Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-04
TART REPLY OF ENGINEER
A1swer Made by Andrew BOsewater to
Statement of A. b. Hunt.
"LOT OF BUNCOMB-" CHARGE TAKEN UP
City Engineer Reviews History Of
Water COmpany's Affairs to
show This il an
Old Fight.

City Engineer Rosewater Monday morn
ing amplihed his recent report to the Board
Of Water Commissioners, which report was
referred to by Superintendent Hunt of the
water company as containing a lot of bun
combe." In the engineers following state
ment he makes reply to Mr.. Hunt:
Eleven yea. 5 ago the city engineer sub
mitted report 10 the mayor advising MIN
not TO approve the apprUpuat tons for by
dTant rentals until the water company en-
larged its pipe system to enable It 70 fur
nish the hre protection called fOg by It's
contract. lmmeulateIy thereafter a general
attack was directed agalnst.tne enslnetr
officially, professionally and Pc sOuauy. the
engineers conclusions then, as now, were
decrted as "buncombe' by the OmCials OF
the water company. Superintendent Hunt
was one of the officials who, TO uiscl edit my
official acts, signed an Official statement
attacking the design and construction OF
the sewer flush tanks and alieglng vast
age Of 100000 gallons Of water daily at a
loss Of 100000 per year to the company
through this leakage. An investigation was
demanded by the engineer ana u was
proven that only 100000 gallons were con-
sumed for flushing purposes. The engineer,
who then had. nothing TO 90 with the hand
ling of flush tanks showed that they could
be adjusted to operate at .one-third OF that
rate he further showed that owing to the
muddy condition Of the water a slower rae
Ofkpow in the pipes caused them TO MI up
W III mud and close in five days The certi-
49, loss to the company of $4,000 year
shown to be an unjustihable fabrica-
Ssson, inasmuch as the total operating eX-
salaries did not then amount to $l9O1O
ana that the cost to the company or the
water used in the sewer system, was less
than ] cent per Loo gallons, or about S4'oOJ
per year, which amount could be cut in
three II the water were clarified as II should
be.
subsidies a Councilman.
Beaten in this, the water company,
through subsidized councilman, attacked
= thf engineer for being in the way Of glvlng
y wqrhng men employment because, II the
enl sneer would advise the mayor to sign
tlk appropriation for hydrant bills, over
$1,000 was contemplated to be expended
Immediately for labor alone N proposed
engagements. The engineer demanded an
exhibit of the Ccmpanys plans, agreeing
If they could show anything OF that kind
he would endorse the procedure. The COM
pany refused and then the city engineer
in the central part of the city. His esti-
mates showed total outlay of SIP 90
Necessary to carry out his plans, of which
sl2O 900 was for labor and 10000 for
Material. He agreed, IL the CO. pdHy would
carry out that work, he would o. *. the
bills Again the company baked and finally
their general manager called upon the en-
gineer, retracted his statements apollo
gized for his attacks and confessed the real
cause of not proceeding was that the COM
pany did not have the money. An agree
ment was then made and ratified by the
council that If the company would use the
hydrant money, amounting to So, 900, in the
carrying out of the pans Of enlargement
as that money would go the city would
allow the hydrant bill. This was finally
This much to show the past and present
methods Of the water company.
Report at boards Request.
- At the request Of the Water board made
a report last week with suggestions relative
to the present condition OF the water sup
ply system. and the best remedy to relieve
the city of the danger incident to emer
gcncies liable to arise. Among these emer.
gencles was mentioned the Liability Of the
river temporarily receding from the pumps
thus cutting off all source Of supply ever
II all pipes and engines were intact A.
a remedy suited to meet not alone such
contingency but also the bursting of I
main or accident 10 pumping machinery
pointed to the ACCESSIBILITY of a large ele
waited storage reservoir which would hol,
South Omaha so as TO bridge needle,
pe3ods for repairs. l pointed out the fac
tn ~ there were several localities in Oman,
tW0le Tor small storage reservoirs which
ctlulu be connected with the system an,
Tat there is a site in the south part of tn
- city upon which 100 1000 900 gallon reservoi
Acould be erected with water level of 81
ateet above the river at a cost, inclusive o
ground and mile and a quarter Of thirty
siX-inch connecting main, of about $40 %
also suggested an Independent system O
pipes for fire service exclusively. with 1000,
OO-gallon reservoir. on South Tenth stree
or some point near Thirteenth street, eie
waited above the ground that its waite
level would be $50 feet above the river. Thi
system, with elevated tank and 5000. OOO
h On pump to act as an auxiliary durin
SO as 70 Keep the tank full and tn
sure uniform, was estimated at a cos
~ I'm $20OOO. Immediately upon publca
= ton Of this report Superintendent Hunt o
the water company attacks the recon
mendations; first by intmating that Their
are no such elevated points in the city q
have referred TO. To this i deem II onl
proper 10 say that my statements can b
verified, and Mr.. Hunt, as usual, Is indulR
ing In guess work.
Answer 10 His Statement.
Second-Mr. Hunt states a 1,OOOOO)-gallo
tank Is entirely too small TO be OF serViC
at fires and quotes another guess that a
the Allen f1re nearly 5000 coo gallons wer
consumed. To this need Only state tina
with ten one and one-quarter-inch nozzl