The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-15


not flow as anticipated
a copy OF the said report was sent to
the engineer who had designed the sys-
ten. and he was asked To make de-
tailed reply to the criticisms therein con
tanned.
The engineer forwarded reply. under
date of February :. 1868. with copy of his
detailed reports submitted to tire city
authorities, relative to his Investigations
at Lawton with 4 view to locating
water supply This reply with its in
closures was referred to the Director OF
the Geological Survey on February S.
1868. with instructions 20 note the matters
therein related, and 70 advise the Depart
ment whether the objections in his report
OF January = had been fully net. and
what action in his Judgment should now
be taken in reference to the plans and
specifications.
The reports forwarded by the engineer
employed by the city showed. among 9TH
e. things, that the site selected BY HIM
for the pumping stations, storage reser-
voir. and the collecting gallery was To-
Gated On Indian school lands northeast
OF the city. AS the proposed structures
ey. ard no permanent right of occupancy
OF these Indian school lands could be
granted by the Department. congress was
appealed to for grant Of the required
site with the result that there was in
corporated in the Indian appropriation
bill. which became the act approved
March 8. 1893, paragraph authorizing
the city of Lawton. whenever the Score
tary of the Interior shall determine the
same TO be necessary for the purposes in
tended, to erect. maintain, and operate,
under such conditions, as the Secretary
Of the Interior may prescribe, a pumping
station. collecting gallery reservoir, etc,
upon the prescribed tract within the linn
its of the reservation created for the Fort
Sill Boarding school.
At the same time that this grant was
asked the Director of the Geological Sur
vey was instructed, in view of the delay
that seemed unavoidable in obtaining the
required land. TO have one of his engin-
! GERS make a thorough examination Of the
situation at Lawtor with regard to wheth-
er the proposed source of water was like
~ to prove sufficient to supply the city;
as to whether the arrangement Of col
lecting pipes. gallery. etc, as designed.
was practicable to construct and would
give satisfactory results in operation, etc.
In response TO these instructions the
chief engineer and several other enGin-
GERS of the Survey visited Lawtcn, and
afterwards submitted 4 report in VIII en-
the Whole waterworks situation at Law
ton was discussed. This report was en-
bodied in letter of April 10. 1905. from
the Acting director Of the Geological
Survey to the Department.
The engineers had found but little evil
dence of the existence of the gravel beds
and the underground flow of water, upon
which depended the successful operation
Of the system. as described in the plans
and specifications submitted. The acting
director recommended, however, that this
system and several other alternative pro-
tects suggested by the engineers Of the
Survey De thorogghly Investigated by
these engineers, in order to determine
what in fact is the bes- and mos pTac-
ticab.e means of obtaining a good and
sufficient water supply for the city.
The investigation recommended by the
acting director was authorized by the De-
partment on April 81, 1898, and the engin-
GERS since that time have been continu-
| ously engaged in their tests and examina-
tons. The question of an adequate water
supply for the city OF Lawton. however.
remains at The present date unsolved.
The first well sunk at I.awton by en-
sineers of the Survey was put down to
depth of 100 feet terminating in lime
stone with little prospect Of finding wa
ter below this depth This well was drilled
largely for securing information relating
to the arrangement OF the qualifications.
Several more were drilled 30 relatively
shallow depths. the material and water
encountered In them differing but little
from what had been found in former test
holes Tests were made with a hand
pump. and in certain of the holes the
supply OF water was found to be so large
that it could not be affected by means
of pumping with q hand pump. \ centri-
fugal pump was then ordered from st.
Louis 1t was shipped from the east on
July 6. 1905: but this. with a diaphragm
pump ordered at the same time. fer some
unaccountable reason. had not been re-
ceived, UP to August "a 1876. when he
above facts were reported To the De-
partment.
In the meantime the engineers estab-
lished a camp near Dunbar Springs. near
Lawton. and commenced the work OF
developing the spring. \ certain amount
/ of cleaning out was accomplished anu
Il coferdam built. TO be sunk into the
quicksand as the excavation progressed.
This work was abandoned July =. on ac-
! count CT a lack o. pumps. without which
it was impossible TO work in the quick
sand \ later report shows that this
spring. when finally fully developed, was
found to have maximum flow during
the dry season OF of5 cubic foot per sec
ond-a quantity wholly inadequate.
The most recent reporte received-fron
the engineers, dated November z. 1875.
shows that none OF the proposed sources
of supply at l.awton have proved. upon
Investigation TO be sufficient: the least
unsatisfactory being CD certain springs IS
miles distant in the Wichita mountains.
the use 81 which would involve large cost
and some uncertainty of q continuous
supply. and 60 the originally proposed
site on Indian school lands northeast OF
the city.
The engineers have submitted plans and
specifications for TWO wells 70 be sunk
on these Indian school lands. with tenn
porary power house and boilers. pumps.
pipe lines. reservoirs. etc. the cost q
which they estimate VIII he approximate
" s7o.56e. They have stated their belief
that this system viii supply the city u
Lawton With sufficient water TO safe
guard the city against devastation By
IRE and To provide a supply. although q
limited one Tor domestic purposes during