The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-25
WHO SETTLES FOR
BROKEN P|PES?.
City Won't and Water Works Com
pany Won't According to Officials
Of Both Corporations
Saturday.
PRESSURE OR FROST
Superintendent Schools Says 1t WIN
be Impossible to Tell Wheth-
err Frost or Test Broke
Water Pipes.

Shortly after the pressure test Fri
day afternoon inquiries began to be
te.ephoned into The Gate City office
about placing responsibilities Tor
broken water pipes all over the city.
Many phone calls We're answered FIJI
day and Saturday from disgruntied
property owners saving that water
mains and service pipes had given
way under the unusual strain. A num-
Der OF them held the city Responsible
and others were positive the Water
Works company was to blame. Satur
day afternoon in reply to questions by
a Gate City representative, Mayor
Elder said: 81 cannot see where the
city can be held responsible although
II do not know the exact legal status
of the case. / have not looked II up.
However it seems to me that 1t is up
to the water company. We did not
ask for such q tremendous pressure.
They are supposed at all times 10
furnish sufficient pressure to throw
stream one hundred feet high, running
through FIVE hundred feet of hose anu
one inch nozzle, at the corner OF
Fourth and Main streets. According
to experts on the question pressure
of ninety-four pounds should do this
easily. AS it was, from the chart IN
the Office of the city clerk. pressure
of one hundred and forty-five pounds
was recorded, although the average
maintained throughout the test was
close to one hundred and thirty-fve
pounds
"The city asked for the test simply
to show the condition of the plant ana
establish the fact that their pipe lines
will show the natural lack of efficiency
due to old age. We have always had
difficulty in getting sufficient pressure
during fires when the stream OF water
had to be carried TO any nelghth.
However during the test yesterday
more than sufficient pressure was
shown to give the service required by
the franchise"
Company Statement.
| Superintendent William School OF
1.-THE Water Works company was next
seen and in reply to the same ques
tions said: Il do not see where we
can be held for the broken pipes fol
we simply made the test as requested
by the city officials and cannot be
held responsible for their actions. An
other thing is that it would be impos
sibIe to tell whether the pipes were
broken by the pressure test or b'
frost. The ground has been Frozen
deeper and more solid this winte
than it has for many years past ant
that undoubtedly has great deal t
do with the breakage. To me 1t i
very evident that we cannot be blame
for the situation. We have had yer.
few complaints about the service pipe
today and think that the reports ar
very much exaggerated.
City Attorney Ralph Smith express
ed an opinion that inasmuch as tn
water company claims all pipes an
mains as far as the curb line, the PROF
erty owners themselves were respor
sible for any breaks that occurred il
. side that line. The pipes inside tn
4 curb line belong to the indiyidua
property owners and it is up to thel
! to have them strong enough to resis
| any pressure that may be put upo
\ them.
!. Who Turned il OF?
Chief Anderson said Saturday nigh
that he had many complaints froI
property owners and tenants tha
about twelve o'clock on Friday an
b during the time the pressure test wa
conducted that there was no pressur