Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-04
NEEDS ANEW PUMP
Underwriters Inspector Makes a
Report on Rock island Water
Facilities.
SHOULD KEEP OLD MACHINE
For Emergency UsC-Some CTftl-
cisms Are Made TO
Council.

| y. w. Hardy, of Chicago, inspector
| for the National Board of Insurance
| Underwriters, has made a report of
his findings on an investigation of the
Rock Island waterworks system, and
lhe recommends that a new pump be
installed and the old Holly be repaired
for emergency uses. The repairing of
| the latter machine is now under way,
the council limiting the expense of
the work at $1,000. An inspection by
Mr.. Hardy was suggested to settle the
controversy into which the members
of the council had gotten as to the
need of a new pump. The conclusions
of his report follow:
The city is growing in populati ton
and manufacturing industries, and
while the introduction of meters,
which are being installed on domestic
service connections, will probably re-
duce the waste, the records of grow
| ing towns show that the most which
can reasonably be expected of them is
to hold the demand at about the same
figures, with a normally increasing
population. rather than reduce the
average daily total consumption.
1T is manifest, therefore, that the
present pumping capacity of the city
of Rock Island is inadequate to meet
he requirements of the regular daily
demands and maintain an adequate
reserve for fire protection.
Eight Million Gallon Pump
MY recommended ions, with regard
10 the pumping station, are that new
pump with a daily capacity of from
six TO eight million gallons, prefera-
bly, the latter. be provided. and that
the old Holly pump be overhauled and
placed in such condition that it can
be operated in emergency service. IN
der present conditions, with break
down of the 100000 gallon pump, the
city would be without sufficient do
nestle supply and with almost no fire
protection, except for such assistance
as could be had by an S-inch connec-
tion between the Rock Island system
and the Moline system, and for such
service as the old Holly pump could
render.
THE new pump, recommended
above, would provide adequate pump
ing capacity for domestic and fire
service to an amotnt about 50 per
cent in excess of present require
ments, and in the event of break
down the present pumps could be run
as might be required, without preiu-
dice to either domestic demands or
fire prote
THE fact that the filter beds and
distributing reservoir cannot be uti-
lied to their fullest capacity, or that
the nominal capacity of the reservoir
and the filter beds is very little in eX-
cess of the daily demands, and the
further condition that there is but
one 16-inch force main between the
pumping station and the reservoir,
are all matters for conside ration; but
| these conditions, viewed from the
point of fire protection, are all modi-
| fled somewhat by the fact that direct
connection between the pumping sta
ton and the distributing mains cal;
be made at any time, and is always
made on fire alarm.
Distributing Mains Small
The distributing mains throughout
the city are also subject to criticism
in that they are small, great deal of
four and siX-inch pipe being used, and
n large proportion of them running
1 to utdu tIlUS. II Illt
tons of Supt. of Waterworks p. ID.
Bancroft are carried out, this latter
feature will be improved by laying a
| 16-inch main, extending west from
the 2O-inch distributing smain along a
line toward the southerly edge of the
city. which will unite a large number
of the present dead end lines and es-
tablish a circulating and grid-ironed
system.
ITO my mind, however. the defect
in the entire system which needs more
immediate attention and remedy is
the inadequate pumping capacity.
The boiler plant in capacity is
good. and consists of one Stirling boil
er of 500 horse power, and two tubu-
lar boilers of from 100 to 125 horse
power each; the latter two viii even
tually need To be replaced by larger
ones. in order to provide for safe re-
serve capacity To allow for proper
care. for cleaning and in event of a
break down"