RALEIGH WATER SUPPLY
AND HOW CONSTRUCTED
RALEIGH’S R ENA ISSA NCE
IN PAST QUADRENNIUM
(Continued From Page One.)
Also a Brief History of How This City Has Been Sup
plied in the Past. Description of
Present Plant
(By FRED A. OLDS)
The system supplying water in all
built-up parts of the city, and also
to suburban property, ^oy^a^
operated by the city. The o"® 1 ^
works were built in 1867 by the
Raleigh Water Company, were sold
in 1901 to the Wake Water Com
pany, and sold by the latter to the
city in 1913.
The Supply.
The water is taken from Walnut
creek and flows by gravity from the
intake basin through a long line or
pipe to a suction well at the pump
ing station; thence is pumped by
low-duty pumps to tne chemical
house, where ft is treated. It flows
by gravity from the ■ chemical house,
to the settling basin, and from
latter through Alters to the clear
water reservoir from which it is
again pumped by high-duty pumps
direct to the distribution system, to
which is connected a water towel
acting as an equalizer. Pressure can
be raised as called for on an alarm
of fire The low-llft pumps can dis
charge the treated water either
through the filter plant or direct to
the clear water reservolr. The high-
lift pumps, through Independent
cross connected suctions, can take
water either from the clear water
reservoir or the clear water well
the filter-house.
The Watershed.
Walnut creek has a drainage area
above the intake of 13.87 square
miles and extends to Gary about
eight miles west of RALEIGH. On
the north the watershed is approx
imately bounded by the Hillsboro
road and by the tracks of the South
ern and Seaboard Air Line Rail
ways. On the south the approxi
mate boundary is the old Tryon road
and the Rhamkatte road. The soil
of the watershed is generally of a
sandy clay character which is quite
pervious and well adapted to con
serve the rainfall. A large percent
age of the watershed is in large tim
ber and other wooded areas. The
remainder is in cultivation and
abandoned oil fields, and the gen
eral sanitary conditions are excep
tionally good. An inspector is reg
ularly employed to police the water
shed.
The Impounding Reservoir.
Is on the grounds of the State
’ hospital, at the site of the old Hun
ter dam, about 2 1-2 miles from the
center of RALEIGH. The dam is of
concrete. The water area is 77 acres
and the approximate capacity 200,-
000,000 gallons.
The Intake
is about 2,000 feet downstream from
the impounding reservoir. A tim
ber sill is bolted to a rock ledge, to
form a basin in which is a screened
intake; this intake is connected by
10,000 feet of 18-inch pipe to a suc
tion’ chamber, close to the pump
room at the pump house, from which
the low-lift pumps take suction. This
line has a' capacity from its pres
ent head of approximately 3,000,-
000 gallons a day.
tower; also a repair shop and store
house, two-story brick, in rear.
The Distribution System.
Two force mains, 16 and 14-inch
extend from the pumping station to
the city^ and continue as 14 and 12-
inch feeders north through the prin
cipal mercantile district, while 12
and 10-inch feeders extend through
the central portion of the city to
Jones street and North street re
spectively.
The minor distributors are 8, 6
and 4-ineh. The following.is a fa-
ble which shows the
valves in service:
Diameter—
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
inch ,
inch .
inch .
inch .
inch .
inch .
inch .
Pipe in
Mlles.
, 1.15
, .84
, 1.56
, .43
mains and
No. Gate
Valves.
5
5
8
2
26
202
7 4
a back country with soil that has
been blessed with the ability to give
growth to other products than cot
ton.
Increased Hotel Facilities
Hotel facilities have been increased
several hundred per cent within the
past quadrennium, the consummation
of which THE TIMES celebrates to
day. Wright’s has been practically
doubled in capacity; the Bland has
been completed and opened for busi
ness and added to, while the Yarbor
ough has been re-opened and en
larged, after $100,000 was spent in
making it new. With the increase of
hotel facilities in the past four years,
the number of people visiting this
city has increased. RALEIGH has
now reached the point where It is
visited by close on to 50,000 people
every year, exclusive of Fair Week,
legislative sessions and other events
and periods of State-wide interest.
