^GO 



WATER-WORKS IN THE UNITED STATES. 



[1855, 



At this place there arc two reservoirs, at different elevations, the 

 lower one at 160 feet, and the upper one at 396 feet above low- 

 water mark. The water is elevated into the lower reservoir 

 Irom the river, by means of two large high-pressure engines, 

 through a distance of 2000 feet. At the lower reservoir are 

 two smaller engines, driving pumps which elevate the water 

 into the upper reservoir through a pipe about one-fourth of a 

 mile in length. This pumping pipe is also used as a distribut- 

 ing main, being connected with the distributing pipes ; and 

 while the engines are running, the entire service connected 

 with the upper reservoir is supplied directly from the pumps. 

 This mode of using the pump main, for the double purpose of 

 an inlet and outlet, has proved an unfavourable experiment. 

 All means of circulation are prevented, and the water, becom- 

 ing stagnant, has a bad taste and odour, and gives rise to a 

 great deal of complaint. The reservoirs are built of earth em- 

 bankments, the inside slopes paved with brick. These works 

 have cost about $700,000, and supply 50,000 inhabitants with 

 water. 



Alleglianij City. — The population of this city in 1850 was 

 22,000. Cost of works, to January 1st, 1853, $331,4-i2-12. 

 The water is obtained from the Alleghany river, by means of 

 two steam-engines, which are duplicates from the same patterns 

 as those at the upper works in Pittsburg. The water is raised 

 to a height of 206 feet, through a pump main about 1000 feet 

 in length. The reservoir is of earth embankment, and will hold 

 10,000,000 gallons. 



Buffalo.— The waterworks of this city are owned by a com- 

 pany. The water is taken from the Niagara river, and is car- 

 ried into the pump well, through a tunnel cut through the rock, 

 under the Erie Canal. The water is raised to the reservoir, by 

 means of two Cornish Bull-engines, cylinder 50 inches diameter, 

 and 10 feet stroke. The reservoir is of earth embankment, and 

 will store 13,000,000 gallons. These works have cost upwards 

 of §100,000. Population of the city about 60,000. 



Albany. — The city of Albany is supplied with water from 

 Patroon's Creek, across which, about sis miles from the Hudson 

 river, an embankment of earth, 40 feet in height, has been built ; 

 thus forming a retentive reservoir, called Rensselaer lake, cover- 

 ing an area of 30 acres, and containing about 160,000,000 gal- 

 lons of water. From thence the water is conducted by gravi- 

 tation through a brick aqueduct about 4 miles in length, to 

 Bleecker reservoir, from whence it is distributed in the usual 

 manner. A further supply is delivered to the lower part of the 

 city, through iron pipes, laid directly from Watervliet lake. 

 This artificial lake is on the same stream with, and about four 

 miles below Rensselaer lake, and was formed by constructing a 

 dam, 25 feet in height, across the stream. It overflows about 

 20 acres, and contains 30,000,000 gallons. These works are 

 capable of delivering 10,000,000 gallons daily, and have cost 

 about §800,000. Population of the city about 60,000. 



Neio York is supplied with water from the Croton river, 

 across which a dam, 40 feet in height, is constructed, forming 

 the Croton lake, covering an area of 400 acres, and containing, 

 at the depth of 6 feet, an available supply of 500,000,000 gal- 

 lons of water. From thence the water is carried, by means of 

 a brick aqueduct (except at the crossings of the Haarlem river 

 bridge, and the Manhattan Valley, where inverted syphons of 

 the respective dips of 12 feet and 105 feet are used), about 38 

 miles in length, and having a total fall of 44 feet, to the receiv- 

 ing reservoir, which covers 37 acres of ground, and has capacity 

 of 150,000,000 gallons. From this reservoir the water is con- 

 ducted through iron pipes to the distributing reseiToir, from 

 whence it is distributed in the usual manner. This reservoir 



is built of stone, covers an area of four acres, and contains 

 21,000,000 gallons, when full to the top water line. These 

 works are capable of supplying 30,000,000 gallons per day, have 

 cost between §13,000,000 and §14,000,000, and supply water 

 to more than half-a-million of people. An enlargement of the 

 works is now in contemplation, by which the quantity of water 

 delivered daily will be materially increased. 



