Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-09-25
Jerusa 'em's Great Water Problem

WASHINGTON, d. c.. Sept. "a.
A recent issue of the Daily Consular
and Trade Reports, published by the
Bureau of Manufacturers. Department
of Commerce and Labor, contains an
interesting report by Deputy Consul
John ID. Whiting, OF Jerusalem. reia-
tive to the old system of securing
pure water in sufficient quantity for
that city. His report is in part as
follows:
Jerusalem today. with its 10000 in
habitants. depends almost entirely on
rain for it's water supply. the rainfall!
averaging aout q inches year.
Water thus collected and stored is
good so long as roofs and cisterns arc
kept clean In the houses of the bet
ter to do classes these cisterns are
large enough TO store an ample
amount of water. With the poorer
PEOPLE the case is the reverse. Most
Of the cisterns of their houses are
small and the houses often so over
crowded that frequently long before
the summer is over the water has
given out and a supply has TO be pur-
chased at high prices from neighbor-
ing cisterns.
Among the poorer Jewish settlers
or the outskirts of Jerusalem few are
allie TO own their own cisterns, and
large ones are built, generally by
charity funds, for a common water
supply. In many cases they are fiiied
with surface water. and the insanitary
elements with which the water thu
collected is impregnated is held re-
s9onsible for large percentage of
the fevers and other diseases preva-
lent towards the end of the dry sea
son. This same condition Of the
water supply appears TO prevai'
among all the poorer classes OF the
city. When there is. shortage OF
rain q critical state of affairs as to
the water question ensues. ant a.
such times most insanitary water Is
used.
AT various times since the days
of King Solomon efforts have been
made to secure a water supply on
which the city could depend. Abou.
Il miles to the south. little Dy west.
OF Jerusalem. on the carriage road 20
Hebron. are three enormous reser-
voirs known as SolomOn's Pools
These were constructed in the bed OF
valley across which heavy walls
were thrown and cemeBted. and are
large enough to contain 100000 gal
ions OF water. They were filed cur
ing the rainy season with water from
The surrounding hills. and this was
augmented by the inflow OF a small
spring a little algher in the valley.
known as the Sealed Fountain and
these pools there vas a masonry aque-
fduct built. said TO have been the work
Of Solomon. which. winding arogno
he hsl.sides. carried the water TO the
temple in Jerusalem. At one point
:his CONDUIT went through a mountain
~ a tunnel.
In the sixteenth century Of our era
the Mohammedsns remodeied this
aoneduct BY replacing the open trough
with pottery pipes. portions Of which
are still In use. In the second cen
fury the Romans. probably under
pontius PLATE, began to carry into
execution a most ambitious scheme
for bringing a large water supply into
the Holy City. but which taey were
seemingly never able 20 finish. Their
source Of supply was Ain Arroub. :
large fountain which Is also on the
road 10 Hebron and about twice AZ
far from Jerusalem a. the Pools o.
Solomon. whose water was led into
The riddle Of Solomon's Pools. and
also Bir cd-Derej IN Wsdi elBiyar
whose waters we're led through 4
large conduit. through channels Gu:
n the rock. and through a tunnel "a
poin; above the Pools 81 solomon
These waters we're led &c the city by
ten auueaEcfa. the lover one carry