South Bend news-times., 1922-09-18
BLOOMINGTON now
FACES SHORTAGE IN
WATER, NEED RAIN
Reservoirs Fed by Springs Not
Enough for Demand
May Ration Water.

BLOONISGTo%. Ind. sept IL
Unless rain falls within few aya.
u o. more tnau likely 5he municipal
water work plant of this city viii
close and 0peletc uu a hree-day-a-
week basis The reservoirs south
west % thr city are very low due
@ light rainfall u tn4s section since
last MAY Fa-toi4ca ana stone
Quarries were shut or from rsn.
The local supply las week
the reservoir OF the city are fed
b. Two large clearwater springs
but the flow from shese IS not SUI
nclent 90 furnish water f0r AN pUt-
poses in dry seasons with tue pres
en- impounding capacity. Since -ns
construction o. me present water
Estem the ci:y mas grown o. a-oout
j. 600 popuia ION. and tho cCasump-
don OF water has been so great that
coupled with an unusually dry sea-
BCn. the lakes have been Drained
TIE upper and lower lakes gave out
several weeks ago. and since then
the cilys supply has come from
what is known as the Leonard dam.
Purpose New Dam.
With the coming Of "A new city
EdministraiOn. proposition wa5
started 90 construct an additional
dam below the present ore which
Mayor John q Harris ant some
members Of the city council thought
would impound enough water &c
supply the city several years. Some
OF the members Of the council OBJ
tected TO spending more money at
the present site. but submitted a
proposition OF E0ine TO GrIffy creek,
four miles north. 20 construct new
dam The Chamber OF Commerce
went Of record az favOrins the Grlf-
= creek proposition.
Mayor Harris sought 20 get per
mission of the state tax board for d
bond issue Of 100000 with which %
enlarge the present dam, and a puU
Il hearing wEs held recently At the
courti house here. The tax board
made a decision hOldins that the
pror ositior of the mayor could not
b. financed for the amount asked
The board also objected TO the city
paying $4,000 for the additional
Il nd needed. claiming that the lard
VS. not worth more than s. OUO.
The mayor and city attorney, j T..
Henley. were before the board again
Thursday and arr now planning to
make a second request for permIs-
Aon TO issue bonds This time .
much larger amount will be asked.
Geological Formation Factor.
The Chamber Of Commerce is con-
tending that two or three hydraulic
engineers have said that the gcolC-
gical formation or The land at thu
present site is such that IL is impos-
sble TO construct a dam that Will
hold water, while at Gliffy creek
tie formation il different Advo-
oftes of the Gritty creek proposition
Ars,ue tina. the reservoir built oy
Indiana university several years ago
only a short distance from ,he pro-
posed new city site has never leak
ed water. ana that the university
has never been without it, own sup
ply
There are others who desire the
civ % go - white river al GOspUrt
IT, miles north of here. and sink
wells Petitions are now on file a.
different downtown stores for pas-
ties who favor the Whits river pro
position 20 sign 1t is contendtd.
however. that it would require the
expenditure of $4,000 TO finance
the Gosport project.
Mayor Harris has issued the fol-
lowing statement,
I'VE propose TO meet the Objec
t4ns Of the safe tax board &c our
request for a bond issue and proceed
e secure at once for citizens Of
Bloomington an adequate water sup
ply for many years. / commenced
to blaze the way for a larger water
supply the first month Of my ad
hnlnistration and met with obstruc-
zion at every move. I warned and
warned and put out the danger sig
IA early In the game. and ali the
while my ohiectcrs flddled wnIle
Rome burned"
Need Rain Soon.
Asked as TO the real condition ct
u citys water supply, tho mayer
- d:
Unless we have rains. heavy
rains. in the next few days we are
h4ce 20 face with inconvenience. loss
o. business. damage 20 health and
property Il is now up 10 the citi-
sens OF Bloomington 20 jOiE hands
with the mayor and coUncilmen. VINO
have made the hEht for the best in
terests OF Bloomington. and get busy
Tor the future II IS unfortunate.
but we can not prevent the disaster
now staring rs in the face Rain
alone car d1 ;hlt But we can pre-
~. avI ra.. never hAuur N