Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-09
!: LOOKER-0N in IOWA

| Grnnel, April S.-Pumping water
| by compressed air is comparatively a
new process. AT the water works here
some four years ago this system was
installed and 1t was one of the first in
the country to be used on a deep WELL
It's SO easy. Just as easy as rolling
Off IA log the wonder Is some one did
not think of it years ago. Grinnell
has two deep wells, and in each, an
inch and a quarter pipe runs down the
center of a five-inch pipe, the casing
of the we'll. to a depth of $40 feet be-
low the water level. Thru this smaller
pipe compressed air is forced. and the
result is an almost continuous stream
of water five inches in diameter run
ming into the reservoirs. The COM
pressed air plant cost in the vicinity
of 400. while the pump first used
cost $780, but the compressed system
costs little or nothing for repairs as
against $40 per month on an average
for taking out. changing valves. etc.
What is known as the Harris air pump
is now being tried in the new we'll
with very satisfactory results. Not
to so into details this system of COM
pressed air, results in virtually fve-
inch stream of water running into the
reservoirs in the spray form
Another thing about this compressed
air work is, the we'll itself can be
cleaned out with 1t. The top of the
well casing is capped, the compressed
aid sent in with the result that the
water is forced back into the earth, and
II any deposit has accumulated In the
we'll, 1t Is blown back and when re-
leased an increased flow of water Is
noticeable And again using the COM
pressed air as a motive power the same
number OF gallons is pumped now
| in six hours that under the old
system required twelve hours with the
steam pump. This means the city of
Grinnel saves the coal that would be,
burned in the other six hours.
| Compressed air pump manufacturers
now guarantee to raise water 5000 feet
almost a mile in height. and it's only
| a matter of figuring how eXpensivee
| plant CITY, mine or an irrigating
company wants to install, to insure
continuous stream of water in any size
| diameter desired. This of course as
suming the supply of water necessary
is at hand. In successfully opening
the new deep well at Grinnel. they
bored not forty feet from the old WELL
| this fact has been established. An
endless number of deep wells can be
| bored within few feet of one another.
and each new well furnish an equal
number of gallons per diem. without
affecting the supply of wells previous
| ly bored Today, with two wells,
Grinnell has twice the supply she had
| previously. And it is almost a GER
| tainty that there is an, underground
connection between these two wells,
| for when compressed air was forced
| into the new we'll with the cap on the
| casing to clean it out, the water in the
old well came up discolored, evidently
| from some disturbance below.
| Grinnell takes a pardonable pride in
| her reorganized deep well water sys-
| tenn, and it's not for sale to any water
| works company, even if it is municipal
ownership, form of socialism. some
| thing many are much afraid of these
days.
At the last city election an almost
| entire new board of councilmen and
| mayor was elected. Somehow the vot-
ers got an idea Grinnell was showing
| too much progress water works
sewerage and new fine school house,
came pretty close together. Taxes and
city and school district debts were very
much in evidence. And SO "conserv-
ative" set of men were placed in office.
| To these new officials it's rank her
esq to talk of paving the streets or
any extensive system Of public i'm
provements Their plan is to wait
awhile. They say our election was
an instruction, plain as the voters could
say it, to get out of debt, rather than
| increase public indebtedness. But
the other crowd that want to pave"
want to establish grades, say it's
| cheese pairing, false economy. That for
every dollar Grinnell owes, there is a
dollar and fifty cents worth of assets
| on hand That this economical crowd,
would not sell the water works, sew
| erage or school house for any price.
That prosperous Grinnell is prosper
Gus because of this very debt, and
these debt-causing improvements.
That the much-needed paved streets
would make city of Grinnell instead
| Of a town as at present. And such an
argument has weight in view of the
| fact that residence property In Grin
| nell brings higher rents, more income
| to the owners. than the same invest
| ment in Marshalltown or Des Mofnes.