Silas Wright Titus facts for kids
Silas Wright Titus (born January 18, 1849 – died January 7, 1922) was a clever engineer. He invented new ways to pump water from deep underground. He also found important water sources for New York City and other towns in the United States in the late 1800s. People often called him "The Water Wizard" because of his amazing skills.
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Early Life and Career
Silas Wright Titus was born in Syracuse, New York, on January 18, 1849. His father was Colonel Silas Titus, and his grandfather was Thomas McCarthy (Syracuse politician). He was named after Silas Wright, a friend of his father's who was a US Senator and Governor of New York.
Silas went to school in Syracuse. He became very interested in Civil Engineering, which is about designing and building things like roads and bridges. When he was just 12 years old, in 1861, he served as a bugler in the 12th New York Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War. He finished his service in 1865.
At 20, Silas worked with engineers building the New Orleans, Mobile and Texas Railroad. This experience helped him learn even more about engineering.
Finding Water in Texas
Around 1884, Silas moved to Southwestern Texas. He started studying how to find water deep underground. He helped build 125 wells near San Angelo, Texas, which provided water for the area.
Silas then invented a special way to find and get groundwater by drilling and pumping. He even received seven patents for his methods of lifting water using air. He moved back to New York around 1896.
Helping New York City with Water
In the early 1900s, New York City faced big water problems. The city's water mostly came from reservoirs north of the city. But dry weather meant there wasn't enough water for everyone.
Around 1892, the borough of Brooklyn drilled several wells near Jameco, Long Island. City engineers tried to get water from these wells for years. Even with their best machines, they could only get about 500,000 US gallons (1,900 cubic meters) of water per day. The city was about to give up on these wells.
Titus's Solution for Brooklyn
That's when Silas Titus offered to help. He said he could run the water plant using his own special machines and patented methods. The city agreed to let him try. Soon, the wells were producing an amazing 8,000,000 US gallons (30,000 cubic meters) of water every day!
However, some city engineers were not happy with Titus's success. They convinced the Water Commissioner to end his contract. When the city took over the wells again, the water production dropped sharply to only 1,500,000 US gallons (5,700 cubic meters) per day. The city engineers believed there was no more water left under Long Island. One head engineer even said he was sure no more water could be found there.
The city was ready to abandon the wells once more. But Silas Titus made another offer. He said he would operate the wells with his own machines and provide 1,500,000 US gallons (5,700 cubic meters) of water per day for free. He only asked for payment if he could produce more than that amount. For every 1,000,000 US gallons (3,800 cubic meters) over the free amount, he would charge $40.
The city engineers found his offer amusing, but they let him try again. In a short time, the "exhausted" wells were producing 8,000,000 US gallons (30,000 cubic meters) per day. Later, they even reached 11,000,000 US gallons (42,000 cubic meters) per day!
From 1906 to early 1909, the city regularly paid Titus for his work. But in 1909, the city stopped making payments. Because the city continued to hold back money, Titus had to turn off his water pumps. These pumps supplied over 10% of Brooklyn's entire water.
On the night of October 28, 1909, about twenty men from the water department went to the pumping station to take control of the plant and machinery. Titus met them there. He warned them that if they touched his property, someone would get hurt.
Later Life and Legacy
For 15 years, Silas Titus traveled across the U.S. and Canada. He worked on finding and setting up water systems in towns that needed them. He would install these water plants at his own risk. He would only sell them to the towns after they were fully working and guaranteed to provide water. He was always successful in creating a reliable water supply.
Silas Wright Titus passed away on Saturday, January 7, 1922, from a heart condition. He died at his daughter's home. He was a member of the church of St. Francis Xavier and is buried in St. John's cemetery in New York.
