The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-24


 and a half almost due north. From this reservoir which Is 360 feet higher than the Arrub spring area. more 6- inch piping conveys the flow by gravity down the Wad Byar for distance Of some IA miles direct to a 240 000-gallon reservoir on the Jaffa road about mile and a half northwest of the Jaffa gate. Jerusalem From here 1t is distributed to the military and civil watering area about Jerusalem and into the cisterns of Jerusalem.
 There l no question of antiquity about this water supply system. You will find it's complete history written down in the reports of Maj Gen. H. B. H. Wright iC B., R. E., and filed at the general | tionary force of the British army at the 1 Savoy hotel in Cairo.
 It's origin lies in the fact that Jeru- salem did not have enough water to sup ply that part of the British army which occupied Jerusalem on December 9, 1917. l GAS a matter of fact the water prob lem was the most serious problem which confronted the Egyptian Expeditionary l force throughout it's campaign; when the A. E. F. was not living on two gallons of water per day per man, it was living i on a gallon day.l Accordingly the 1 Royal Engineres of the A. F.. F., with l that no-damned-nonsense method which l characterizes the Royal engineers, set out to provide Jerusalem with an ade- quate water supply. The Arrub spring area was chosen for a source and sur veyed between February IA, 1918, and February IS Owing to the shortage Of | transport and abnormally bad weather, work could not be commenced until Aprl' l 12 but water was being delivered to the army in Jerusalem and to the civil popu- lation on June 1S Since then there has not been a stoppage or hitch in the supply.
 1 Four large military watering areas were installed around Jerusalem, on the l Bethlehem road the Jaffa road, the 1 Nablus road and the Jericho road. 1 large number of military standpipfs were then put in to supply camps around Jerusalem. With the army supplied water was then furnished to the hosp- itals and schools in the Jerusalem area. Lastly. a number of standpipes Tor civilian use were installed. of which four are inside the walls of old Jerusalem gate. one at the Damasvqs gate and one at Herods gate These standpipes are simply a section of steel pipe with taps :, in it, where everybody is welcome. Those l aesthetic persons who have to do wltn the beautifying of Jerusalem throw ul 1 their hands and shrieo at the sight ol 1 the Royal engineers standpipes. Bu' the Royal engineers are not expected te | maintain a department of taste. Ihe | Royal engineers were ordered to 1urnisi 1 The army in Jerusalem with an adequat' 1 supply of good water. The Royai GIT l eineers not only furnished the army witr water but they brought enough water to Jerusalem to furnish the city as well And they are letting large proportion 1 of the Arrub flow run to waste beeause | there are not enough people in Jerusalem to use 1t all
 | lust now the supply is being adminis- tered by Lieut. Col G. Gray Donald, o R. E.. R. E. assistaDt administratoi (public works) of the occupied enemy territorv administration (south) of the Rr;tisb army. which is administerins Palestine until such time as the peace conference is able to designate perma' nent authority for the country. It cos the Royal engineers s300,o00 to construc' it. but when the army has left Jeru salem and civil administration mas as sumed office. it will be handed over a' a present In 400 years rule, the Iurks failed to make such present 'o W city of Jerusalemu
 ACUTE WATER PROBLEM
 Before it was built Jerusalem nat
 no water supply. Her water problem
 has always been an acute one. Tn Icitv lies on the top of a long ridge O the limestone hills of Judea ana ther' Ihas never been any consideraple Wate
 source in it's vincinity. Remains or
 number of conduits for the bringing
 of water to the city are to be found
 The most famous of these is the on' from Solomon's Pools. whichlie besid tht Hebron road about two miles below Bethlehem and seven miles below Jeru salem The mountains hereabouts, ex tending down to the Arrub spring aera have always been considered as or prl
 mary importance for the water suppl. of Jerusalem Water was conducted t'
 these pools by an underground condui finding it's source about two mile
 further south in the Wadi BiJar. Tn | nools themselves are three large baslR lying in the bottom of valley and re
 markably well preserved. The to'
 basin, which is very regular. IS 5o
 feet long. from 229 to 236 feet wide ant
 25 feet deep. The middle pool. which i less regularly formed and not so in
 as either of the other two is 423 rec in diameter. perhaps 160 feet broad ol
 the west side and 250 feet on the east
 with an average depth of Is feet Tn ] bottom pool is the best shaped and pre-
 served of the three. As in the case o the middle pool, its north and sout
 walls are verticle, but on the shor sides somewhat curved. Should tn , population of Jerusalem grow to
 point where a much larger. water sup Iply than the present one is necessary
 these pools could easily be restore
 to use again.
 The bottom pool is 5S2 feet long from 14S to 207 feet wide and from 7 1 to 25 feet deep. Under it's floor Is spring which gives rise to an Arab ie
 eend that it has been erected wit vaults. Near the top pool Is an in (which was once fort for the protec
 tion of the road to Hebron and the SC
 curity of the pools. The present build
 ing, which was put up by Sultan Eelin
 consists of a strong encircling wall, en
 closing a square courtyard and has a
 Tits angles square protecting tower!
 The Arabs call it Kalat el Burak.
 the castle of the pool.
 Another conduit from the south
 the winding canal from the Arru
 spring spring area which has been pre-
 viously spoken of. Still another IS tn
 canal hewn through the rock fror lMarv's well 10 the Siloam pool In tn