With the enlarging of the hotel ac
commodations here, the traveling
erected large new homer stalling a
total expenditure of ’'^dreds of
thousands of dollars. -^is money
has been invested right in the busi
ness section of RALEIGH, and in all
these buildings there are offices by
the score. This has called to RA
LEIGH the agencies for many firms
that would not have been secured
otherwise. All these buildings, erect
ed in the past four years, would do
credit to any city of 100,000 people
and upward. The Citizens National
Bank building is twelve stories high,
the Commercial National Bank build-
ing eleven stories high, and the Ra
leigh Banking and Trust building is
three stories high. All are built of
the best materail and equipped with
the most modern conveniences,
both
the banking and office facilities.
Public Improvements
State, county and nation, within
the past four years have invested
nearly $1,000,000 here in new and
improved buildings. The State ad-
large shop force here with an annual
Say-roll of nearly a auarter of a mil-
on dollars. All the railroads have
increased their freight facilities to
meet the growth of the city.
The city itself has taken on new
life. It was just a little more than
four years ago that the magnificent
new city hall and auditorium were
formally opened. Since that time
RALEIGH, keeping pace with other
up-to-date cities, has chosen the com
mission form of government and un
der that form a half-million dollar
water supply system has been built
and many miles of the most modern
streets have been- laid. New and en
tirely modern fire equipment has
been secured. Today RALEIGH has
the best fire equipment in North Car
olina arid among the best In the en
tire United States.
New District Opened
Truly, the growth of the city dur
ing the transition period of the past
four years has been phenomenal. In
addition to the business facilities,
new residences have gone up all over
this section. Waste places have been
built up into beatuiful suburbs, like
those adjacent to the large cities.
New parks have been established;
new picture shows have been opened;
new life has been injected, into the
amusement spirit and visitors now,
four years, many Improvements
among the Institutions of higher
learning—A. and M. College, Mere
dith College, St. Mary’s and Peace
Institute; also among the colored in
stitutions located here, which are do
ing a good work for the members of
the colored race, industrially and so
cially. As to the public schools, they
have been lacking, but in the past
few weeks there has sprung up a sen
timent that will likete find a fine ex
pression in the election for $100,000
worth of bonds to be held on the
14th of this month. With this money,
new schools will be built and old
ones will be modernized.
Expansion a Feature
Expansion has been a feature of
RALEIGH’S growth during the past
four years. It is a notable fact that
the built-up area of this city is much
larger than it was four years ago.
That fact alone is evidence of an in
creased population. In these newly-
built-up sections the residences are
of an Up-to-date style, equipped with
modern conveniences, well-kept and
attractive in every way.
The city and suburbs reach now
for a. distance of about three and a
quarter miles from east to west and
two and a half miles from-north to
south. All new suburbs are reached
by good streets and quick street-car
Capitol to a point beyond Davie
street, on Fayetteville street; from
the Capitol to Davie street, on Wil
mington street; from McDowell street
to a point beyond Blount on Martin;
from Salisbury street to Blount on
Hargett; from Salisbury street to
Blount on Morgan, and from the Cap
itol to Davie street on Salisbury,
making in all, about 20 blocks which
are filled with business houses of
every description, from modest retail
stores to large department stores and
wholesale houses.
THE TIMES’ Policy
THE TIMES is proud of the fact
that the RALEIGH of today is al
most an entirely different city from
the RALEIGH of four years ago.
While there exists here that same
home-loving, hospitable spirit which
has always characterized the city,
there is coupled 'with that a new
spirit of enterprise, which makes a
fine combination—one pleasing to
the home-folks and attractive to
those who visit here and who come
here to locate.
More people have
E. B. NELSON
Chief Linotype
C. F. PILLEY
Linotype Operator
JAMES L. PARHAM
Linotype Operator
SAM BOGASSE
Foreman of Composing Room
23.25
4.82
Total ....37.16 322
In addition to the above there are
13 miles of domestic service pipe
lines, ranging in size from 1 to 2
inches in diameter.
The above table gives the number
of gate valves in the distribution sys
tem. All are direct acting and set
with the usual iron extension box.
Hydrants.
There are 255 public hydrants in
service, exclusive of 37 private hy
drants around schools, public institu
tions and manufacturing plants. All
are of the post type, Mathews & Co
lumbian pattern, having two 2 1-2-
inch hose outlets, and of them 133
have 6-inch and 122 4-inch branch
connections to the mains. All hy
drants have automatic drip valves
and are set in pockets of loose stone.
