Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-15


| Mr.. Cavanaugh demonstrated clearly
that he has made careful study OF
1.-THE matter for several years, and he
backed up his statements with figures
| from recognized sources.
Condition of sIains.
Mr.. Cavanaugh declared that "the
mains in Rock Island may be affected
| by electrolosis, but unless they are,
they are just as adequate as they were
the day they were laid, and will stand
| just as much pressure. | do not fear
| the condition of the mains. There
never has been main in Rock Island
bursted by the pressure since | have
| been in the department, although this
| has been said to have been the case
twice. The pipes that broke, however.
were not mains. They were service
lpipes, and if more pressure is put on.
more of these service pipes will give
way. The old regulations did not re-
Quire a lead pipe as now, and many
wrought iron pipes are in the ground.
These, and the poor plumbing in
houses, will give way under higher
Ipressure But the mains are good, un-
less they are damaged by electrolosis.
And this think unlikely. because this
would show earlier, and where there
are gas mains the electric action is
more likely 10 affect the dry pipes
than the water mains.
| Mains Are too Small.
| Continuing, he said: THE mains
are in good condition, although they
are too small, as everyone must adj
nit The system here is just the same
| in this respect as in every other big
city i'll the country. The first mains
were not laid with a view to future
needs, and the scale was too small
This is true in New York, Chicago
and, in fact, in almost every city. New
York has appropriated S20,000,O00 to
reconstruct it's system of mains, and
Chicago is also spending enormous
lsums along this line. About 20 years
ago, when was member o. the city
Icouncil, a resolution was adopted pro-
Ihibiting the laying of anything less
icouncil was not bound by this action.
land the result is that there are blocks
lof finch mains, and even smaller
pipes. In the Seventh ward there are
over 5000 feet of pipe not over two
inches big, and much of it only 1-inch
pipe. In Davenport the private com
,pany owning the waterworks is re-
|placing all 4, 6 and S-inch mains with
12-inch and 16-inch mains. In Rock
Island many of the people say they
have water They do, but they have
water only, and no pressure"
| Superintendent Cavanaugh explained
the operation of the pump. and stated
that if filtered water was sent into the
mains the pumps at the waterworks
could be operated "a hours daily with
but "a very slightly greater cost than
for running them Is hours a day as al
present. Alderman McNealy suggest
ed that, with this condition, it would
be well to get the mains first, and Mr.
| ICavanaugh promptly replied: Get the
| filter, and get the mains, too. The fiji
ter is not going to prevent the extern
sion of mains. The filter plant comes
out of the waterworks funds. The
mains are laid with the money from
| the waterworks revenues. The usel
of water gets back all that he pays or
the 81 !al assessment cost of laying
the mains just as fast as he uses the
! water
At this point Alderman EllinwooG
| brought up the question of cost, stat
ing that it was 81 a foot in one in
stance. This was promptly denied b!
| City Engineer Wallace Treichler, who
| added that this statement was like
most of those made by Alderman Ell
| lmwood nothing to them
Municipal VS.. Corporation.
| Alderman Smith suggested that wa
| lterworks plants owned by corporations
| install mains without cost to the user!
| of water, and Superintendent Cavan
| augh, asked to reply to this, prompt.
produced figures to show that, as {
| matter of fact, the cost to the user O
| water and the property owners gen
| ltldlIy Ill CLUES WutIc Jlle 'pldHl
owned by corporation, is much great
| er than in cities where the municipal
llity controls the plant. He declared
THAT if the Rock Island plant was run
on the same basis as the Davenport
waterworks, and the rates were The
same, the waterworks would turn ovel
a net profit of 100000 a year to th'
city. Mr.. Cavanaugh declared that The
rates are from S. to $25 lower, ant
cited Rock Island and Davenport Il
show this. Where the rate is S14 TO
a siX-room house in Rock Island, tn,
/ Dayenport rate is from SIT to $22
! The city of Davenport gets 1S,000,00'
| gallons year for city purposes, ant
| every gallon is metered, and when TIL
/ t15,000, 000-gailon mark is passed. thu
city pays 10 cents gallon for all tn
water used for city purposes. TIL
lefty last year paid about $500 OF
Ithis account In addition. the city o