for years,
and long before Forest Hill or Lake
side, or Reservoir Park were thought OF.
the Old Pump House was the Mecca for
Sunday afternoon stroliers and week
day pic-nickers
A visit to Richmond without a trip to
Failure. It became one of the points OF
Interest in Richmond, and was coupled
with the old Bell Tower and Libby
Prison. Not only was the pump-house 4
famous resort on Sunday afternoons, but
every day in the week found people there
with their lunches, and their music. and
their dances, and nearly every night IN
khe week the light from the lamps and
IRON the moon shone down upon merry
~,ol,o no he IN
early morn.
NOW A BACK NUMBER.
For several years the old resort has
beer dropping into the background The
gaieties of other places were better at
fractions and the fast-fying trolley SUI
perseded the horse car and the strolls
tl1rough Hollywood TO the punp-house.
With the coming of the settling basin
hnd the additional pumps at the New
Reservoir, the old pump-house will drop
out Of public notice altogether. The power
will doubtless be utilized to generate cleo
tricity for light and motive power. But
the memories of the pleasures of the old
pump-house will always remain with the
generation that has passed and the one
before and the one before that.
MR. BOLLING'S HISTORY.
A complete history of the old pump
house coupled with the Inauguration and
1YORTSSS OIL Inc water system III tdCn-
1nond. has been prepared by Superintend-
ent Boiling, of the water works, which
will prove OF interest and value to the
reader.
Richmond was chartered In 1852, and
from that time to 1882 the citizens got
water from springs and wells in their
midst AT some time. early in the pres
ent century, a wooden conduit. of bored
1<~xr- l. III,
the smaller and into the larger. was laid
from bold spring in the Eastern part
of the city along the principal street for
over mile, the size of the bore was
8 inches. This pipe furnished several
taverns and many citizens. Often now in
making excavations in the streets. we
uncover this ancient wooden conduit, and
ind it still sound and undecayed l
mention this as it may be of interest to
those who are now considering the lay
ing of wooden mains.
In the year 1880, the city of Richmond
having a population of 5000 people, de-
cided, by. a vote of the citizens, to con-
gtruct water-works. The City Council
engaged Mr.. Albert Stein. formerly a
resident of Philadelphia. to prepare plans
and supervise the construction. 1t is
necessary TO describe the situation, in
order clearly TO understand Richmond
Is On James River. at the head of tide
water, the topography of its site is e2-
ceedingly varying. consisting of a sue
cessfon of hills and valleys, differing in
elevation as much as one hundred and
sixty feet. From the head of Tidewater
the river channel rises rapidly along a
rocky bed, and at a distance of a mile
ard a quarter, it has reached height
OF forty feet above mean tide. At this
time a part of the James River and Ka-
slawha Canal had been constructed along
the northern shore of the river, and its
Mater surface was eigaty-three feet
Above tide. Here Mr. Stein selected a
site for the pumps and recommended
Ehat power be taken from the James
River and Kanawha Canal under a head
Hof forty feet above the river. This plan,
however, was not carried out. The power