The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1913-06-27
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

The Board of Lights and Water
works feels that it is due the citi-
Izens of Marietta that we should
make a statement concerning the ap-
parent lack of water supply Monday
morning, the 23rd, at the time the
residence of Mr.. r. H. Northcutt
was destroyed by fire
The Board has made a complete
Investigation of the circumstances,
and we wish to give to the citizens
of Marietta the facts disclosed by
this investigation.
The conditions at the waterworks
station when the first telephone mes
sage was received, were as follows:
d. r. Baker, the night engineer, was
on duty. The standpipe on Camp
bells Hill was more than half full
of water, the guage showing 80 lbs.
or more of pressure. When the short
age of water first occurred a few
weeks ago, at the suggestion of the
instance people, service in the city
has been cut off frequently at night
usually between midnight and day
light, by closing the valves immedi-
ately below the pumping station, in
the large main that goes to the
city, and also closing the valves on
the line that goes up Sessions street
thence to Kennesaw avenue, and
back Ito the city. When these
valves are closed for several hours
the puming station would pump di-
rect into the standpipe, and thus
iifhs8asr the head of water in the
same, This night pumping has al
ways been done by the steam pump
At all times, since the first shortage
occurred, steam has been kept in
the boilers, and the steam pump
could be started in less than three
minutes At all times a depth of
ten feet has been kept in the reser-
yoir at the station, so that this re-
serve supply could be used immed-
lately, by direct pressure from the
steam pump in case of fire. When
the first alarm came in Monday
morning, engineer Baker was pump
ing into the standpipe with the
steam pump, running this pump
Just fast enough to pump the flow
of the four wells, all of which were
being driven by the air compressor
ing run simply to carry off the flow
of the wells and not effect the
ten feet of water being held in the
reservoir. Instantly on receiving
the alarm, in less than sixty seconds
engineer Baker opened the valves
leading into the big mains TO the
city, and applied direct pressure
from the steam pump. He soon re-
ccived a telephone message saying
hydrants. He increased the speed
Of the pump until the pressure rose
to 100 pounds Again he was tele-
phOned that there was no water
The pump was pounding against the
dead wall, and he realized there was
some obstruction in the mains. He
could not increase the pressure with.
out danger of wrecking both the
pump and the mains He ran i'm
mediately up Sessions street and OPP
cned up the valve leading into the
kennesaw avenue 6 inch main and
back TO town. AS soon as he did
this the pump began to work and
the firemen had a supply Of water,
but at no time an abundant supply,
although there was more water in
the standpipe than there has been
at any time in six weeks, and the
steam pump was working fun force
The reason for the small supply Of
water, as will be shown hereafter.
was that the only water received
at the fire hydrants, was via the
inch main on Kennesaw avenue back
TO the square. This main alone
could not furnish a sufficient amount
Of water to properly fight the fire
even when open.
An investigation as soon as it was
daylight, disclosed the fact that the
large main leading from the pump
ing station direct TO the square, as
we'll as two large side mains, were
all cut off from the city, someone
having closed the valves in these
mains. A committee of the board
together with the superintendent
and Mr.. James r. Groves, visited
these valves and found they were
all closed. The valve ON the main