WINDMILLS AND IT. MI'S. 



203 



Compressed Air. Modern science is actively at 

 work endeavoring to employ air in raising water from 

 wells, and two or three feasible plans have already been 

 devised. One is the Chapman process, illustrated in 

 Figure 82, which shows the ap- 

 paratus as devised for a well. By 

 means of the proper machinery 

 the injected air causes the well to 

 flow. Air is forced down the 

 small pipe, comes up in a cone 

 shape, filling the well pipe and 

 carrying the water with its force. 

 It also lightens the water column 

 and causes the water to flow 

 through the pipe in torrents. It 

 is suitable to be used in wells of 

 any depth, and any number of 

 wells at any distance apart can 

 be operated from one engine. It 

 is claimed that by this system 

 more water can be raised than by 

 any other, but to the writer's 

 mind this claim is not wholly 

 clear. Another scheme is Mer- 

 rill's pneumatic system,, by which 

 water may be elevated from as 

 many sources as may be desired. 

 Figure 83 represents two sources, 

 with wind and gasoline engine 

 power arranged to use separately, 

 or in combination. The plan is FI( >- 82. AT* COMPRESSOR. 

 said to be entirely practicable. In the cut, A is the 

 compressor ; B, the air pipe leading to the well ; (7, the 

 injector in the bottom of the well ; /), a similar arrange- 

 ment in the other well ; E is the discharge pipe, and F 

 is the bank or reservoir. The same power can be util- 



