Proceedings of Seventh Annual Meeting 103 



bounds and in two or three weeks inspection, oiling and labor 

 schedules were again normal. 



It may be of interest to note the cost of construction and of opera- 

 tion of the state pumping station as well as its effect upon the cost of 

 carrying on the work of control. 



The station is located at the foot of the dike enclosing the marsh. 

 The water is drawn from a sump at a minimum elevation of 3.5 

 feet below mean low tide and is discharged against a maximum head 

 of 13 feet. The equipment consists of a Worthington centrifugal 

 pump with 24-inch suction and 20-inch discharge delivering ap- 

 proximately 12,000 gallons per minute, driven by a loo-horse-power 

 AVestinghouse induction motor. In addition there is an electrically 

 driven centrifugal priming pump and the necessary oil switches, 

 compensator, transformers, etc. The large pump and motor rest on 

 a concrete base contained in 20-foot steel sheeting. The plant is 

 "housed in a sheet-iron, building. It was necessary to construct ap- 

 proximately 3,500 feet of pole line to supply current. The entire 

 cost of construction in round figures totaled $21,000, of which ap- 

 proximately $5,000 is chargeable to labor. 



This station takes care of the run-off of about 1,500 acres at an 

 average of 5 hours'operation per day during the summer months and 

 with a normal rainfall. The water in the ditches is maintained at 

 3.5 feet below mean low tide. At this elevation the general water- 

 table is held about 2 feet below the surface of the marsh and makes 

 available a reservoir capable of taking up a precipitation of one 

 inch or more without flooding any portion of the marsh and with- 

 out increasing the operation of the station by more than 20 to 30 

 hours in four or five days of pumping. 



With current at $0,025 per kilowatt hour it cost approximately 

 $0.93 per hour to run the motor, making a total of $1,762.50 during 

 a season of 6 months. With normal rainfall this cost would probably 

 not exceed $1,000. Except during periods of continuous operation 

 only one attendant was necessary. Supplies did not exceed $50. 

 The total cost of operation during 1919, including relief shifts, was 

 $2,300. 



In spite of the adverse weather conditions during the past year 

 the operation of this station effected a reduction of about $6,400 

 in the cost of temporary work, making a net saving of approximately 

 $4,000 in this one section of the project. The greatest gain, however, 

 is not to be found in the monetary saving but in the effectiveness of 

 all control operations made possible by adequate drainage. 



