Incidents When City Was Young
INCIDENT WHEN CITY WAS YOUNG. With attention directed at the present lime to the need for augmenting the city’s water supply by means of an additional artesian bore at Terraco. End, it is interesting to recall that the first occasion on which this method of securing water for Palmerston North was discussed, was away back in March JBS2. Records reveal that the works committee of those days reported to the then borough council that it had considered the matter of augmenting the water supply to meet the emergency of a fire, by means of “wells” and also an offer by the New Zealand Insurance Company to provide a fire engine. However, it was decided not to recommend taking the machine on the terms set out by the company. The committee would be prepared to recommend the council to accept it without terms further than “a specified time during which the engine could not be removed without the, consent of the council.” What the nature of these terms were, is not oil record nor is the type of engine offered disclosed. However, from what one knows of fire-lighting methods in the early days of the Dominion, it could have been nothing better than a man-operated pump similar to the one the city brigade was lirst equipped with later on. The wells, it is presumed, were nothing better than deep holes in the ground of which there were a large number scattered about the growing township to supplement tanks aud other privately-owned reservoirs. The Tiritca scheme didn’t come till later on.
In August, ISS2, it is recorded that the borough engineer was instructed to visit Marten to report on “proceedings’’ there in connection with a trial artesian well and tho following month the town clerk was instructed to write one John Carry, of Napier, and ask him if he would come to Palmerston North to supervise the sinking of an artesian, what his terms would be aud if lie had the requisite plant. The town clerk was also asked to write to one D. Murray, of Wanganui, inquiring if ho could supply 150 feet of Li-inch piping suitable for driving an artesian.
And then the curtain fulls. Whether Mr Carry came down and drove a well, “The Times” has been unable to discover. Perhaps the attempt failed and it was left to Mayor Mansford to show many years later, what could be done. In any case, tho then borough council was not very ambitious with a IJ-inch pipe.
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Bibliographic details
Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 73, 27 March 1936, Page 6
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421Incidents When City Was Young Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 73, 27 March 1936, Page 6
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