- - - -
INDUSTRIES - - -
- SHELBY
WATER CO.
March 11, 1898
-
- The
Shelby Water Works Company represents an enterprise that originated
- with
Mr. J.C. Fish who, about three years ago, in conjunction with
- Mr.
M. H. Davis, began to take steps to furnish Shelby with a first-class
- water
works system. The company was incorporated February 10th, 1896,
- under
the laws of Ohio, with a capital of $80,000. The following officers
- were
appointed.
-
- M.H.
Davis, president; G.M. Skiles, vice-president; J.C. Fish, superintendent;
- J.W.
Williams, secretary and D.V. Wherry, treasurer; the other stockholders
- being
W.W. Skiles, B.J. Williams and W.E. Miller.
-
- A
year was spent in developing the water supply; 20 wells sunk,
some to a
- depth
of 400 feet, without results. Finally, the Wagner Water Supply
Company,
- of
Dayton, succeeded in getting an underground reservoir at the
present location
- of
the plant. Here 12 wells were sunk to a depth of 67 feet, the
last 30 feet of
- which
is a bed of coarse gravel – the best known filter for water.
Supply is
- apparently
inexhaustible. Machinery used consists of two compound duplex
- pumps,
furnished by the John H. McGowan Co., of Cincinnati, of two million
- gallons
daily capacity each, and a battery of two boilers of 60 horse
power each.
- Each
of these pumps has a capacity to meet the requirements of a city
three
- times
the size of Shelby.
-
- Direct
pressure may be applied by these pumps to the mains in case of
fire,
- up
to 150 lbs to the square inch, as was shown at the test made
when the
- plant
was accepted by the village in 1897.
-
-
-
- Post
card ca. 1907
- Shelby
Water Works & Stand Pipe
-
-
- The
standpipe is 140 feet high by 10 feet in diameter, is always
full
- of
water, maintaining a constant pressure on the mains of from 50
to 60 pounds
- to
the square inch. It was demonstrated at the test that this was
sufficient to
- throw
six streams simultaneously a distance of 200 feet. The standpipe
is of
- steel,
quadruple riveted at the base, weighing nearly 100 tons, with
a foundation
- of
solid masonry 350 tons in weight. No town in Ohio Shelby’s
size has such
- perfect
water works, which would supply a city of 50,000 people with
water.
-
- There
are nearly 12 miles of mains, from 14 to four inches in size;
104 fire
- hydrants,
affording ample fire protection to all sections.
-
- The
contract enables the village to buy the plant outright within
20 years.
- Improvements
will be made in the plant as the village grows.
-
- The
company has 300 subscribers, and they will probably number 600
- before
the end of present year.
-
- Analysis
of the water shows it to be absolutely free of any organic matter,
- thus
proving it to be far superior for drinking purposes to ordinary
well water.
-
- For
steam purposes it is far superior to river water, since it contains
but a small
- percentage
of scale producing elements.
-
- The
rate as to consumers are much less than in much larger cities,
so that it
- is
possible for them to have the purest water at a cost less than
well water.
-
- It
is to be hoped that the owners of business blocks as well as
citizens generally
- will
avail themselves of the privileges of the abundant water supply
Shelby now
- possesses,
to the end that we may have our sidewalks and streets kept clean
and
- free
from dust.
-
- Cheap
water, beautiful lawns and cleanly thoroughfares are possibilities
- enjoyed
by few cities the size of Shelby. With an installation of a complete
- sewer
system, the full benefit of our water works system will be more
- thoroughly
appreciated.
Article
contributed by Ruby Bonecutter
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