The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-11-08

stand, and is swinging inward about
four feet. The main break, the one to
the south, is about 100 feet in width,
and a deep hole under the base of the
wall caused certain persons who ex-
amined the wall to express the opinion
that the wall has slipped on Its foun-
dation. This foundation at the base
of the wall apparently is of soft lime
stone or soapstone, and is perfectly
smooth where that part of the wall
came loose
The heavy limestone embedded in
cement looks as though it might have
withstood many times the amount Of
pressure against 1t. Portions of the
wall were washed away, and the high
embankment about the reservoir walls
scattered over the adjoining sections
of country for blocks and blocks.
NO WATER FAMINE.
There need be no worry for fear of
water famine" said Superintendent
George Reyer of the Water Works De-
partment. "The west basin holds
some 26,OO0,O0O gallons of water, and
that will be ample for the citys con-
sumption. It's just as though we were
cleaning the east basin" continued
Capt. Reyer. When we clean one
Of the basins, the city gets It's supply
for months from the other basin"
This was the year for the east basin
to be cleaned, but for some reason it
was decided some weeks ago that the
reservoir would not be cleaned this
year. 1t may have been that in the
event the city had followed the usual
rule and cleaned the east basin the
weak place IN the wall might have
been discovered-then, again, it might
not have been.
FIT. CASINO SITE.
City Reservoir Stands on Historic
Grounds
The City Reservoir stands on the
site of old Fort Casino. It was be-
gun August a. 1886, and the work was
completed August "a, 1889. It's ca
tpacity is 51,OO0,OOO gallons, and the
city erected it at a cost of $346,525.21.
The mammoth basin was completed
during the administration OF Mayor
Pink McCarver. Judge Robert Ewing
was at that time a member Of the
Board Of Public Works.
When the works about Nashville
We're erected in 1863. under the direc-
tion of Gen Negley, the hill on which
the reservoir stands was made
the location of Fort Casino and this
is not so very far from Old Fort Neg
ley, whose ruins can be seen from the
reservoir looking eastward.
Mr.. James ST. Clair Morton was the
engineer in charge Of the building of
the forts. When Hoods forces ap-
peared to the south of Nashville in
December 1864, and Thomas finally
gave him battle, it was the guns of
Fort Casino and its neighbor, Fort
Negley which opened the fight.
HAD ALWAYS LEAKED.
The reservoir had leaked since it
was built The seepage was once the
cause of an investigation by a special
committee, but nothing was ever done
about it. For years there has been
a seepage from the reservoir, but no
body seemed to regard it as probable
that the big walls would ever give
way.
That the recent leakage was re-
garded as sufficient to justify some
attention by the city officials is borne
out in the statement of Capt Reyer
that no later than Saturday the water
in the east basin had been lowered fiji.
teen feet and all cracks in the walls
cemented. The officials doubtless ex'
pected to find any weak places in the
wall at the top, for it was generally
thought that nothing could ever cause
the thirty feet of solid masonry at the
bottom to give way.
The wear of the little seep in the
bottom of the wall, however which
may have been going on since the