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ANNUAL REPORT OF A. W. SCOBLE, SUPERINTENDENT, AND H. C. CALHOUN, SECRETARY, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 21, 1898.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS, April 1, 1898. Honorable Mayor and City Council: GENTLEMEN — I herewith submit a statement of the operations of the Fort Worth City Waterworks for the fiscal year ending March 21, 1898.
The financial statement of the Secretary shows the net earnings for the year, including interest on the old and new bonds, to be $11,264.56, an increase over the net earnings for the previous year of $3,008.02.
The principle cause of the said increase in the net earnings is the filling up of vacant houses, and the more liberal use of city water for all purposes. With the use of a filter consumers find the city water much healthier than artesian water, being not so severe on the kidneys.
The net earnings would have been much heavier if it had not been for the scarcity of water, necessitating the running of the old water plant for over three months during the most vital part of the year, causing a greater outlay in the operating expenses, in the effort to get water, and the extra outlay for labor and fuel at the old plant, also repairing the old pumps, putting in new valve plates, etc., and constructing a new smoke stack, the old one having been carried away during a wind storm. Also rebuilding the temporary dam at the old plant,
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all this extra expense caused by not having water storage enough to carry us through a drought.
Notwithstanding this extra expense and increase of consumers, largely increasing the pumpage of water, it is very gratifying to note that th eoperating expenses for the year are $93 74 less than the previous year.
The past year has been an eventful one to this department. On the 28th day of March, 1897, the Clear Fork overflowed her banks, cutting around the west end of dam No. 2, necessitating the building of an extension to said dam eighty feet long at an expense of about $2500.00, also cutting the banks into the abutments of dams Nos. 1, 3 and 4, all of which came very nearly being carried away.
The principle cause of which was the abutments not having been built high enough, which allowed the water to pour over the top, cutting away the bank below the abutment and carrying away the rip rap, melting the earth from around the abutments and gradually cutting a channel.
To prevent, if possible, a recurrence of the same, I have caused the abutments to be built above high-water mark and leveed off all around the said abutments to throw the water back into the fields, and hope that this will protect them against any future rise, but there is no telling what a raging torrent will do.
Last summer the department had a great deal to contend with in repairing the dams, and protecting them while under repairs for fear of another rise, they being so far apart it was difficult to get material to them, the river being swoolen so badly, and the roads boggy, but I am pleased to say that we finished the work in good shape without any mishap. Of course we were out of the use of dam No. 2, which cut down our water supply considerable, adding to our troubles and tribulations, and no rainfall sufficient to put any water into the river from June 4th to September 14th, and then only one inch, not enough to do much good, and it was the 19th of January, 1898, before all the dams were full, making a shortage of water for over six months. During that period we were at considerable extra expense in keeping water up in the city. My object in giving your honorable body this little bit of history of the past year is to show
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the necessity of doing something towards building a storage basin, as recommended in my report to your honorable body under date of October 19, 1897.
I understand it is the opinion of our learned and valued city attorney, W. D. Williams, that no more bonds can be issued on our present values; if such is the case then the sooner the charter is amended so that the Waterworks can issue at least $150,000.00 more bonds for the construction of a storage reservoir the better it will be for this city. The interest on $150,000.00 five per cent. bonds would be $7,500.00 per year, which the Waterworks could carry without any extra burden on the tax payers, and we would save at least half the interest in the operating expenses and largely increase the revenue, giving the consumers better service and increase the safety of the city.
I cannot help but linger on this subject of water supply. Holding a political position, as I do, the tenure of office uncertain, the storage basin may never benefit me officially, by lessening my troubles and vexations in keeping a supply of water, and my anxiety for the safety of the city from the fire fiend, but as a citizen and a taxpayer, and one who has the interest of the city's safety and progress at heart, I plead with your honorable body to take this matter into consideration. Do not delay. for delays are dangerous in connection with this matter.
When the Hurley building burned the pumping engines at the Waterworks were pumping 5,000 gallons of water each minute, 300,000 gallons per hour, during four hours. One million two hundred thousand gallons of water was used on the fire. Fortunately we had plenty of water. Suppose we had no water in dam No. 1 to have supplied that amount of water in that time of four hours? Where would the city have been with that strong south wind blowing? Everything north of Seventh street would have been in ruins, jeopardizing our beautiful court house. Then the people's curses would have been deep and loud; then they would wake to realize that something must be done, charter or no charter, and "lock the door after the horse was gone." God forbid that anything like that should occur, but it is liable to do so, for it is only by cutting
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off sprinkling and reducing the service that I have been able to hold enough water in dam No. 1 for fire protection, for the little dabbing stream of water I manage to bring down the West Fork during a drought would never supply water to the pumps for such a fire as the Hurley building.
Of course I shall do the best I can with what I have to do with, but I can assure you it is a very poor do.
Attached you will find a general report of work done and schedule of material and fixtures appertaining to this department.
During the year there has been added to the mileage of water mains the following, 4,450 feet of two-inch wrought iron pipe. Total number of feet in service at present, 245,187 feet, or 54.74 miles.
There has been added valves as follows: One six-inch valve and eight two-inch street valves, making a total of street valves in service of 554, and flush valves of 86.
Fire hydrants: Number paid for by city, 464; at the Waterworks station, 3. Total, 467.
The small dam below the new Waterworks continues to give considerable trouble from the water cutting underneath, being quite an expense to keep it from washing away. A stone or concrete dam will have to be built during the coming summer to take the place of the old wooden dam, which I expect to see carried away during a rise in the river. The estimated cost of a concrete and stone dam is about $1,500.00.
There has been a great deal of work done during the year for the betterment of the plant, a synopsis of which you will find in this report.
The plumbing ordinance passed by your honorable body some months ago has been a great help to this department, getting a better class of plumbing work, doing away with a great waste of water from a leaky class of fixtures and improvement in the sanitary arrangement of the same, doing away with all possibility of sewer gas, a protection to health, and more satisfactory to water consumers after being educated up to it.
At first there was some complaint at the extra cost of work and inspections, but now there is a demand for such inspections by those having work done.
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The department is in a flourishing condition morally, physically and financially, in fact in good shape all but the water supply, and we hope to make a better showing this coming year than the one just ended.
On the 31st of December of last year this city lost one of its most valued employees in the death of the city plumber, Chas. E. Ward, who was a faithful servant to this city for twelve years. If he had been as true to himself as he was to the interests of the city he would still be with us. "Peace be to his ashes."
Almost the entire department has worked in harmony, looking to the success of the plant, for which I return my thanks.
In conclusion I return my sincere thanks to his honor, the mayor, and the honorable city council for their confidence and assistance, also for kindness to me at all times.
Respectfully submitted, A. W. SCOBLE, Superintendent.