Key West Waterworks System

Key West Waterworks System

The waterworks system of Key West, Fla., has been undergoing a rehabilitation during the past few months, in reference to which Superintendent H. C. Wetmore writes to FIRE AND WATER ENGINEERING as follows: The waterworks of Key West embraces two Snow compound pumps, 10 x 16 x 10 1/2 x 12, with packed pistons and a capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute each. There is also a standpipe which holds 150,000 gallons, and this is filled each day so that in case of fire the pumps arc able to keep a water pressure of 75 pounds on the fire mains. We have here the salt water system and pump from a well that is 2,200 feet deep. This well produces a large amount of acid, which has the same effect on a fire as chemicals from an engine. In fact, everything in the pumping plant has been improved or rebuilt in the past year, and is now in first-class condition. Among the improvements is the removal of an old set of 60-horsepower return tubular boilers, which we replaced with two 100horsepower Scotch boilers with Morrison furnaces, 12 foot 9 inch x 50 inch diameter, and 96 3 1/2-inch tubular boilers. The boilers were built by the Casey Hedges Company, of Chattanooga. Tenn. The old condenser was of the jet type, and as we have not a fresh water system it was very hard on the boilers, so we substituted a 300 square foot surface condenser made bv the Geo. F. Blake Manufacturing Company, of New York, and now we average about 150 gallons of. extra boiler feed per day, pumping from 90,000 to 9.5. O00 gallons daily, with a 24-inch vacuum. We have seven miles of fire mains ranging from 6 to 12 inches in diameter, with 95 hydrants and 44 valves. The latter are equipped witn the R. D. Wood double gate valve. We have replaced 43 old hydrants with the Kennedy Valve Manufacturing Company hydrants and have fitted up 52 with parts made hv the same company. All the valves in streets have been walled in with cement and have plates and frames on them. We have 62 surface pipes which arc used for flushing only, at $5 per year per toilet. All connections have been replaced with A. A. 3/4-inch lead pipe, and at the present we arc laying 9,000 feet of 0-inch pipe and 600 feet of 8-inch pipe. All this work is being done with the regular waterworks force, as we can do it cheaper than by asking for bids. All the improvements of the Key West waterworks have been made by myself since I have had charge of the plant. Furthermore, D. iiave done all the repairing on our lire engines.

Fall River. Mass., had 384 alarms last year; loss, $110,089.31. the largest in some years. During the year 60,210 feet of hose were laid, 2,928 feet of ladders raised, 2,635 miles traveled and 4,385 gallons of chemicals used.