Mow to Supply a House with Pure Water by 



Gravitation. 



By D. SYM SCOTT, Ballixacoukte, Tutekaky. 



Having had some experience as a hydraulic engineer, I need make 

 no apology for bringing before tlie readers of the Journal a subject 

 apparently so foreign to forestry, because many of them -will probably 

 have to undertake similar operations on a more or less extensive scale, 

 and any practical suggestion will be to them, as it always is to the 

 writer, very acceptable. Moreover, I maintain that every house of any 

 pretension should be prepared against an emergency, such as in the 

 case of a fire breaking out, by having an ;imple command of water 

 supplied by gravity. To secure this, it is sometimes necessary to 

 utilise a mountain stream impregnated with a vast preponderance of 

 vegetable matter. It also happens at times that the source cannot be 

 depended on for a permanent supply. In either case it is expedient to 

 have a filtering tank and reservoir, A reservoir should always be 

 built at a point say ten feet above the level of the eaves of the house. 

 The dimensions will be according to requirements and supply of water. 

 In excavating for a reservoir, the hole ought to be large enough to 

 allow the walls to stand clear of the earth. If the bottom is rock, it 

 only recpires a liooring of cement ; but if at all porous it is much the 

 safest plan to puddle the whole floor with strong tenacious clay, and 

 then pave the entire bottom with sound, hard-burned bricks, laid in 

 Portland cement made up with well-Avashed river sand. The side walls 

 are built with similar materials, plastered on the outside with water 

 lime cement and on the inside with Portland or lloman cement. 

 When the side walls are firmly set and dry, clay ought to be tamped in 

 all round so as to puddle it perfectly, w^hich if properly done will 

 prevent leakage from either side. The roof is arched with brick, and 

 puddled with clay. A partition wall parts the tank into two divisions. 

 At the bottom of the centre wall each alternate brick in the first 

 course is left out, forming pigeon-holes. On each side build two low 

 walls, and between these put in roundish gravel in the bottom. Over 

 this put charcoal well burned and clean, ground to a size ranging 

 fi'om peas to pigeons' eggs. When filled up to the level of the low 

 walls cover the "whole, walls included, with sheet iron finely perforated 

 and coated with patent solution. One brick mure is then laid on to 



