Elleda Wilson: Around town

Jan. 5—From The Daily Morning Astorian, Jan. 5, 1884:

—For some time the tank in which sets the gas holder of the Astoria Gaslight Co., has not given satisfaction. Yesterday George Moon, the foreman at the works, who had previously sent for a diving suit, arrayed himself therein and made a plunge in 16 feet of water ... Among other proficiencies, Moon has demonstrated his ability to work with 10 feet of water over his head.

Note: Inventor Leonard Norcross of Dixfield, Maine was issued the first U.S. patent for a practical, airtight underwater diving suit on June 14, 1834. It included weighted feet and a hard helmet with two rubber hoses attached. One was connected to the surface to receive air, the other was for the exhaust air, giving the diver a full range of movement.

—About 2,400 feet of 4-inch pipe is still needed to finish the Astoria Water Co.'s work of laying pipe through the city streets. It was sent for some time ago, and is expected here about Feb. 1.

Note: According to WaterWorksHistory.us the first Astoria waterworks were first built on a small scale in 1870 and 1872 by "unknown parties." James W. Welch, his mother and W. W. Parker built the Welch Hill water works around 1877 which, in 1882, merged into the Columbia Water Works, which built the 1883-1884 waterworks, taking the supply from Bear Creek, 12 miles east of the city.

AstoriaParks.com says the 1884 system "was grossly under-built, and found to be inadequate shortly after construction. With much public outcry the state legislature appointed a Board of Water Commissioners authorized to purchase the works of the Columbia Water Co. and to construct a new system."