Evening journal., 1908-02-28


tain somewhat creator cleanliness
Now for a few matters for the prob
able committee OF investigation to look
into. beginning at the
Pumping Station.
Is the cornice and are the parapst
walls in bad condition. owing to im-
perfect designing7
conerete Conduit.
Is the concrete conduit from the pre-
liminary filter fractured under the
short service It has had. to such an
extent as to require reinforcing a.
most its entire length?
The Creek Crossing or Forcing Main.
Is the AZ inch forcing main, whers
II crosses the Brandywine at Market
street bridge, leaking badly, though
only in service a few weeks, and MAX
ing very expensive repairs a necessity
Of the near future; had the CITY any
legal right TO lay the main there; was
It not more expensive to lay It thsre
than to have gone further up stream;
was not steel PIPE used at a cost.
about equalling cast iron pipe, when
even ordinary engineering intelligence
knows that cast iron p.De is far more
durable and allows much greater facil-
ity In the making n repairs. did not
even the tide water leak into the main,
before Il was filled from the pumping
station; and did Il not cost at least six
thousand dollars more to build under
the system employed By the Water
Board. whereas II it had been built BY
contract, a bond Of SURE tyship could
have been secured. providing for rsli-
able work. and how about impractical
pipe connections on the ~ inch forcing
main. making II necessary to make
others In place Of them?
Van Buron Street Bridge.
Several matters in connection with
the Van Buren street bridge might 90
investigated
/ First, the alleged necessity for II was
I 10 carry a 4s-incn distributing main:
/ was II at all necessary to extend the
iS-inch main south OF the Brandywine
/ except to carry out the theory Of tho
DE Quincy like pipe dream OF some
/ one. that a distributing 4S-inch main
with a 32-inch connection into Cool
Spring reservoir. could generate elec-
tricity for practical use by the citye
As a combination of the unreal and
the impossible this dream is entitled 10
first prize
Are there any leaks IN the distribute
ing main on the new Van Buren street
brdge where the main Is imbedded In
concrete, and II so. why?
Should not a a2-incn. say. distribute
ing main have been laid in bed OF tho
Brandywine, thus Going away with tho
bridge; did the bridge plans. plans
only. cost fifteen hundred dollars, and
did a mistake cost eighteen hundred
dollars more 10 recufv2
Why was outside aud extra engineer
ing talent employed IN this bridge,
when az the same time, the city Water
Department was paving over eight
hundred dollars a month for engineers
ing talent2
Check Valve at Reservoir.
Why was an expensive check valve
placed In the reservoir, when the sam.
result would have been obtained at IA:
less cost by elevating the discharge
pipe to the surface2
Is there imperfect piping through
) the emhanlIments OF the new reservoir
and was a test made OF these pipes
) before building the embankments?
Are there unnecessary and expen'
sive connections al Cool Spring reser
voir, put there because OF some one,
p electrical dream above referred to?
Was there 100000 spent in labor alon
in building a water main when one
! half that sum would have given bette
. results II the job had been given on
< on cOntract7
r is the affirmative Of the abov
4 question open to absolute proof?
Was there such a careless Oversight
and supervision OF the work. Of iayIn
the 4S-inch distributing main, that !
was flooded its entire length wit
storm water ana many tons Of dirt
sand. and debris. OF all kinds wer
> swept into the pipe entaiIing great ex
pense in cleaning saine2
Salaries Of Office Force, etc.
. II on May /. 1908. the engineerin
4 and Office force received In salaries an
q wages. nine thousand dollars per yea
7 and on May /. 1907, the engineering an
! Office force received twenty thousan
dollars per year, Why the more tina
! doubling. and whose the responsibility
One thing is certain. the authorit
that can. at this luncture, compe
I under the circumstances. an investiga
: tion Of the Water Department an
a does not do Il. is grnsaly and outrage
=, ously derelict In It's luty to the public
Il I have a few more questions to as
D. II necessary.
2 p. B. r.
(. Wilmington, February q.