Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-24

water supply to guard against fire
and provide for domestic uses.
That there is some trouble at the
pumping station which has not been
discovered was the opinion expressed
by a number of the men present,
among them John A. Affleck and f.
Mather, two members of the old
water works board which ceased to
be a part of the city government
when the Clark act became opera
tive. Ex-Commissioner Samuel +.
Dunkle also expressed the same
opinion.
Many Called
Among the men present who were
called upon to speak were Mr.. At
fleck, Mr.. Mather, Mr.. Dunkle and
]. Horace Mcfarland. Mr.. Aflleck
spoke briefly on the seriousness of
the situation and then declared it
was only question of whether the
plants closed at once, or used all the
supply and would be compelled to
shut down later. Many of the Of
ficials present at once voiced their
approval of plan to close at once,
and some of them stated they had
ordered fires under boilers banked
before they had left the plants.
Pumps Bought in 1874
Mr.. Mather gave a short history
of the water department since 1874
when the two old pumps now in use
were first bought. According to Mr..
Mather the closing order now in force
was the first to be issued since the
flood of 1889, when the entire water
works was flooded and the supply of
water in the reservoir was the only
one available until the pumps could
be used again.
EX-Commissioner Dunkle explain
ed the cause of the present situation
in part. The new pump which is now
being repaired, had been running
for months at capacity-12 100000
gallons daily. Because of the increas-
ing demand on the water depart
ment, Mr.. Dunkle had survey made
of the water works, and then order
ed repairs to the two old pumps
Tests were made of the water mains
and a large thirty-inch fitting at
Front and North streets was en-
closed in reinforced concrete. The
break in the new pump was discOv-
cred November II, last year. 1t had
been planned to use the two old
pumps and the new pump beginning
on Monday, November 10, hut the
break r&cessitated the use of the two
old pumps alone. They have been
running ever since, according to Mr..
! Dunkle. When asked what had been
done about repairs to the big pump.
Mr.. Dunkle said he tried to have
welding firms repair the break in the
| big water cylinder, and finally when
! he could not get anyone to attempt
this, made an effort to have a new
casting made.
New Casting Here
| An investigation then showed
that there were no drawings of any
of the parts of the big engine OF
pump as the firm which built it is
no longer in business. After getting
| in touch with a number of plants
Mr.. Dunkle-m made arrangements with
a Birdsboro firm to make the big
casting, machine 1t, and send the
part to the city. 1t reached here
yesterday and will be put in place
within the next week.
The Harrisburg Foundry and Ma
chine Company has had charge of the
repair work at the pumping station
| preparatory to the installation of the
new part.
c. w. Lynch, president of the
company, was asked whether all the
parts necessary to complete the re-
pairs were in the city. He replied
two or three parts were being finish
ed and would be sent on in a week or
two. Mr. Mcfarland then took the
floor and declared there had been too
much delay with the lives of So, 700
residents, and 100000 worth of
property endangered.
Want No Delay
1t was explained by water works
men that the parts which are not
here will not be needed at first as the
old parts which they replace, can
be used until the new ones arrive.
Ross A. Hickok, of the Hickok
Manufacturing Company suggested
to Mayor Keister that a committee of
three be appointed to decide on
which plants should be affected by
the order not to use water, and that
the committee report as soon as
possible. Others present objected to
any delay and suggested Mayor Keis-
ter give the committee power to draw
the order and enforce it. Mayor
Keister said he would not take such
action but would appoint a commit
zee to prepare an order which he
would endorse.