The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-03-24
reservoir site and right OF way

Grand total well Systems .. .ss4s.sOo
Operation ana maintenance supetin-
tendent and attendants, $500: electric
light and power. S3S.sio; supplies and
The figures place the supcrintendents
salary at $500. with three men at
$1,000. three At $4,000 and one boy a,
Smith System.
The so-called Smith system, as ex-
emplifed In the plant at Parkersburg,
West virginia. Is claimed by its in
ventor. Mr. l.. Z. Smith. OF Charles
slow sand filtration process. in which
the requisite area OF river bed is cot
ferdammed. the water pumped out.
the river bed material removed to a
depth OF some FIVE or six feet, and a
system of slotted or perforated pipes
ately over and around this grill work
OF perforated pipe IL first laid a layer
OF gravel. some two feet thick. and
on top OF this Is placed a layer of
washed sand. some three feet in
thickness. In operation, the river wa
ter is expected to percoiate downward
through the sand and gravel layers,
TO be collected In the system OF per
forated pipes at the bottom. from
whence IL flows by gravity to pump
well. From here IL Is TO bepumped
into a storage reservoir flowing from
this reservoir to the existing pump
station through a 36-inch wood-stone
gravity main. according TO Mr.. Smiths
idea. The fact that the only plant
thus far constructed by Mr.. Smith
tParkersburg) has been in service
about two years. and Is apparently Civ
ing good satisfaction Is not sufficient
ly convincing that IL will prove other
wise after II has been longer in ser
vice. With the facts before us. we do
not feel kindly disposed toward the
idea 81 a..
stallation OF the Smith system at
Wheeling
The commission showed that IL
would be necessary TO go to a great
deal OF expense TO flush out the gravel
beds, and that the disturbing OF the
/ hitter beds to cleanse the water might
ruin the whole system. The slow
sand system was taken up in connec-
ton with the Smith system.
AS the engineers estimated the cost OF
he as follows:
:. Cost OF hitter beds. .sf3O,7s2
valves, receiving chamber reser-
co Noir ana pump STATEN. ...... 10000
Th e. ensineers point out that line the
sl'o.OOO item should be increased by the
az per cent for emergencies as was
allowed allows In All other systems. which
COST q, p, ,ha.s II 70 sIist 800 and make the
Operation and Maintenance.
.s, Tt,ies' nsht and heat, supplies. etc.
vear NJ Fl" '"tal OF Sso,sSO Tor the
, Rapid Sand Filtration.
RAPID sand filtration is the pre-
dominating method of purifying the
public water supplies of this country
! Inc first plant was installed al som
merville. \. j.. In 1885, and al The
present time l2.O0O,O0O people in the
| united states are being supplied with
| water purified by this method In
other words about one in every three
OF the total urban population OF con
unental United States is being sup
pneu Win water purified by the rapid
sand filtration process.
fntraton plants of this type are
scattered all over the United States
Dut In the Ohio valley, in which
wheeling is located, this type oi
water filter predominates. There are
more rapid sand liberation plants in
I tnls district than In any other part
OF the world. This is so because oil
me TACT that the surface waters in
ms part OF the country are almos;
uniformly muddy. and IL is to the
, treatment OF water of this class thai
tne rapid sand filtration process Is
| particularly applicable. The system
Is also used extensively in foreign
countries, in fact IL is found all over
the world. Even Japan has a plan;
OF this type, the capacity OF which Is
the same as that required for Wheel
ms L DIS pant is located at kyOtO
the ancient capital of that country
l such plants are also found in Eng
, land. Finland. Austria, Egypt, India
Siam, Manchuria, Mexico. Soutf
Africa, South America and Canada
but the largest plants are found In
this country. And of these notable
Installations are those at Cincinnati
Columbus and Toledo. o.: Minneapo
lie, Mimi: Grand Rapids. Mich: New
Orleans. La: Harrisburg. Pa. and Lit
tie Falls. y. J.. and plants OF this twp,
are now under construction in ths
cities OF st. Louis, Mo, baltimore
Md, and Cleveland. o., and the avs
TEN has been recommended for IN,
publication OF the water supply O
New York.
Costs % tho system were estimated
Low lift pump station on W.
| va. shore with intake lines 8 9c 0Oi
Filtration plant and receiving
Gravity line 20 pumping station Sc no.
Engineer contingencies IS per
~ NsNl -. ssssss..ss.-.... hl.tH'
LOST OF iand .s......-.s........ 1900
cost Of maintenance.
LiVht ana power ............... rtsa.
'iE .lltui sss...s..s...ssss. 1u. nUI
ENip'l'N s'ssssssssss.-ss 300.
Total .......................s gs.1s.
.