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BY W. B. ROBISON, SUPERINTENDENT, The Independence, Mo., waterworks, of which illustrations are given herewith, were constructed by P. B. Perkins of Springfield, Mo., in 1883-4. The system was pumping from the Missouri river to reservoir on the bank of the river three and one half miles from the city, thence pumping to a res ervoir uptown about 360 feet above the river; thence to a tank eighteen feet by twenty-four feet on the top of a brick tower forty-five feet high In 1893 a standpipe eighteen feet in diameter by 120 feet high was erected up town, and the wooden tank was abandoned. In 1894 the pumping station water is given three pumpings from the river to the standpipe.It goes through four settling basins. The capacity is ample for a city four times the present population and is as follows: One 4,000,000-000-gallon Holly: one 5,000,000-gallon Worthington; 750,000-gallon Hooker; and one 500,000-gallon Gordon. Uptown is one 500,000 gal lon Hooker engine. The reservoir capacity at the river is 5,000,000 gallons; up town it is 750,000 gal lons; that of the stand-pipe is 228,372 gallons. During the memorable flood of 1908 the works were operated continuously and furnished an abundant supply of water for all purposes. R. D. Wirt took charge as superintendent soon after the works were built, in January, 1885. During his administration the most of the improvements enumerated above were made. He resigned in was rebuilt at the river. In 1898 the franchise was renewed for twenty years, and in 1899 im provements and extensions were made, about nine miles of new mains being laid, with thirty-five hydrants in addition to the fifty already in use. In 1900 a 4,000,000-gallon Holly pump was installed at the river, and in 1901 the reservoir system was remodeled, two new basins being added to the old one, and a system of settling and aeration devised, by which the water was pumped into No. 3 basin, in the upper end of which a boiler iron tank was placed surrounding the inlet pipe.This tank is sixteen feet in diameter and six feet high. It stands on supports six feet from the bottom of the reservoir, and is open at the bottom and top so that the water as it enters flows over the mouth of the inlet pipe, and the mud slowly settles to the bottom of the reservoir. From No. 3 the water flows into No. 2 basin over a weir twenty-five feet wide, with a series of eighteen steps which aerates the water. From No. 2 it flows over a weir, with a series of steps similar to that from No.3 to No. 2, still further March 1902, and was succeeded by G. C. Danforth, and during his administration the large force main fourteen inches in diameter was laid from the top of the bluff above the river station to the uptown station and connected with the reservoir and stand-pipe so that fire pressure could be given from the river if necessary. ‘The 5,000,000-gallon Worthington pump was also installed by him at the river station. Mr. Danforth resigned on March 1, 1903, and was succeeded by Will T. Owen. During his administration another settling ring was added at the river; some few extensions were made, and the system was very largely changed from the flat rate to the meter. Mr. Owen resign ed on March 2, 1904, to accept the management of the Greenville, Tex. water plant, and was succeed ed by the present superintendent, W. B. Robison, who has been with the company in various capaci ties, with the exception of about four years, since the works were built. The following are the sta tistics of the works: Name of place, Indepen dence, Mo.; population, 10,000; source of supply, Missouri river; system, standpipe pressure; aggre half-inch to three-quarter-inch galvanised iron); average normal pressure, seventy pounds; average fire pressure, 120 pounds; daily consumption, 500,000 gallons; per capita consumption, fifty gal lons; cost of works, about $200,000; bonds outstand- There will be no Fourth of July celebration for Independence. The business houses will be closed at noon, some of them all day. The post office will close early and not re-open during the day and the banks will remain closed from Saturday after noon until Tuesday morning, aerating it. When it reaches No. 1, or clear water basin, it is free from the greater part of the silt and other impurities. From No. 1, the water is pumped uptown to the reservoir, and from there to the standpipe, and distributed through the mains and services to consumers. No alumn or other means than the above system is used. The gate daily capacity of pumps at river, 10,225,000 uptown 500,000 gallons; reservoir capacity at river 5,000,000 gallons; uptown 750,000 gallons; stand pipe capacity, 228,372 gallons; mains, twenty miles of fourteen-inch to two-inch; hydrants, eighty seven (fifty Chapman, thirty-seven Corey); values, ninety meters 450; services, 1,000 (one and one- A large number from Kansas City expect to leave on a Special train Monday night to attend the National Democratic convention at St. Louis. The excursion is under the direction of the Jackson County Democratic Club and all who wish to join it may do so by making proper application, PARTIAL VIEW OF RESERVOIR SYSTEM AT RIVER AND PUMPING STATION, INDEPENDENCE, MO, THE OLD TOWER AND NEW STANDPIPE, INDEPENDENCE, MO, ing. $147,000; annual expenses about $10,350; owned by Independence Waterworks company, superin tendent, W. B. Robison.—Fire and Water, VIEW OF RESERVOIRS AT RIVER WITH PART OF PUMP HOUSE, INDEPENDENCE. MO,
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Independence Examiner
Independence, Missouri, US
Wed, Mar 13, 1974
Page 5
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Aimee J.
USA 10 Jul 2026
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Independence Examiner