Meters and Service Connections.
The number of services on flat
rates is 2,712 and on meters 1,114,
giving a total of 3,826. All large
services are metered.
The Consumption of Water.
The average daily consumption
for the year was 1,766,610 gallons.
Pressures.
A recording gauge is installed in
the office at the water tower, and
day and night pressures are uni
formly maintained at between forty
and fifty pounds to the square inch.
There is also a recording gauge at
the pumping station, where the aver
age pressure during domestic draft
is 105 pounds to the squaro inch.
These pressures can be materially
increased during fires.
Quality and Treatment of Water.
The water has an unusual degree
of natural purity, and its general
qualities are such as to render puri
fication treatment easy. . The only
chemical generally used in the pro
cess of coagulation is aluminum sul
phate or "filter alum." The aver
age dose is one grain to the gallon.
On rare occasions, after heavy rains,
a small quantity of soda ash is used
to supply the deficiency in alkalinity
in the raw water. All chemion 1
located here in the past four years
than in any previous period of twice
that duration. In all movements for
the upbuilding of RALEIGH, THE
TIMES has rejoiced, as it will con
tinue to rejoice in the future. It
has conscientiously striven to lend
a hand to all movements for the bet
terment of the city and for its ad
vancement along material lines.
The Chamber of Commerce, the
Merchants’ Association, the Rotary
Club, and other live-wire institutions
have been rejuvenated and organized
in the past four years and today
there is, as a result of the past four
years’ efforts, more of a spirit of co-
operation than ever before. The
spirit of community service has ce
mented the citizens together; money
has been turned loose by enterpris
ing and optimistic busines men and
RALEIGH is on a better basis today
than it has ever been.
The RALEIGH of today is a new
RALEIGH. During the past four
years the progress has been greater
than in any previous period of equal
duration.
Weekly Page of School
News To Be Re-
surned
is built on me grounds at the pump
ing station, its construction being of
concrete. 144 feet by 44 feet over all
and 11 feet down. The basin is di
vided into two sections by a middle
partition wall. Each section has
three baffle walls. One-half or the
entire basin can be used at will. The
walls of the basin are backed up by
earth embankments, terraced and
turfed.
The Filter House
is located 125 feet northwest of the
pumping station and is a one-story
brick building, 66 by 50 feet, with
metal covered roof, on wooden
sheathing and trusses, with concrete
floors. The plant consists of six
reinforced concrete filter units.
Each has a filtering area of 180
square feet, with inside dimensions
of 15 by 12 feet and a capacity of
350 gallons a minute. Each is
equipped with wash-troughs, water
and air manifold systems, brass
strainers and all necessary piping
valves. An electrically driven cen
trifugal pump and blower are con
nected for washing filters. The
chemical house at the south end of
the filter house is a three-story brick
with metal roof. The first floor is
for chemical storage; the second the
laboratory and the third the mixing
and treating room. The combined
capacity of plant Is 3,000,000 gal
lons In twenty-four hours.
The Clear Water Reservoir
is located south of the filter house,
Alters. The filtered water shows no
trace of chemicals. Chemical tests
for the determination of alkalinity
and the proper dosage of 'chemicals
are made dally. Bacterial tests are
made, as prescribed by law, by the
State Laboratory of Hygiene. The
city has now an abundant supply
clear and pure water.
of
CIRCULATION MGR
On September 15, Mr. C. J. Steed
of Charlotte will join THE TIMES
staff as general manager of the sub
scription department.
Mr. Steel has been with the Char
lotte Observer for a number of years
and is a man of wide newspaper ex
perience. He has worked at every
position in the subscription end of a
newspaper, having started at the
bottom as a carrier boy.
Mr. Steel will come to RALEIGH
and take up his duties next week.
His wife and three children will
move to this city the first of Octo
ber.
The Charlotte Observer of Monday
has the following item about Mr.
Steed:
S. L. BOGASSE
Advertising Compositor
LUTHER A. WILSON
The Good Little Devil
WILL A. WOODS
Linotype Operator
J. G. SMITH
Advertising Compositor
is elliptical in plan, about 14 feet in
depth, lined with masonry and holds
approximately 2,000,000 gallons.
