The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1909-09-02
500 feet long by $50 feet wide.

Q.-When full, how high can water
be thrown on public square in town?
Al think il is about seventy or
seventy-fve feet.
Q.-You have stated that when the
waters from upper Sinking creek were
piped below the three II. S. Price
springs, said springs, by measurement,
yielded 5000 gallons daily. State
about how much water said three
springs yielded the day before said
creek above was piped away.
A.-4O0, 900 gallons, by actual meas
urement.
Q.-Please state whether or not, dur
ing the very dry season of the year, all
the waters from upper Sinking creek
valley, above the reservoir, are necessa-
ry to give a bountiful supply of water
to Johnson City and its people?
A.-Yes.
Q.-During the wet seasons of the
year, and until July of each year, what
waters flow into the reservoir?
A.-The springs that are enclosed in
the reservoir and the water from Sink
ing creek.
| Q.-How does water from Sinking
creek get into the reservoir during the
wet season?
Ave get it through three or four
inch pipe from the creek. The bank
separates the reservoir from the creek,
and when the creek is running by 1t
runs into the reservoir, which it does
net do when the creek is dry. When
the creek is muddy the pipe is stopped
up, but is opened again when it clears,
if we need the water.
Q.-State whether or not the water
from the company's fifteen springs in
side of the reservoir grounds, and from
the Slagle spring just outside of the
reservoir grounds, always flow into res
ervoir?
A'-ANOt olli NV ali vi GilCIh. DOIHc
of them sometimes go dry. When there
is water in them the water goes in there
all the time
Q.-State whether or not the waters
from said sixteen springs, during the
wet season of the year, are sufficient to
keep the reservoir full?
| A.-Yes.
| Off there be any overflow from
the reservoir from those springs, how
much overflow have you known?
Al never measured it, but think
in wet time | have seen as much as
from two to three hundred thousand
gallon a day, but this is only an esti-
mate.
Q.-What, if any, use are the waters
of Sinking creek put to in connection
with the reservoir when not needed to
ill it?
Awe use it for cleaning out the
reservoir, to get out the mud, weeds
and the growths that are in there. The
reservoir should be cleaned out twice a
! year, and we have to use the creek wa
ter to do it.
Q.-Tell how this flushing process is
carried on-tell particularly.
J Awe open twelve and six-inch
, pipes to let the water in. The creek
bed is considerably higher than the
bottom Of the reservoir at that point,
and the water goes in with considerable
} force and washes the mud out at a
: great deal less expense than in any
other way. Two men can do more
with that water than twenty-five could
} do without it. We also, then, after the
reservoir is washed out, use the creek
water to help fill the reservoir again.
| Q.-About how much mud or muck
will accumulate in the reservoir during
year?
A.-At one time we took out an av.
erage, | suppose, of from two to two
? and half feet of mud all oveI the res
, ervoir. At another time we took out
mud and moss amounting to 500 or 100t
=, two-horse loads; it would have amount.
+ ed to that. We washed out a portion
f of il at the lower end, but at the upper
end we hauled and wheeled it out.
Q.-The weeds or moss spoken Of
: does it grow under or above the surface,
! A.-Under the water.
Q.-When the water falls in the res
e ervoir so as to expose that peculiar
moss how is it affected as to the expos
o ed parts?
A.-The moss or weed drops bacl
{; and dies and makes the water foul.
e Q.ZState whether or not it is abso
e lutely necessary, TO preserve the purity
y of the water, to clean out the reservoi
k at least once year?
It A.-Yes, sir. think il ought to b,
cleaned out twice u year.
It Q.-While the cleaning out process
o is going on, when the water is all ou
e Of the reservoir except for flushing pur
Il poses, is there sufficient pressure 70
fire protection in Johnson City?
II A.-No, sir. The water is not all out
except for flushing purposes as indicat
y ed in the question, at any time. W
ii keep some water flowing all the tim
in the pipes leading 10 Johnson City
70 but il keeps up no pressure in the tow
10 except AT low points for domestic uses