Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-11-21
oTTumwA is TODAY FACE To
FACE WITH A MOST ALARM
ING SITUATION. "
AT MERCY OF FLAMES
River Falls Two Feet and Supply Of
Water to Head Race is Shut Off,
Practically No Fire Protection .
Manufactures May Shut Down.

Manufactures May Shut Down.
With the city water supply practi--
cally shut off and with no hopes of
securing anything but meager sup.
ply for some time the city of Ottumwa
is face to face with the most serious
problem it has ever encounte cred. The
river has fallen over two feet in the
past forty-eight hours and not only has
water ceased entirely to enter the
head race at its mouth, but water in
the race at the pump house is below
the level of the intake and none is rum
ming into the wells except little that
is seeping through.
The city is practically without fire
protection in the lower levels and
wholly without on the higher levels,
except the little afforded by chen-
icals. All the manufacturing establish
ments of the city have been forced te
depend almost entirely on artesian wa.
ter and this can only be done at great
risk as this water does great damage
to the boilers. This morning the high
school and the Agassiz school were
compelled to close because it was inl-
possible to raise steam. There is dan
ger that the Ottumwa Traction & Light
Co., which furnishes the city steam,
may be compelled to close unless it is
possible to run pipe line from the,
river to the company's plant. The COM
Dany is now experimenting with artes-
ian water.
Pipe Line From River.
/, There is only one lsoluticl to the dif-
! ficnlty and it VIII afford but tempoif
/ ary relief at the hest--that is to put
il a temporary pumping plant on thu
river bank near the point where tfie
tail race empties into the river, and
run a pipe line from there to the bed
of the race above the red house, dam
ming the water in with the guard
locks on the red house and by con-
| structing Golfer dam across the race
! at the Wapello street bridge. This
morning Superintendent James Win
ans of the water company, City En-
| gineer Allen and III. 2. keyhoe chair
man of the street committee of the
/ city council looked over the ground
thoroughly and practically decided
that tins was the only relief in sight.
/ The Only Plan Left.
| 1t was at first thought that a pump
could be put in above the first dam,
I pumping the water down the old chan
| nel once used as filter, south of the
head race. Since the big drop in tho
i river. however. this has been found to
1 be impossible as there is not enough
water above the dam to permit this.
The pipe line from the river is the
only solution of the difficulty and this
will take several days as it will be
necessary to get the pump here and
then lay the pipe. To do this it will
be necessary to dig through the big
1 levee at the red house to reach the
race.
Means of Permanent Relief.
The condition of affairs is alarming.
Even if the water is found to be OF
sufficient depth at this point of the riv-
er and the pumping station is put in
it will be impossible to provide more
than Temporary relief by this means,
There are only two ways of providing
permanent relief. One is to repair the
two dams complet sly and permit the
water to resume its natural channel
, and the other is 10 run flow line
from Turkey island as provided in The
franchise recently granted the com
pany by the council
Must Ratify Franchise.
Last June when the water franchise
; came before the council for final action
j and passage over the mayors veto the
, J y,
order that the council might !Goil int
q plan TO purchase outright the pam
by floating bonds. Tho plan was nro
sented by the democratic members. o
: the council Who have always votet
against any plan devised to settle The
e question. The proposition was inves.
tigated and it was found that the 40
pie who mad expressed their tt,ili,j Il
!, sell the eity's bonds were unable 10 de
So If the franchise had hac.t passeC
by the council then and gat!aed by thu
! people the city would not he in III,
! alarming condition it is in today. Th,
Z ordinance was quickly brought up theI
l and passed by the council over the may
\ or's veto. The question Will 80 lafor,
: the electors OF the city December 3
5 There is Cnly one &c irse to ba iejSeI
and that IS 10 ratify the counc;l;s ac
rion When that Is done the conpan,
Will at once make plans 10 peapitte
permanent relief and That 1T once. Tn
9 less this is done the citr Will be III III,
gravesr danger The misunderstanding es
l. rapii shmentS MUST be afie etetl By rni
K shortage cf water and many OF then
l. may be forced 10 shut down. The trac
Il ton company may find it Impossible i
d run and the city may lind itself lef
G i--