The Pumping Station
is located on the north bank of Wal
nut creek, on the Fayetteville road,
about 1 1-4 miles, south of RA
LEIGH, and is a one-story brick
building with 12-inch walls. A 12-
inoh wall extending through the
roof divides the building into a boil
er room, 35 by 40 feet, and pump
room, 66 by 40 feet, slate-covered
roof on wooden sheathing, support
ed by purlins and trusses, is over the
pump room, a metal roof with steel
trusses over the boiler room. There
is a brick stack outside the building;
two metal stacks extending through
roof.
"Mr. C. J. Steed, who for the past
three years has been connected with
men are boosting the city all over the
country. The best things are said
about RALEIGH. This isn’t just an
idle statement, trumped up inside the
newspaper office to boost the town.
Ask the traveling man. More travel
ing men are "making" RALEIGH to
day than ever before; and, in this
connection, it might be stated that
when a lot of traveling men make
it a point to "make "a city, they
term it, they are helping to literally
■‘make" it a bigger, busier city. Such
is the case with RALEIGH. Within
the past, four years RALEIGH has
steadily .become the traveling man’s
mecca.
New Banking Houses
Another big feature of the past
four years is the way the banking
houses have shown their faith in RA
LEIGH by erecting new buildings.
Within the past four years, the Com
mercial National Bank, the Citizens
National Bank and the Raleigh Bank
ing and Trust Company have all
ministration building, one of the fin
est in the United States, has been
completed, a new court-house has
been erected—one that would do
credit to any city—has been com
pleted, and the government has dou
bled the capacity of its already splen
did building. All this occurred dur
ing the past four years, during the
renaissance period.
Better Market Facilities
The market facilities are today
better than ever before. During the
past four years the city has erected
a market house building that is
splendidly equipped and proportion
ed, abandoning the old antequated
hull dating back to reconstruction
times. The improvement in market
facilities has drawn people to RA
LEIGH.
Railroad Improvements
During the past four years the
railroads have improved their prop
erties here, especially the Norfolk
Southern which now maintains a
instead of having to spend their eve
nings at their hotels, can go out and
get the same class of amusement they
are privileged to enjoy in the largest
cities. The streets are crowded each
evening with after-dinner pleasure-
seekers.
Public Service Improvements
During the past four years all the
public service corporations have
made marked improvements here,
notably the street-car company. It
has inaugurated schedi les that are
far superior to those formerly in op
eration, and since the taking over by
the Carolina Power & Light Company
of the gas company, over $100,000
has been invested in a modern gas
plant for the Capital City. This was
completed just a short while ago.
During the past four years, much
additional power has become avail
able for RALEIGH, making it an im
portant electrical center.
School Improvements
There have been, during the past
service. All of this was accomplish
ed in the past four years.
The Churches
The churches have kept pace with
the other improvements. During the
past four years, Christ church has
erected a large and commodius par
ish house that is probably unequaled
in the entire State. The Edenton
Street Methodist Sunday school has
built a structure adapted to the needs
of the modern requirements, and
the Church of the Sacred Heart has
started work on a rectory of solid
granite, while the magnificent new
edifice of the Church of the Good
Shepherd, which was in course of
construction for many years, has been
completed. Other churches hav
made many minor improvements
which greatly added to their effect
iveness.
Larger Business District
Another thing worth consideration
is the expansion of the business dis
trict, which now extends from the
The page of RALEIGH school news,
which appeared in THE TIMES every
Saturday during last season, was one
of the most interesting features of
the paper to many readers and was
eagerly looked forward to by the chil
dren, the parents and the teachers
especially. The news of interest in
each school was thoroughly reported
by a company of live school editors,
each school having an editor-in-chief
and several assistants. THE TIMES
was fortunate in securing such able
reporters and many showed real
newspaper ability. This feature may
be the making of some future journ-
The editors found that it was not
all work but that there were real
good times attached to the office and
they enjoyed a number of courtesies
at the hands of THE TIMES.
With the re-opening of the schools
ature wij bb resumed.
will be it re-e^vcivi^of editors at 1 *
each school.
