﻿COLLAPSE 
  OF 
  A 
  RESERVOIR. 
  397 
  

  

  there 
  was 
  an 
  hiatus 
  produced 
  within 
  the 
  main, 
  and 
  cavities 
  therewith 
  

   communicating, 
  which 
  caused 
  the 
  atmospheric 
  pressure 
  to 
  be 
  inade- 
  

   quately 
  resisted, 
  and 
  consequently 
  the 
  reservoir, 
  as 
  one 
  of 
  those 
  cavi- 
  

   ties, 
  was 
  crushed. 
  No 
  doubt 
  the 
  pressure 
  of 
  the 
  spring 
  water, 
  in 
  which 
  

   the 
  reservoir 
  was 
  situated, 
  co-operated. 
  At 
  times 
  our 
  springs 
  rise 
  

   much 
  nearer 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  earth 
  than 
  at 
  others. 
  

  

  When 
  steam 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  pass 
  through 
  a 
  pipe 
  into 
  cold 
  water, 
  a 
  suc- 
  

   cession 
  of 
  expansions 
  and 
  condensations 
  ensue, 
  producing 
  much 
  noise 
  

   and 
  mechanical 
  jarring, 
  consequent 
  to 
  the 
  alternate 
  absorption 
  and 
  ex- 
  

   pulsion 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  Agreeably 
  to 
  the 
  rationale 
  respecting 
  the 
  col- 
  

   lapse 
  of 
  the 
  reservoir, 
  these 
  effects 
  should 
  be 
  productive 
  successively 
  

   of 
  an 
  inward 
  and 
  an 
  outward 
  pressure 
  upon 
  the 
  surfaces 
  of 
  the 
  pipes 
  

   employed. 
  

  

  Some 
  years 
  ago, 
  a 
  pipe 
  was 
  submitted 
  to 
  me 
  by 
  Mr 
  Ewing, 
  which, 
  

   while 
  situated 
  as 
  above 
  described, 
  had 
  been 
  crushed 
  by 
  a 
  force 
  which 
  

   seemed 
  to 
  have 
  exceeded 
  any 
  which 
  could, 
  under 
  any 
  circumstances, 
  

   be 
  expected 
  from 
  the 
  pressure 
  of 
  the 
  atmosphere. 
  Possibly 
  an 
  adhe- 
  

   sion 
  between 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  the 
  metallic 
  surface, 
  may 
  co-operate 
  in 
  the 
  

   production 
  of 
  such 
  results. 
  

  

  VOL. 
  V. 
  — 
  5 
  B 
  

  

  