Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-04


in laying two, lines of hose from the
Harrisburg fire plug at Camerons
gate to Steelton's closest hydrant at
Front and Gibson street, distance
of about 1900 feet. The Baldwin
and Citizens pumps will alternate
in forcing water through the mains
of the borough. Officials hope to
have water running through the
mains not later than o'clock.
With a million gallons of water
being supplied by the filtering plant
running half capacity and three
quarters of a million which they
hope to get from Harrisburg, bor-
ough officials believe the scarcity
will be relieved shortly. More than
two million gallons of water is being
held in the reservoir as a reserve
supply in case of fire.
The trouble in the filter plant has
been coming on for about a month,
members of the water board de-
clared this morning, but did not be-
come serious until Friday evening. 1t
was necessary at this time to shut
down the pumping station for twelve
hours. This did not relieve the sit
uation any and at noon yesterday
the supply from the town through
the reservoir was shut off.
water Until To-day
The town had water until early
this morning, when women made
efforts to draw a supply for wash
ing. This drained the pipes with the
result that before o'clock this
morning no water was available
above Second street.
Several departments of the steel
plant and the borough schools with
the exception of three buildings were
forced to close down. Steel plant de-
partments depending on electricity
supplied by the York Haven plant
were forced to close down. These
departments Frank y. Robbins, Jr.,
general superintendent of the plant,
said were the only ones shut down.
Borough water is used to cool the
transformers in the plant substatien,
While the other part of the plant
depends largely on water supplied
by the company pumping station.
The West Side, Major Bent and
Fothergil buildings which are heat
ed by hot air systems were not
forced to close. All other buildings
are equipped with steam heating
plants. Prof. L. E. McGinnis. super
intendent of borough schools an
would open tomorrow morning att
the usual hour.
State Officials Help
State Health Department officials
conferred with borough officials this
morning and advised them to ask
assistance. The first
method of overcoming the situation
was pumping water into the mains
without running it through the filter
plant. State officials said this was
the last step to be taken on account
of precautionary measures.
The state officials suggested that
as soon as a small reserve supply is
accumulated in the reservoir one of
the filters be placed out of use and
tapped so that the air can escape.
AS soon as the trouble is located and
overcome in the one filter it can be
placed into use and another section
of the fitted placed out of use tenn
porarily. BY following out this sug-
gestion, state officials claim the bor-
ough can overcome its difficulty. \
Asked to Save Water
Oliver p. Baskins, superintendent
of the water department in a state
ment appealed to the residents of
the borough to conserve water until |
the danger of a famine is passed. |
superintendent Baskins when asked !
what forced on the trouble declared
that it was running the plant over
it's capacity during Harrisburg's |
scarcity. The official explained that |
that time the plant which |
has a capacity of two million gallons
daily, was supplying two and one
quarter millions. The cold weather
he stated also contributed largely to |
the trouble. Mr.. Baskins said that |
during the warm weather the filters |
do not cause any trouble. This is the
first trouble with the filter in ten
years