History of Springfield, Illinois, its attractions as a home and advantages for business, manufacturing, etc. Pub. under the auspices of the Springfield board of trade, by J. C. Power.

50 SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, AND
WATER WORKS, SEWERAGE AND GAS.
SPRINGFIELD WATER WORKS. sonry ten or twelve feet in diameter and
octagonal in form. The pedestal rises
For the purpose of establishing water
four or five feet above the surface of the
works, the city authorities of Springfield,
water. This stand pipe is made of iron,
a few years ago, purchased thirty acres
and is three feet or more in diameter.
of land adjoining the city on the north.
On the pedestal at each of the eight
From the business part of the city to this
sides there is a sea horse rampant, and a
land, the surface rises gently until an
elevation of eleven feet above the old huge dolphin, four of each alternating,
elevation of eleven feet above the old' w
State House grounds is attained. For the whole fronting outward. Just above
this group, there is a vase, twelve or fifthe purpose of commanding as great an
teen feet in diameter, and about ten feet
elevation as possible, the surface was
made thebottom of the reservoir, and an above the vase, four swans, life size, atmade the bottom of the reservoir, and an
embankment of 100 feet wide at the base, tached to the stand pipe. Sea horses,
dolphins, swans and vase, are all made
sloping equally inside and out, until it
a of iron. The crest of the stand pipe is a
was raised to 22 feet in height and 20
feet across the top. To make it water combination of iron work, highly orna
tight, the bottom and sides were puddled ental, and extending outward on all
with blue clay and concrete, and the en- sides.
tire inside, except the bottom, covered Three and one quarter miles north of
the reservoir, on the bank of the Sangawith slabs of Joliet stone, imbedded in the reservoir, on the bank of the Sangacement. One tier of slabs, or flag stones
engine and two large pumps in it. There
are laid flat on the top at the inner border, and a picket fence mounted on the is also a very large well, about one hunder, and a picket fence mounted on the
stone around the enclosure. dred feet from shore, and connected by a
tunnel. A very strong set of iron pipes,
The reservoir is a square, rounded at fifteen inches in diameter, is connected
the corners. It is 200 feet in diameter with the well and laid under ground; the
at the bottom, and about 275 at the top, three and a quarter miles to the reservoir
inside, and has a capacity of 4,000,000 passes under the embankment, and congallons. The embankment is nicely sod- nects with the stand pipe at the bottom.
ded on the outside, and presents a beau- These pumps at the river are so arranged
tiful appearance. The earth for making that either one can be made to form the
this embankment was taken from the connecting link between the well and the
grounds adjoining on the east, west and pipe leading to the reservoir. When
north, so as to make a miniature chain connected, one of them throws ordinaof lakes, with islands interspersed. These rily 960 gallons per minute, 57,600 per
islands have shrubbery planted on them, hour, or 1,382,400 in twenty-four hours,
and in time will form some of the most and this quantity can be doubled in an
picturesque scenery imaginable. There emergency.
is what is called a stand pipe in the cen- The top of the stand pipe is 170 feet
tre of the reservoir. It stands on the higher than the pumps, and three and a
bottom, and is seventy feet high. It is quarter miles distant. Put the machinery
embedded in a pedestal of concrete ma- in motion, and we can soon have the wa