Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-09-18
BIC WATER WE'LL
Seems TO BE OK.
SHOULD FURNISH AN AMPLE
SUPPLY OF GOOD DRINKING
WATER.
SHOWS UP we'll ON TEST
Many Difficulties Encountered Have
Delayed the work of Completing
the Plant.

The inspection trip Of city officials
and representatives. Of the local press
to the water plant yesterday revealed
the fact the big we'll when completed,
if fl holds up according TO the tests
already made, with the five small
wells now in operation, ought TO
furnish an ample supply of pure
water for all city purposes. The Of
ficlals deny that they made the
promise q little over month ago
that they would have the well COM
pleted and in operation within a
month. They admit, however, tina,
they did say they would have the well
sufficiently completed to demonstrate
whether the plan which the adminis-
tratiun is working on Of getting a
supply Of water from wells worth
following out and that this has been
done,
Tho new well Is fifty feet in diam
etcr and is about thirty feet deep with
a brick wall laid In cement on IRON
shoes. As the well has been dug tho
wall has been lowered and increased
In heighth as the work progressed.
encountered one delay Of two weeks
was caused by he non-arrival Of a
pump and the water came in SO Iast
that workmen could make no pro-
gress whatever. After its arrival he
trunk Of large tree was encountered
which had to be dynami ed. THIS
was an unexpected obstacle but as
soon as il was overcome the shale was
reached and instead Of being of an
even surface, 1t was irregular neceS-
stating the laying Of brick around
in the low places underneath the IRON
shoes on which the wall rests ana
this work IS delaying the completion
Of the well.
Has Slight Taste,
Water Superintendent Ballard esti-
mates that the new wall Will produce
between three and a half and four
million gallons Of water and from
the est made yesterday his estimate
appears to be fully warranted There
are las four inch intakes with sand
points extending from two. to eight
feet out from The top Of the shale.
The water Is pure and comparatively
clear except for a slight taste ana
coloring of iron which Supperintend.
cnt Ballard says can be eliminated
with very little treating. AT me
present time the water from all the
wells is being turned in with the river
water without any treatment for the
iron It Is the iron doubtless thai
causes the colored sediment that has
a tendency to tarnish which Is so
noticeable in lavatories and bath tubs
where city water Is used.
Arkansas is Red.
The Arkansas river was on ram
page yesterday and looked like the
Red sea. This it IS believed is due
to rain on the Canadian or some
other stream in the western part OF
the state where the soil is OF red
ish cast in color and Is entirely dit-
fcrent from the water that ordinarily
comes down the Arkansas,
There is no way Of determining
lust when the big well will be COM
pletod and in the meantime the ordi-
nary scapage which has to be pump
al out whenever It raises to a point
&c interfere with the work, together
with the five small wells now In use,
are supplying about two and a half
million gallons Of water a day. With
this enough water from the river ls
treated and mixed to supply the de-
mands Of the ely Until the rise In
the river yesterday the quality was
very much improved, but with the
new alluvia coming down the river
the water was badly rolled and hard
to treat
Dredging the River.
The city also has a. dreGge at work
in the river clearing the channel and
preparing an extensive dam in which
willows will be planted to do away
with the sacks OF sand necessary to
control the flow in high and low
stages The administration expects
to keep the river intake open merely
as an emergency supply and while
they can not give any assurance as to
when the wells will be completed
from that source for all purposes and
as Superintendent Ballard says, treat
it to eliminate the slight touch of
iron. thus giving the city an abund-
ance of pure drinking water.
Mny BE 90 Days.
It may take sixty days yet before
the well is completed. The work is
being conducted by j. f. Baker, an
engineer who for a number Of years
was connected with the Metropolitan
Street Railway Company Of Kansas
City. under the direction and super
vision of Superintendent Ballard and
Commissioner Ballard with the active
support of Mayor Wooden A great
many Improvements have been made
in the general system during the past
few months. The World has never
sought to discredit personally any of
these men and has never had any
plan or scheme to supplant the one
which the city is working under. Il
has always maintained that the work
was not progressing as rapidly as II
should and that results have not been
definite enough and that this city
needed and could have an adequate
water supply. After a cursory ex-
animation Of the work being done
and the plans for the future The
World can only give the facts as far
as It has been able to ascertain them.
will shortly have an opportunity to
1t looks very much like the city
Judge for itself whether or not the
plan the administration is working
out is the right one to adopt. The
World is free 10 admit that II appears
20 1t thai the city is pursuing the
right plan under the circumstances
and there is every reason to believe
that this city within a very reason