Documentary History of American Water-works

Water Works excerpt from "Recollections", by Joseph Gales

In giving an account of the first destructive fire which took place in Raleigh in the year 1806, I stated that the City had, at that time, no Fire Engine, and but little water and therefore, no adequate means of extinguishing fire. Soon after the citizens had been visited by this calamity, a Fire Engine was procured from Philadelphia and soon after an inquiry was made whether it would be practicable to obtain a supply of water from a Reservoir to be resorted to in case of Fire, from some of the Streams of Water or Springs, in the vicinity of the city. An examination was accordingly made, the result of which was that there was no source of water in the neighborhood that could, by its own gravity, be brought into a Reservoir in the State House Square. Nothing was therefore done at that time. But a suggestion was afterwards made that it might be easily obtained by a little simple machinery, and that Jacob Lash, an eminent machinist at Salem, could execute the Work. Mr. Lash was accordingly applied to, and engaged to effect the object in view.

The Work was therefore immediately set about, and a number of hands employed in getting Timber for the machinery, Pipes, etc., in digging ditches, boring pipes, running levels, etc. The water of the Rocky Branch on the Western borders of the City was to be used for the moving Power and Mr. Boylan’s and some other smaller springs, were to furnish the water to be conveyed to the City, through Pipes, first to a cistern raised so high, that the water would descend by its own gravity into a Reservoir dug in the State House Square, where it was to be conveyed down Fayetteville Street to a Reservoir at Mr. Coman’s corner, and there to another reservoir near the Court house at both which last mentioned places, the Water was to be kept running in a constant stream for public use.

After much labor, and at a greater expence, and in a longer time, than had been anticipated, the heavy Work was effected and was for a time greatly praised and admired. But it was soon found that the Wooden Pipes employed had not sufficient strength to withstand the stress that they had to bear, and that the renewal of them would be a continued expense too great to be borne by the City, so that the whole work, after the experiment of a few months, was abandoned. Had the Commissioners obtained Iron Pipes for the distance between the Forcing Machinery and the Reservoir, the Wooden Pipes, it is not doubted, would have answered to convey the running water into Reservoir prepared to receive it, and thus the work would have been preserved and have done credit to the public spirit of the City.

References
c. 1836 "Recollections" by Joseph Gales, Page 167-168 (scans 179-180), Gales Family Papers