16 



The Croton Aqueduct. — Electric Fluid. 



Vol. VII. 



cross walls with solid arches, thus binding 

 the whole into one solid, imperishable mass. 

 From the top of the north-east cornice to the 

 level of the street, the distance is fifty-six 

 feet. The depth of the reservoir is forty 

 feet; and it will contain water to the depth 

 of thirty-six feet, or about twenty-two mil- 

 lions of gallons — as computed a few days 

 since by James Renwick, Jr., one of the en- 

 gineers employed on the work. 



At the east end of the division wall, a well 

 has been sunk to the depth of fifty feet, com- 

 municating with a sewer below, and forming 

 a waste-wier for the discharge of the surplus 

 water, when it rises in the reservoir above 

 the height of thirty-six feet. At the bottom 

 of the well is laid a block of granite, weigh- 

 ing seven tons; and still further to break the 

 fall of the overflowing stream, and to pre- 

 vent it from wearing away the stone, water 

 to the depth of six feet rests permanently at 

 the bottom. From the well, the waste wa- 

 ter is conveyed by a sewer nearly a mile to 

 the North river. 



The style of architecture is Egyptian — 

 well fitted by its heavy and imposing charac- 

 ter for a work of such magnitude. The 

 summit of the walls around the whole area, 

 is Sagged, and will be provided with a heavy 

 iron railing, forming a beautiful and sight- 

 ly promenade, twenty feet in width. The 

 grounds immediately around the work have 

 been purchased by the corporation to protect 

 it from encroachments. The receiving and 

 discharging pipes are two in number, each 

 about three feet in diameter. It is now 

 nearly four years since the reservoir was 

 first commenced; and during the working 

 season, on an average, about four hundred 

 men have been constantly employed upon it, 

 besides great numbers employed in the win- 

 ter season in bringing materials. During 

 the whole time no lives have been lost by 

 accident. Two men had their legs broken 

 by a downfall of the banks — and this is the 

 extent of the injuries that have been sus 

 tained. The whole cost will not be far from 

 $500,000. 



Such is a condensed but comprehensive 

 view of this noble structure. It is now com- 

 pleted, with the exception of the high bridge, 

 The bridge will occupy two years more, but 

 a temporary pipe lias been laid over the river 

 upon the coffer-dams of the bridge, which will 

 afford us a supply of water for two or three 

 years, until the completion of the entire work. 

 Its estimated cost, owing to the changes of 



plan, rise of lab : and provisions, &C, has 



risen from five to twelve millions — a great 

 sum abstractly considered, but a trifling one 

 compared with the benefits resulting from 

 the work. — From the New York Tribune. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



The Electric Fluid. 



During the very severe thunder-storm of 

 friday, the 1st of July, a cherry tree of large 

 size, standing within the range of the elec- 

 tric fluid, on the Bristol turnpike road, just 

 beyond the church of All Saints, exhibits 

 ample proof that the injury done, was occa- 

 sioned, not by what might be termed the 

 stroke, but by the expansion of air contained 

 within the body of the tree itself-— just in 

 the way that it is now ascertained, the de- 

 struction of Natchez was effected by the ex- 

 pansion of air contained in the buildings 

 themselves ; and which burst forth, carrying 

 the roofs and walls with it, to supply the 

 vacuum that had been occasioned by the 

 sudden evaporation of the atmosphere above 

 them. The tree abovementioned, is split 

 through the very centre of its trunk, the 

 bark having been blown off" on the south and 

 north sides of the tree only, where it now 

 hangs in strips, without showing the least 

 signs of fire ; the rent of the body having 

 taken place in these directions, and penetra- 

 ting through and through the trunk. And 

 the conclusive facts, that the rent was occa- 

 sioned by the bursting forth of the internal 

 air is, that thin fibres of timber are attached 

 to the opening, all pointing outwards, and 

 extending the length of the finger beyond 

 it, yet still adhering to the internal parts of 

 the tree ; having been blown out by the air 

 which escaped at the instant of the catas- 

 trophe. And further, a person who was 

 passing out at an adjoining gate at the time, 

 says he was blown across the turnpike road, 

 against the fence on the opposite side ; re- 

 marking that the heat he experienced at the 

 instant, was inconceivably great. 



Now, this to me, is a new feature in the 

 " Theory of storms and their effects ;" and 

 may it not be found to account for many of 

 those remarkable phenomena, which we often 

 witness on examination of the eccentric ef- 

 fects of the electric fluid in its passage to 

 the earth ; showing the probability, that the 

 destruction of many of those trees which 

 are said to have been struck by lightning, 

 has been occasioned merely by the violent 

 expansion of internal air, rushing forth to 

 supply the vacuum formed by intense heat, 

 and a sudden evaporation of the atmospheric 

 air around them. Would your valuable 

 correspondent, " Observer," allow us the 

 benefit of his well-tried judgment and ex- 

 perience on this very important subject? 

 possibly to him there may be nothing new in 

 all this. 



S. T. 



Philadelphia, July 4th, 1842. 



