Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-09-06
DIGGING NEAR RESERVOIR
CAUSES MUCH SPECULATION
learned That Water Works Depart
ment Officials Are Seeking to Cor
meet Up Abandoned and Condemned
Gallery in Order to Insure Greater
Supply in Case of Fire.

Plerce,s park with the water system
OF this city. in order to insure a great
er supply of water. should any emer-
gency. such as q big fire. arise TO make
larger demand on water necessary.
Ii such is the case and all indica-
lions point to the fact that such sit
uation is being seriously considered
the puhlA will doubtless arise in a
general dNnand that no step of any
kind be taken with the water system
that will in any way threaten the pur-
ity Of the present supply. Anything
that will in any way endanger the pub
lie health will be generally condemned.
Water is at Low Stage.
The water supply of this city is. at
the present time. at a low stage. This
has been due to the heavy draw. that
is growing larger all the time. and the
long continued dry weather. There is
enough water in the wells. however. ac-
cording to Superintendent Hans Mad
sen, of the pumping station, to care for
the consumption. unless there should be
some extraordinary condition TO be met,
such as large fire
Digging Arouses Suspicion.
The fact that digging has been in
progress near the city reservoir IN
charge of Superintendent of Mains E.
2. Mack, has aroused suspicion. ard the
supposition is that connection has
been sought or is being contemplated
between the reservoir and the old con-
demned galleries. At the present time
there is no connection with the gall
leries. and none with the river-the
water supply is pure, and Marshalltown
has the best water in the entire state.
The public will ask the question, why,
with this condition so satisfactory. is
there any intention on the part of any
one connected with the departm ent to
take any chances on communicating the
supply?'
Galleries Have Been Condemned.
In the spring OF 1908 this city passed
thru a terrible epidemic of typhoid
fever. There were over ATS cases of
fever. and 167 of them We're among
school children. They were scattered
turnout the city, and many deaths re-
suited.
The reservoir was built to solve the
alton the city has been without tSVhoid
fever excepting an occasional isolated
case, In which. at no time. could the
source of infection be traced to city
water.
When the committee of the state
board of health was called to MARSHALL
town by the city council. to Investigate
the cause. here is what was said:
I'm connection with the system of
wells is what Is called filtering gall
lery. which consists of perforated
pipe about 5000 feet long. on the hard
pan at the bottom of the water bearing
sand. say about twenty feet below the
surface Of the ground. This pipe is
connected directly with one of the wells
in use at the pumping station. (Analy-
sis shows that the water is seriously
contaminated and wholly unsafe)
THIS GALLERY MUST BE DIS
CONNECTED FROM THE SYSTEM
AT ONCE
"Wouldn't Do ~ Says Mcbride.
Ralph w Mcbride, who was chair
man of the water works committee at
the time the reservoir was built, said
today that he would not be in favor of
connecting up the old galleries with
OUT the most careful investigation. He
SAYS that we have good water now
and it doesn't pay to be experimenting
with something we are not sure we can
rely upon.
Send Water For Analysis.
CITY Physician A C. Conaw way has
sent TO State Chemist Kinney. at Des
Noines. unon the order of the board OF
health according to DR.. Conway, q
sample of the water from the Pierce
galleries. DR. Conway says he got the
sample himself from the manhole ir
Fierce's park He expects to report or
it at the regular meeting of the board
Of health week from tonight This
is the first time he has ever sent fol
analysis a sample of the water from
the galleries, and he says he does no.
know why he should be directed tt
send 1t at this time. He said he die
not think the city was figuring on con-
Meeting up tie galleries.
Clark Asks Support Of Council.
Chairman Clark, of the water work!
committee has made requests OF ths
different members of the council fol
/ their support on the proposition tx
connect up the galleries, providing thu
sample of water taken from the gal
leries is found to be pure.
Mayor Ingledue. who has been con.
versant with theinvestigation, made tn
| ~
the water would not be connected III
unless it was pure. Not word abou
it has appeared in open council, how
ever.
If the recent extended drouth has tax,
ed the water supply severely most peo
pie will believe it to be safer to enforce
economy in the use on lawns rathe
than endanger the lives Of our peopl,
by fooling with those old gallerie.
which were ordered closed up before
The analyst. may prove the water pur,
but the average householder woult
rather take present absolute certaint,
of wholesome supply to any chance OF
the old galleries even if the supply be
comes dangerously short. We ma,
never have the big fire, and If we did,
would be better to let her burn than t.
haul our young people in continuou
procession to the cemetery.