808 



WATER WORKS. 



buckets are 6 feet long, and of wrought iron, 

 80 in each wheel. The wheel shafts are 14 

 inches, and their bearings 12 inches in diam- 

 eter. The power is communicated by a driv- 

 ing wheel to a pinion on the crank shaft, giving 

 to the pump piston a stroke of five feet. The 

 2 crank shafts are furnished with a coupling, 

 by means of which either pump can be worked 

 by either wheel, or one pump by both wheels. 



The pumps consist each of a single cylinder 

 16 inches in diameter. The ordinary velocity 

 at which they are worked is 12 strokes per 

 minute, delivering 1,000 gallons. The speed 

 may be increased with safety so as to deliver 

 1,500 gallons per minute. From the pumps 

 the water passes through the force main, of 

 cast iron, 16 inches in diameter, and 3,100 feet 

 long. The force main contains 2 check valves, 

 one at a*n elevation of 30 feet, and the other 

 near the reservoir. 



The reservoir, situated on Sachem's Hill, at 

 an elevation of 125 feet above mean high water, 

 is in the form of an ellipse, whose diameters at 

 the water line are 488 and 244 feet, with a 

 depth of 19 feet, the walls being carried up 4 

 feet above the water line. Its capacity is 10,- 

 000,000 gallons. It is built in two divisions. 

 The bottom and inner slopes are covered with 

 18 inches of clay puddle ; upon this is placed a 

 layer of concrete 4 inches thick. The concrete 

 on the sides is protected by a stone wall 12 in. 

 thick, laid in cement. The outer slopes are 

 turfed. The slope wall is covered by a coping 

 2 feet wide, and upon the top of the banks is a 

 gravelled walk 6 feet wide. The whole width at 

 top is 10 feet. The inner slopes 1 to 1, and the 

 outer slopes li to 1. At the east end of the 

 division bank is placed the influent chamber, 

 which consists of two apartments. The water 

 is delivered by the force main into one of these, 

 which contains the screens; from thence it 

 passes in pipes of cast iron, 12 inches in 

 diameter, through the other apartment, 

 which contains the gates into the reservoir, or 

 by means of a wrought-iron and cement pipe 

 16 inches in diameter, into the effluent cham- 

 ber. By the arrangement of these pipes and 

 gates the flow of water is controlled and direct- 

 ed into either division of the reservoir, or into 

 the effluent chamber, without passing through 

 the reservoir, and a special casting, which may 

 be placed in either chamber, so connects the 

 force and distributing mains, that in the event 

 of accident to both divisions of the reservoir 

 and one of the chambers at the same time, the 

 supply of water to the city will be uninter- 

 rupted. 



The 16-inch distributing main connects with 

 the effluent chamber; placed at the west end 

 of the division bank, is a duplicate of the in- 

 fluent chamber, with the exception of its depth. 

 This peculiar arrangement of chambers, pipes, 

 and gates is very complete, and calculated 

 to meet any emergency, providing amply for 

 future enlargement of capacity, as well as for 

 present use. It gives to the works when need- 



ed 2 16-inch force tubes; 2 16-inch and 2 12- 

 inch distributing mains. Upon the occur- 

 rence of fire, at a time when, from any cause 

 whatever, the water in the reservoir is low, 

 the full head of 129 feet may be given without 

 delay. 



One third of the distribution is in cast-iron 

 pipes, and the remainder is of the cement 

 pipes manufactured by the Patent Water and 

 Gas Pipe Company, Jersey City, New Jersey. 

 The pipes are made from sheet iron, lined on 

 the inside with cement, and coated on the out- 

 side with the same material. The lengths of 

 pipe are connected by sheet-iron bands, simi- 

 larly lined and coated with cement; the bore 

 of the pipe presents an even surface through- 

 out the entire length of pipe, and forms a con- 

 duit of uniform size. 



NEW YORK Croton Aqueduct. Various im- 

 provements, under the charge of A. W. Cra- 

 ven, chief engineer, have now been in progress 

 for a series of years to increase the average sup- 

 ply and to guard against any contingencies of 

 accident to the aqueduct or failure of supply 

 from the river. 



High Bridge Improvement. As originally 

 constructed, the supply was conducted across 

 High Bridge by 2 siphon pipes of 3 feet in di- 

 ameter, involving great loss of head, and con- 

 sequent capacity of aqueduct on this side of 

 Harlem River, and of supply. To obviate this 

 a new pipe has been introduced. 



The new pipe is 7 feet 6jj inches interior di- 

 ameter. It is made of wrought-iron plates, each 

 8 ft. by 6 ft., and \ an inch in thickness. These 

 plates are butted together, and the joints 

 made by horizontal and transverse straps on the 

 outside, each strap being 9 inches in width and 

 i of an inch in thickness. There are 4 rows of 

 j-inch rivets in each strap. In the interior, 

 the rivets are countersunk to the plane of the 

 pipe, thus affording a smooth surface and 

 avoiding unnecessary friction. Both the exte- 

 rior and interior surfaces are well painted, to 

 preserve them from rust. The pipe is sup- 

 ported by cast-iron stanchions and saddles, 

 placed between the 2 3-feet pipes now there. 

 These stanchions are 12 feet apart longitudin- 

 ally, and are of sufficient height to allow 2 

 feet of clear space, between the old pipes and 

 the new one, for the free movement of work- 

 men in repairs, &c. The tops of the stanchions 

 or pedestals are 2^ feet square, and are planed 

 to a smooth and "accurate surface, to permit 

 the proper action of the rollers. At the centre 

 of the bridge, the pipe rests upon the pedestal, 

 without the intervention of rollers. For the 

 rest of its length, in each direction from the cen- 

 tre, there are 3 cast-iron rollers on each stan- 

 chion. Upon these rollers rest the saddles, 

 which come into immediate contact with and 

 support the pipe itself. The base of each sad- 

 dle is of the same size as the top of the pedes- 

 tal, and is in a similar manner planed to a 

 smooth and uniform surface. 



At each end of the bridge, and built into the 