The following were the editors of
the school page at the close of school
last May:
High School: Editor-in-chief, Al
derman Merrit, assistant editor-in-
chief, Edith Russell; associates, Will
X. Coley, Lee Denson, Agnes Scott,
William Krafts, Elizabeth Kitchin,
Ludye Rogers, Macon Belvin.
Wiley School: Mabel Merritt, ed-
itor-inchief; Charles Heartt, first
assistant; Helen Dughi, Gladys Mor
gan, and Mary O’Kelley, associate
editors.
Murphey School: Editor-in-chief,
Ellen Seawell; associates, Laura
Russel, and Ethel Marshall.
Centennial School: Mary Eliza
beth Alford, editor-in-chief; Owie
Morris, Margaret Tucker, Franklyn
Owens, associate editors.
Pilot Mills School: Editor-in-chief,
Kathleen Bell. .
Caraleigh School—Editor-in-chief,
Elsie Morgan. . , „
Brooklyn School: Editor-in-chief,
Martha King.
Thompson School: Editor-in-chief,
Marie Richardson; associates: John
Robert Sams and Rachael Walford.
The Equipment.
There are three high-duty pumps:
a McGowan horizontal, compound,
condensing, duplex pumping engine,
size 20 and 32 by 15 by 24, rated
capacity 8,000,000 gallons in 24
hours; a Worthington horizontal
compound, condensing, duplex pump
ing engine, size 16 and 29 by 15 by
18; rated capacity 2,500,000 gal
lons in 24 hours; a Prescott hori
zontal cross-compound, condensing
Corliss pumping engine, size 15-30
by 9 1-4 by 80; rated capacity 2,500,-
000 gallons in 24 hours.
Of low duty pumps there are two:
a McGowan 'horizontal, compound,
duplex pump for filters, size 8 and
13 by 14 by 18, rated capacity 2.-
280,000 gallons in 24 hours; an 8-
Inch Alberger horizontal centrifugal
pump, electrically driven, for filters,
rated capacity 1,728,000 gallons in
24 hours.
The Boilers
are two Walsh & Weidner horizon
tal marine fire tube, rated horse
power each 125; a Casey-Hedges
horizontal marine fire tube, rated
horsepower 150.
The Water Tower
is located at 115 West Morgan
street. There is & steel tank thirty
feet high and 24 feet ip diameter,
Supported on ap octagonal brick and
stpne tower, 85 feet high; capacity
160,000 gallons. A 12-lnch connec
tion with the street main is provided
with a hydraulically operated valve,
which is closed when fire pressures
are called for,
There is a two-story brick, metal-
roof office building adjoining the
C. J. STEED
Circulation Manager
The Observer Company in the capac
ity first as circulation manager of
The Evening Chronicle and later do
ing special circulation work for The
Observer, has accepted the position
of circulation manager of THE RAL
EIGH TIMES and will leave Friday
of this week for the state capital to
assume his new duties. Mr. Steed
came to Charlotte from Macon, Ga.,
where he was formerly located. He
was an expert circulation man, hav
ing had experience on a number of
leading Georgia papers. His success
with The Observer was marked as
the circulation books of the company
will show. Mr. Steed goes to RAL
EIGH with fine prospects of success,
and carries with him the best wishes
of the entire staff. He will assume
actively the duties of his new posi
tion September 15."
—The 8:50 Southern train this
morning was crowded with students
going to the University. An extra
coach was put on to accommodate
the crowd.
S
S
W
To the Insuring Public
E wish to call your attention to the fact that we are prepared to handle
all lines of Insurance, Fire, Life, Health and -Accident,
Liability, Plate Glass, Burglary, Automobile, Tor
nado, Tourist Baggage, Use and Occupancy, and all other
kinds of insurance. Our agency is composed of the Strongest and Best Com
panies. We invite you to consult us on any matters pertaining to insurance.
Citizens Insurance Agency, Inc.
Insurance Department
Raleigh Savings Bank and Trust Company
G. H. ANDREWS F. K. ELLINGTON L. G. RICHARDSON
President , Vice-President Secretary & Treasurer
^ Office in Raleigh Savings Bank & Trust Company
nlllllllllilllilllllllilliniHHii^
s
Si
1
W;;iiitii!iiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiii mi Uiiuuwiuuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin