Historic Hood River
May Street Cistern
7-31-2015
Notes
I felt funny posting this picture, but it tells an important story. This tank was one of two in the attic of Hood River’s first high school, on May Street. Water pressure in the Heights wasn’t high enough for the high school’s needs, so they had these tanks in the attic. We previously saw tanks at the Stranahan house nearby, along with a windmill to lift the water. I’m not sure how these tanks were filled.
L.E.
I have seen these in rural areas of Canada where there was no power. They were filled using a hand pump. A job for the kids.
Later, a generator was used.
Jeffrey Bryant
It reminds me of the pipeline we used to walk on down by the Powerdale plant on the Hood River.
Kenn
Seems to me one tank this size would have been sufficient, and it must have been a very well supported attic to contain them. I would guess they had a small supply that filled 24/7 to need two tanks.
nels
What a tremendous amount of weight with a gallon weighing 8 lbs. Jeff Bryant, I agree, it looks like the size and same type of joiners as the old pipe down on the river. Strangely, someone is loosening and removing those joiners down on the Indian Creek Trail, necessitating someone coming along and replacing them with a different type just to keep the pipe together.
L.E.
Do you think they collected rain water?
nels
Wondering if that might be chlorine crystals in the bucket so that they could catch rain water and then add something?
Buzz
Would guess that if their only problem was low water pressure, that they still used city water to fill the tank, and the volume of water in the tank to increase pressure. Collecting rainwater from a roof presents a whole new set of problems.
guthrie
Volume of the tank doesn’t matter, only the height above the tap point(s). It is the uphill pumping (filling) that creates teh energy expressed in the pressure.
Barbara Parsons
Does anyone remember the gigantic wooden barrel down by the AGA and Webster Orchards packing houses ? It was at least two stories high.