THE HYDRAULIC RAM; 



OR CHEAP METHOD OF HAVING A CONSTANT SUPPLY OF WATER. 



It would be a waste of ink to dw^ell on the 

 advantages of a constant and full supply of 

 water about the homestead of every man's estate, 

 in the country, and yet every reader may call 

 to mind numberless instances where incalcula- 

 ble inconvenience and privation have been en- 

 dured, and the most prodigal waste of labor 

 committed from generation to generation, from 

 tliat ris inertits, that physical and moral lethargy 

 of character, which too often leads us to drag on 

 through life, neglecting expedients that the least 

 thought would suggest, and the slightest exer- 

 tion bring to our relief. 



For years and years have we known large 

 families to be supplied with all the water need- 

 ed, or rather all that was used, but not a hun- 

 dredth part of what was reallj' needed, by keep- 

 ing young persons constantly on the trot, to an 

 unclean spring, sometimes at the distance of 

 half a mile, bringing on their heads pails or 

 " piggins " full at a time, w hen a cistern of sim- 

 ple construction made tight with water-cement, 

 eight or ten feet in diameter and depth, would 

 collect rain-water enough from the roof of the 

 barn or the dwelling to give a constant supply 

 of drinking water of the verj' best kind when 

 filtered and iced. Again we have known, may 

 it not be seen every daj', where streams of wa- 

 ter of the smallest volume might, with a verj- 

 simple hydraulic contrivance, as we shall show, 

 ifee made to afford a constant flow of pure water 

 at the door of the kitchen, the daiiy, and the 

 stable. 



So highly is the luxurj- of abundant water es- 

 teemed in this City, tliat in almost every house 

 that is built, it is only necessarj- to turn a cock 

 to have it at pleasure in everj- room and cham- 

 i>er. 



Not aware of any thing more interesting to 

 the Farmer, than the means of having at all 

 times a full supply of water, not only for pur 

 poses strictly domestic, but for the use of all his 

 domestic animals and for irrigation in our drj- 

 climate, we shall bring to the use of our patrons 

 all the infonnation we can collect, as to the va- 

 rious contrivances which may be resorted to for 

 that purpose — we know how apt they are to be 

 deterred from attempling any thing out of the 

 common track, on account of the supposed or 

 actual expense in the first instance, but a simple 

 calculation of the remuneration to be derived 

 from the saving of labor, and the money value, 

 (7-20) 



to say nothing of the luxury, of a fuller supply 

 of water, would convince them that a single 

 year, some times even less, would reimburse 

 them. There is to be considered, for example, 

 as to the use of it for their domestic animals, not 

 only the time that is saved, through the whole 

 winter especially, in sending them to a distance 

 to drink, but that they often suffer from not hav- 

 ing a supply when Nature demands. The sav- 

 ing of manure too is not to be overlooked. 



Our present purpose, however, is only to 

 transfer for tlie use of our readers a few pages 

 from a very valuable and interesting work, 

 which ought to be added to the Library of every 

 Farmer as well as every Mechanic, entitled "A 

 descriptive and Historical account of Hydraulic 

 and other Machines for raising irofer, ancient 

 and modem, by Thomas Ewbakk," published 

 in 1842 by D. Appleton & Co. 



Although, according to this diligent and dis- 

 criminating author, "the art of raising water, 

 has ever been closely connected with the pro- 

 gress of civilization, so much so indeed, that the 

 stats of this art among a people may be taken 

 as an index of their position on the scale of re- 

 finement, it seems passing strange that until this 

 entertaining and instractive work made its ap- 

 pearance so recently, no one publication had 

 ever been devoted to the gi-eat variety of de- 

 vices which human ingenuity has devised for 

 raising liquids. 



Dri/ as may seem to be a history of waterVih- 

 ing devices, we hardly know a book from which 

 more curious and refreshing drafts of information 

 might be made, than from this one by Mr. Evv- 

 BANK, yet now we have not room to spare for 

 that purpose, even if we could venture under 

 any circumstances to give up for mere amuse- 

 ment, pages which can only be so used when 

 amusement may be blended with obvious utili- 

 ty. Accordingly, we can only appropriate at 

 present space for extracts explanatory of the 

 principles and construction of the Hydraulic 

 Ram of Montgolfier, which, as will be seen, 

 ma}' be adapted to every location in the country 

 where there is the smallest stream of running 

 water. How many farmers are there who have 

 this invaluable resource unemployed, and who, 

 by placing this paper in the hands oi any hon- 

 est ingenious mechanic, might at small expense 

 have a perennial flow of water at his dwellinij 

 and bani-yard, for cooking, wa.sliing, bathing, 



