1040 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



UNDERGROUND CISTERNS OF CONCRETE. 



From the viewpoint of the intelligent house- 

 keeper, there are few things more important than an 

 abundant supply of soft water. In the kitchen, 

 laundry and bathroom it means lightening of labor 

 and economy. The ideal soft water is rain water, 

 and the old-time rain barrel, so long an institution in 

 this country, is still extant in some rural districts. It 

 is the purpose here to discuss the ideal "rain barrel," 

 a reservoir unlimited in capacity that may be made 

 indestructible and impervious for all time, something 

 cheap as to first cost and never needing repairs. The 

 perfect reservoir is the underground cistern of con- 

 crete. 



The first underground cisterns were always prone 

 to leak. In wet weather the ground water seeped in 

 and transformed the soft water into water as hard as 

 that from the well. In dry weather such cisterns 

 were empty. By means of concrete property owners 

 are now able to build their own cisterns that are 

 jointless, watertight and large enough to store an 

 abundance of soft water even in the dryest season. 



Concrete cisterns usually consist of two general types 

 underground and surface cisterns. The choice is de- 

 pendent upon the amount of space available in the yard. 

 Cisterns on top of the ground will be treated in a later 

 issue. 



Underground cisterns may be built in any shape 



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Section Through Cistern. 



desired. For the same amount of concrete, round cis- 

 terns (with a depth equal to the diameter) will hold the 

 most water. However, since round forms are not easy 

 to frame, most cisterns are made square. To illustrate 

 the usual method of building, consider the construction 

 of a cistern 8 by 8 by 8 feet in the chear, with walls 8 

 inches thick and with a capacity of 121 

 barrels. Before beginning the work, have 

 all the materials on hand, slightly more 

 than required. 



Locate the cistern in the most con- 

 venient place. Since the walls are 8 

 inches thick, lay out the hole 9 feet 4 

 inches square. The concrete bottom is 6 

 inches thick. Therefore dig the pit to 

 the depth of 8 feet 6 inches. Since the 

 concrete cover or platform will be 5 

 inches thick, the top of the cistern will 

 be 5 inches above the ground, which is a 

 desirable feature. 



If the earth walls stand firm, only an 

 inside form will be needed; otherwise 

 make a similar form for the outside of 

 the walls. This form should be built 

 (each side separately) previous to dig- 

 ging the pit, so that it may be quickly 

 erected and the cistern finished before a 

 possible shower makes the hole muddy. 

 For siding, use 1-inch boards on 2 by 4- 

 inch uprights spaced 2 feet. As soon as 

 the hole is dug, set up the forms on 6- 

 inch cubes or brick of concrete, with 1- 

 inch removable wedges between the 

 forms and the bricks. The side wall 

 forms will later support the platform on 

 which the concrete cover will be built; 

 and unless these wedges are used, the 

 forms will bind and be difficult to re- 

 move. Join the forms at the corners so 

 that they can be easily taken down after 

 the cistern is finished. Against the 

 earthen walls, and braced to the inside 

 forms, set 1-inch boards, 12 inches wide, 

 so as to prevent dirt from crumbling and 

 falling into the cistern. 



Mix the concrete 1 part Portland ce- 

 ment to 2 parts sand to 4 parts crushed 

 rock. In measuring the quantities, con- 

 sider 1 bag of cement equal to 1 cubic 

 foot. If gravel is to be used, proportion 

 the concrete 1 part cement to 4 parts 

 clean gravel. For the floor have the con- 

 crete just wet enough to flush a little ce- 

 ment mortar to the surface when tamped 

 into place. See that there is an abun- 

 dance of mortar around the concrete 

 blocks supporting the forms. Immediate- 

 ly begin filling the sidewall forms with 

 concrete mixed mushy wet and place in 



t A *. 

 Information 



Do it HOW. 



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