The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-20
MANY WERE GUESTS
OF WATER COMPAN
Prominent Men Visit Cahaba
+ ltratlon Plant
PLENTY OF WATER HERE
The Supply Is Not Only Very Large.
But II Is of Excellent Quality.
Situation Is Explained
Fully.

Many of Birmingham's prominent pltl-
zens were the guests of tho Birmingham
Water Works company at the Cahaba
filtration plant yesterday afternoon and
evening"
After spending three hours at the plant
the entire party returned to Birmingham
well fortified with facts showing that the
city not only has an excellent water sup
ply, but one that was as pure drinking
water as can be desired and in such
quantity as to supply city of several
times the size of Birmingham and oil
the suburbs. Each and every one drank
at the fountain of knowledge that flowed
freely and in future all will go forth
able to eonviee strangers that Birmng-
ham is as we'll supplied with water as
any other city in this country.
AS an evidence of the impression made
the entire party organized itself into
body, elected chairman and secretary
and appointed a committee of seven to
make thorough investigation of the
quantity and quality of water, and TO
make public their report in order that
the cry of lack of an adequate water
supply may forever be hushed and the
people of Birmingham may be in a posi-
tion to talk water from the housetops
Ex-Governor Johnston, Chairman.
Ex-Governor Joseph It. Johnston was
chairman of the meeting and w. W.
Crawford was secretary, and the commit
tee appointed by the chairman to make
report consists of James Bowron r. III.
Pearson, G. b. Mccormack, w. II. Ket-
tig, Dr. w. NJ. Jordan, ErslSine Ramsay
and w. J. Rushton.
Mr.. Rushton made a motion that the
party present be organized and that a
committee be appointed to Investigate the
Water Works plant. Colonel Pearson offer
ed an amendment to the motion that the
committee investigate the quantity and
quality of the water and make full
report. The motion, as amended, was UNI
animously adopted.
The party which went to the Water
Works plant were invited by A. M. Lynn
and d. ]. O'Connell of the Water Works
company to make the trip for the pur-
pose of learning the true condition re-
garding the city's water supply. The trip
of five miles across Red mountain, Shades
valley and on to Shades mountain was
taken in tallyhos and In private vehicles
and everyone enjoyed the ride. The re-
turn was made after the moon had risen.
The System Explained.
AT the plant the entire system of FL
tration was explained by Mr. Lynn, Mr.
o'Connell and other connected with the
company. 1t was a revelation to many
of the visitors and proved to them con-
clusively that the water they were drink
ing was about as pure as water could
be made by the best system or filtratlon
The water passes through sand at the
bottom Of immense tanks, of which there
are thirty in the plant with maximum
daily capacity of about 100000 gallons
each. After passing through these tanks
the water is so clear that the bottom,
twenty feet deep, can be easily seen.
Refreshments were served about l:30
o. clock and after that several talks Cere
made regarding the water. Gen. X. N.
Rhodes was the first speaker. The most
important practical talk of the evening
was that OF Mr.. Lynn, explaining in de-
tail about the water supply and the purity
of the water. In part he said;
The True Situation.
MIR. O'Connen and myself have invited
YOU here in order that we might explain
fully to you the true situation IN regard
to the water supply, and ! am glad OF
the opportunity to make these statements
which l am sure will interest many
of you and will throw an entirely new
phase on the water question.
1.-The water for this plant Is supplied
by the Cahaba pumping station Tour
and one-half miles from here. This Is
situated ON the banks Of the larger OF
the two streams and we nave dam
running across the streams so that we
are able to get the maximum How from
both streams. We can get 1b0O0,Ooo gallons
of water on-the dryest day of the dryest
season. and that is more than Birming-
North Birmingham plant. There are val
leys innumerable on the banks OF the
cahabas which can easily be damed up
and where we can store billions of gall
Ions of water, sufficient for city of
many times the size of Birmingham.
billions of gallons of water pass by
our pumping station every year tnat couiu
easily be stored with impounding dams,
and we intend to build these dams as
ranidlv az the demand for them becomes
apparent. We have already secured a.
great deal of property along the rivers
looking into the future so that we can
build these dams when necessary
eve will probably start work on the
first of these dams within the next six
months and it win have a capacity OF
one billion gallons of water enough 10
allow us to draw on that supply for sew
eral million gallons daily during the dry
and make practically little difference In
the amount stored.
Unlimited Resources.
"Our people have made lifetime study
of the water supply question ana are
interested in nothing else. This Is one
of the largest plants that they nave
ever built. Birmingham can grow ten
times its present size and its Industries
can grow and Use ten times the amount
of water that they now USE and all oil II
could come from the Cahabas. The water
problem is easy of solution and there is
no need for you to ever say again that
there is q lack OF water In Birmingham
at reasonable rates for all who come,
whether 1t is for private purposes or Tor
the immense industrial plants.
an these reservoirs here we have 49,
600 gallons of water and Birmingham
uses but 100000 daily. We could easily
increase our supply to 2O00,0OO gallons
daily. which Is the maximum capacity
of this plant
nReparding the cost OF the water, we
SUNNY il to manufacturing plants below
cost Ia us Water is deli1eIed to the
Tennessee company at EnsIey as .ow as
Il is delivered to the plants at chatta-
nooga which are located on tie Tennes-
GOO river. or as low as The I'm nense
n1ants at East st. Louis get their water.
and thew are right on the rive-. Our
comnany furnishes the water fJr all the
nlants in East st. Louis, and the rate
bora and there is the same. although we
onIv have to pump the water there dpodt
half a mile. while here we pump IL Jour
teen miles to Ensley. The biggest plants
on the river there find II cheaper to buy