The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-06-17
TIE COMMISSIONERS
TO CITY COUNCIL
PROPOSITION TO IMPROVE
THE PLANT.
The Cost of the Desired Improve
ments-No Action By Coun-
Gil AS Yet.

The following communication from
the board Of commissioners of pub
lie works was received by city council
at its meeting Wednesday night.
Council postponed action on the
whole matter:
Newberry, S. C., June sd, 1904,
To the Mayor and City Council of
Newberry. S. c.
Gentlemen: We. the commission
ers of public works. beg to submit for
your most careful consideration the
following:
The water works system here is as
reliable for fire protection as any
other town in its class, but recent
events nave proven that too many
precautions cannot be taken and that
the system can never be too well pre-
pared for an emergency, and to this
end we would suggest certain changes
in Our system.
With the daily average height Of
water in the standpipe we have sufi-
cient pressure to cope with any fire
which might occur in most any part
Of the city, but an emergency might
arise whereby it should become nee
essary to have greater pressure at the
|hydrants than that afforded by the
water in the stand pipe In order to
increase the pressure, the valve at the
base of the stand pipe must be closed
aid the force pump started. This will
:Ecrease the pressure in every part of
the pipe system to as high a point as
may be necessary up to 125 pounds
per square inch. and will be maintained
as long as the pump is kept running.
With the pump in operation and this
main valve open the pressure at the
hydrants is not materially increased.
the greater volume of water flows
along the main pipe and up in the
stand pipe. simply accumulating
water in the stand pipe and not in
Icreasing appreciably at the time the
pressure at hydrants.
The stand pipe being located quite
a good distance from the power house:
it would be impracticable for the en-
gineer in charge to leave the station
to close this valve, and even il any
one was at hand at the it instant would
require some ten minutes, or more per
haps, for him to run and close it. So
you can readily understand that some
other method of closing this valve
must be adopted. A valve directly
connected to an electric motor and
operated from the switchboard at
the power house is nearest to the
iGeal which we can get. Simply
closing a switch at the power house
will start the motor and in perhaps
thirty seconds the valve is closed. and
reversing the switch. the valve is
again opened-a very neat. simple.
reliable arrangement. This valve with
all necessary machinery or equip
ment which will have to be made will
cost about $4,000.
Now this electric motor must have
electric current to operate it and our
present electrical equipment will
hardly operate it successfully. since
it is too small for the work required
of it now. The proposed addition
to our electrical equipment will be
just suited successfully to operate
this valve.
Our electric lighting plant also is
in such condition as to require i'm
attention.
Our alternator, or house lighting
machine, has connected on its cir-
cults now nearly 1000 lights. and it
will only carry without danger I,ooc
lights. There is serious danger that
during the heavy lighting season this
winter this machine will be compelled
to carry more than it can do and COM
pletely wreck it. thereby causing un-
told inconvenience to our numerous