Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-04-06
Jerusalem's New Water Works.


Palestine as result of their occupa-
ton of the country is the giving 70
Jerusalem OF an ample water supply.
writes n. ]. Shepstone in the Scientific
American. Before their coming the
Holy City was virtually dependent up
on the rainfall for its water, collect
cd and stored in cisterns. Many of
these latter were situated under the
houses or at the back of the premises.
and generally hidden from view.
Water gathered during the rains on
fiat roofs was conducted TO them By
pipes, and there stored until wanted
Many of these cisterns were found to
be in sad state of repair, and, what
was worse, were the breeding places
of many germ-carrying insects. The
military authorities had them all clean
ed out and repaired. Some of them
had not been cleaned for a hundred
years or more.
But these rainwater cis.erns were
not sufficient to supply the city's
needs. Ever since she has been I'M
der Turkish rule Jerusalem has suf
fered from the lack of a good water
supply. Except for one small spring,
the Virgins Fount, so namei because
1t is believed the Mother of Christ
drew water from it, Jerusalem can
not boast Of a single fountain. II is
situated outside tire city in the Kedron
valley. True, a year or two before
the war the Turks built a four-inch
pipe from the old Pools of Solomon,
to the south of Bethlehem, to the
Temple area, but the supply was lin
tied and for the most part reserved for
the mosque. Even in Solomon's DAYS
the want OF water was felt, and he
obtained his supplies from three res
ervoirs built in a valley lust below
Bethlehem. From these water was
brought to the city by an aqueduct.
1t was early in February, less than
three months after the capture of
Jerusalem, that the British began to
grapple with this serious question
They went first to the Virgins Fount
and made an exhaustive study of this
historic and interesting spring. AS a
result, they discovered that it was not
an ordinary intermittent spring, but
rather fountain of the character Of
geyser, for the flow occurs three
to eight times day, the output vary-
ing from 1000 to 1900 gallons each
time. 1t was from this very spring
that Hezekiah, over 1900 years ago,
conveyed water by means of a tunnel
to the Pool of Sloan. Pipes were
laid from the spring, and water was
pumped up to tanks in the Valley of
JehoShaphat, near the northeastern cor
ner of the city wall.
Although this greatly improved mat
tiers, the supply was still found to be
insufficient to meet the ever growing
demands Of the city. An examination
was now made of the Pools of Solomon
to the south of Bethlehem. In the end
however, it was decided to repair and
use the old reservoir, now known as
birkett Arroub, lying few miles TO the
south of Solomon Pools. 1t was built
by Pontius PLATE and it was from here
that he brought water to the CITY in
the days of Christ.
Pilates old reservoir was ENLARGED
and repaired, its capacity TODAY being
o,ooo,OOO gallons. Galleries were built
IN various directions to tap the numer-
Gus surrounding springs, including
those of Ain ed Driven, in which. il
is said, Philip baptized the eunucb. A
powerful pumping plant was installed
oy which the water is pumped I'D to
large reservoirs built on higher ground
on the Hebron road, the water flowino
from here by its own gravity in q one.
root iron pipe to twin pools on the hill
west OF the city, from whence il 10
conducted to various stand-pipes in and
around Jerusalem.
filate's aqueduct, ruins of which
dot the landscape today, stretched for
distance OF forty miles, though as
the crow flies the Holy City lies but
thirteen miles away. The British nine
line' however, is but fifteen miles in
total length. AS a result OF this en-.
terprise the death rate in the CITY has
dropped by one-half-The Crane Co.'s