Philaclelpliia — Fairmount Waterworks. — At the Fainnount 

 waterworks the water is raised from the Schuylkill river, by 

 means of water power. A dam, 1149 feet in length, and 13-J 

 feet in height, above low tide, is constructed. From this dam 

 water is supplied to run eight breast-wheels, and one " Jonval 

 turbine," each driving a double-acting force-pump. The water 

 is forced to a height of 96 feet, through mains of 16 inches dia- 

 meter, varying in length from 183 to 433 feet. On the hill at 

 Fairmount are four reser\'oirs, containing, in the aggTegate, 

 22,031,976 ale gallons, and at a distance of three-fourths of a 

 raileisafifth reseiToir, containing 16,646,247 ale gallons, making 

 the total storage of the Fairmount works equivalent to 38,678,223 

 ale gallons. During the year 1852 the average quantity of 

 water pumped daily was 5,731,744 gallons, which was distri- 

 buted in a district containing 26,821 houses, in which there 

 were 27,592 ratepaj^ers. The cost of these works to January 

 1st, 1853, was §3,247,894. These works were the first of any 

 importance erected in the United States, and have served as a 

 model for almost every city in the country. 



Spring Garden Watericorlcs. — The districts of Spring Gar- 

 den and Northern Liberties are supplied with water from sepa- 

 rate works, erected upon the Schuylkill, about a mile above 

 Fairmount. Three condensing engines are in use, which force 

 the water to a height of 115 feet, into an earth embankment 

 reservoir. There are three pump mains, two of 18 inches and 

 one of 20 inches cTiameter, and 3300 feet in length. The dis- 

 trict of Kensington is also supplied by independent steam- 

 power works, situated upon the Delaware river. These works, 

 however, I did not examine. 



Boston is supplied with water from Lake Cochituate, formerly 

 called Long Pond, from which it is conducted by means of a 

 brick aqueduct (except at the crossing of the Charles river, 

 where there is an inverted syphon of 58 feet dip), 15 miles in 

 length, with a fall of 4i feet, to the Brooklyn reservoir. This 

 reservoir covers an area of 22J- acres, and has a capacity of 

 89,909,730 wine gallons. From the Brooklyn reservoir the 

 water is conducted through iron pipes to three distributing re- 

 servoirs, as follows : one on Beacon Hill, in Boston Proper, 

 capacity 2,678,968 gallons ; the second on Telegraph Hill, in 

 South Boston, capacity 7,508,246 gallons ; and the third on 

 Eagle Hill, in East Boston, capacity 5,691,816 galloiis. From 

 these reservoirs the water is distributed by means of iron jDipes. 

 The basin containing the water on Beacon Hill is 15 ft. 8 in. 

 deep, supported on arches, the whole being a massive structure of 

 granite, the walls of which, on Derne Street, are 581 feet high, 

 and in the rear of Mount Vernon Street, 40 ft. 8 in. high. The 

 other reservoirs are of the earth embankment kind. The water 

 is carried across the channel of Chelsea Creek to East Boston, 

 in a 20-inch flexible pipe, with swivel joints, and of nearly 

 double the ordinary thickness. During the year 1852, these 

 works delivered 8,125,842 wine gallons per day, to a population 

 of about 140,000. To January 1st, 1863, the works had cost 

 §5,370,818. 



Chicago. — ^The city of Chicago, for the last two years, has 

 been engaged in constnicting water works, which are now so 

 far advanced, that they will be brought into use within a short 

 time. An inlet pipe, made of pine staves, SO inches diameter, 



