Show HIGH WATER TOWER Encased in the Worlds World's Largest Corinthian Column Ancient Triumph of Architecture Which for Forty Years Has v Evoked the Admiration of Visitors to St St. Louis St Bt The Louis Louis Tho old water tower the first and original has gono gone out ou of service Its usefulness as well as need In the magnificent water system of or St. St Louis is a thing tiling of the very recent past In the ancient water tower the city of St. St Louis possesses the finest and anti tallest Corinthian column column col In the world There are not persons In St St. Louis even those who have knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge of the finer and artistic I ele elements ele those menu ments those that mark for tor grandeur and perfection In symmetry who symmetry who whoever ever realized the value of the tower as a work of utility and beauty Few Indeed are aware that the western metropolis for a period of nearly forty years possessed a triumph in architecture which has again and again evoked the admiration of vis vis- visitors visItors visitors from Europe and oth other r parts of our own country Some forty years ago when the waterworks system was limited and andIn andIn andin In Its IncIpiency It was deemed Im Imperative imperative im- im that a means of relief for tor forthe forthe the service pumps and the class of engines In use be established About that time Joseph P. P Kirkwood Kirkwood Kirk Kirk- wood a a noted eastern engineer became became became be be- came the chief chlof engineer of the St. St Louis waterworks Mr KIrkwood was an expert In waterworks mechanism and engineering He went to Europe In that period to make a study of the best waterworks systems In the big capitals mid and came back with much information as to high standpipes It was along in 1868 that the water board decided to erect a high standpipe standpipe stand stand- pipe at Grand avenue At first it was planned to hold the pipe in place by means of guy ropes but Mr Barnett the architect of the department department depart depart- ment suggested inclosing the pipe In Ina Inn ina a n column of brick The Idea was adopted by the engineers and the commissioners The work of building the pipe and the Corinthian column was by con con- tract It was started in the the- fall tall of 1869 and completed In ln July 1871 when the first gallon of water was pumped Into the big standpipe The height of the pipe from the ground to the top of the tower tower the the bottom of the capitol where the observation platform is Is-Is Is Is feet The column proper encasing the pipe Is feet i Inches Tho Thal base of the column is r 1 P 1 1 r iI a r The St St. Louis Water Tower masonry Joliet Jollet stone 8 feet thick From the top of the masonry the column col col- column was constructed of brick beginning beginning be be- be beginning ginning with a thickness of 2 feet 3 Inches at the base and gradually reducing by successive stops to 1 foot 1 inch at the bottom of the cap capitol capi tol tb the ornate cap of the tower where here stands the observation platform The diameter of the base of the column column- the masonry work work work-Is Is 41 feet Between the standpipe and the column column col col- umu on the inside Is a space of 2 feet feetS S 8 Inches and and in this space was built builta a spiral stairway winding around the pipe and leading to the observation platform on tho the capitol The height of the capitol Is 19 feet 8 Inches From this point thousands of ot persons who were willing to brave the fatigue of climbing the narrow spiral stairway stairway stairway stair stair- way have had a fine view of oC the tho city and aull the surrounding country The total total to to- ta tal 1 cost of the old water tower was And the city considered Ita It It Ita a good Investment When the lower tower was completed the citizens of St. St I Louis regarded it It as a monument of ot civic enterprise to be proud of but few realized the tho real merit of the structure as a n splendid example of good engineering and architectural architectural ar nr- beauty |