TANKS AND CISTERNS. 



521 



overflowing when they are full : for this 

 purpose the discharging orifice in their 

 bottoms should be furnished with a brass 

 bush, into which the gauge-pipe ought to 

 be inserted. 



Wooden cisterns are objectionable, 

 from their facility of decay ; but they 

 may be preserved for years by being- 

 kept thoroughly pitched within. 



Of late years slate cisterns have be- 

 come much used, and of their great 

 utility there can be no doubt. They are 

 not expensive, are very neat, of great 

 durability, and communicate no delete- 

 rious qualities or taste to the w T ater. Stone 

 cisterns are, where pavement abounds, 

 an excellent substitute for slate ; but on 

 account of the extra labour upon them in 

 most places, they become more expensive. 



We have recently erected thirty water- 

 tanks in a new garden in the course of 

 formation. Those in the hothouses are 

 placed under the floor-level, to save room. 

 They are of Caithness pavement, squared 

 and half-checked at the joints, and are 

 6 feet long, 4 feet broad, and the same in 

 depth : they are formed of one stone of 

 the above dimensions for a bottom, each 

 side and end being also formed of one 

 stone, with another of the same size as 

 the bottom for a cover. The joints are 

 put together with the best white lead; 

 and they are firmly packed all round 

 with the soil of which the borders are 

 composed. They are batted together at 

 the upper corners with lead instead of 

 iron bats, the former being not liable to 

 oxidise. Those which are placed above 

 the surface are polished on all sides, and 

 batted together at both top and bottom 

 corners : each is furnished with a brass 

 valve at the bottom, into which the 

 wastewater pipe is fixed : to the bottom 

 of the valve another leaden pipe is at- 

 tached, conveying the water to the main 

 sewer, which carries off all the drainage 

 and waste water, first to similar tanks in 

 the garden, and from them to a drain 

 beyond the boundary of the enclosed 

 ground. These are, of all tanks, the 

 cheapest and the best. 



Cast or wrought iron in plates is, of all 

 materials for this purpose, the cheapest 

 and most durable, next to slate or Caith- 

 ness pavement. Such cisterns are formed 

 in five parts, the bottom in one piece, 

 and each of the sides and ends also in 



VOL. I. 



one piece, flanged at the edges, so as to 

 fit exactly together, and kept so by 

 means of screw bolts and nuts. If the 

 castings are not very fair, the joints are 

 easily made good with rust, white lead, 

 or any of the means used in fitting to- 

 gether hot-water pipes. The pieces are 

 cast barely one quarter of an inch in 

 thickness, and malleable ones may be 

 had even thinner. Of course, when we 

 say that the sides may be cast in one 

 piece, we mean cisterns not exceeding 

 3 feet by 5 ; but larger ones may be 

 made by joining several pieces together, 

 of which many beautiful examples may 

 be seen on every railway in the kingdom. 



Rain or soft water tanks may be made 

 of any form fancy may suggest. We 

 may however observe that, if of brick, 

 oval, circular, or oblong forms are the 

 best; and if of courses of hewn stone or 

 pavement, or slate set on edge, square or 

 oblong ones should be preferred. Such a 

 cistern may be constructed as follows : — 

 The bottom is well puddled and covered 

 with pavement, jointed with Mulgrave 

 cement. The puddle of the bottom must 

 be continuous with that of the sides, for 

 obvious reasons. The side walls are 

 carried up 9 inches thick in front, with 

 a space of 4 inches, for puddle, between 

 them and another 4-inch brick wall on 

 the other side. If this 4-inch puddle is 

 of good material, well wrought, and not 

 used too soft, the bricks may be set in 

 common mortar, the face of the walls 

 all round being well grouted with cement 

 when finished, and allowed to become 

 perfectly dry before the water is let in. 



We have also made perfectly water- 

 tight tanks, by forming the bottom of 

 paving bricks set in concrete, and 

 the sides of two 4-inch w r alls, with a 

 space of 2 inches between them, which, 

 as the side walls rise, is filled in with 

 Mulgrave cement, and slates set edge- 

 ways in it. The whole speedily sets into 

 one solid mass, and retains the water 

 completely. These tanks are, however, 

 under ground, and are finished at top 

 with a course of 3-inch stone coping. 

 The cement ties the walls together : if 

 headers were used, they might not keep 

 in the water so well. Were it not for 

 the pressure of the water within, and 

 their having no counter resistance from 

 without, we do not doubt but that such 



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