Halifax Water Works. — H. W. Johnston, Assistant City 

 Engineer, Halifax, N. S. 



Read 12th February. 1906. 



The city of Halifax is situated on a peninsula, at the head 

 of Chelnicto Hay, formed by the harbour and Bedford Basin 

 on the east and north, and the North West Arm on the west, 

 and joined to the mainland by a strip of land about 1^ miles 

 wide at the Dutch Village, separating the Arm and Basin. Th(? 

 slopes to the water on all sides are steep, and there is a prac- 

 tically level plateau at the summit extending north and south 

 about two miles and east and west one mile, with a high hill 

 called Shaffroth's or ''Hungry Hill" at the north end. The 

 general elevation of this plateau is from 150 to 170 feet above 

 mean low tide, and the elevation of Shaffroth's or " Hungry 

 Hill", the highest point in the city, is 247.50 feet. There is 

 also an elevation at Willow Park, the highest point at present 

 supplied with water, of 225. The business district lies on the 

 eastern slope between Jacob Street and Salter Street, surmount 

 ed by the citadel, which is 214 feet above mean low tide. The 

 chief wharves are from Richmond to South Street, a distance 

 of about 21 miles. The rest of the city, Avith the exception of =i 

 few streets, is residential, with few houses on the western and 

 northwestern slopes. 



The city was founded in 1749 and incorporated in 1841. 

 Previous to 1844 the city was dependent entirely ujion Avells 

 for its domestic supply, and on them and the salt water of the 

 harbour for fire protection. It was the custom at that time on 

 an alarm of fire being son lulcd for the citizens to turn out and 

 assisted by the troops line the streets and pass buckets of 

 water from the harbour to supplement the scanty supnly from 

 tlie wells, which was drawn by a hand fire pump owned by the 



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