The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-12-06

BEACON HILL REsERvoIE.-This great struc-
ture is now finished, and the water OF Lake Co
chituate has been introduced into the city Of Bos-
ton, in presence Of several members Of the city
government, and large number Of spectators
The basin contains about three millions of gallons
Of water-a supply, it is estimated, sufficient for
all the inhabitants Of the city for a space Of eight
days. The following description OF The ReaervoiT
which IS copied from the ohronolype, win give an
idea of its proportions and appearance:
The Reservoir looks strong and tight enough to
hold the water which will be let up into it on Fri
day morning. Were it scOoPed out of a single
block Of solid crystalline granite il would not be
stronger or tighter. The basin is surrounded by a
wall, or rather double wall, twelve teet thick aud
its bottom is laid with concrete mixture Of gravel
and cement, which begins with being about as hard
as granite and grows harder forever. The water
rises into the Reservoir through two pines u
inches in diameter, coming up perpendicularly
through the floor from the general system, one at
the southeast and the other at the southwest corner
AT the southwest corner is fixed a waste gate bv
which the reservoir may be emptied and cleansed
at any time. At the same corner, just under the
coping at the top, is 4 suce-way to prevent an
only to the coping within IS inches of the top but
by stopping the sluice il will rise higher.
The site occupied by the reservoir is not exactly
a square, but nearly So and not far ftom 200 feet
on each side, enclosing about ain acre. But the
slope and the massive walls occupy so much room
that the basin the inside but a little
more than 100 feet square, enclosing, not three
quarters, but considerably more than half acre.
Ii is l6eet deep, including the coping and is esti-
mated to contain 100000 Of gallons. Near the
bottom is slope made Of concrete, filing the angle
between the wall and the floor. This is designed
to strengthen and secure the interior wall which
rests on the platform and does not rise like the
outer one from the ground. The floor on which the
immense mass OF water will rest, at an elevation
far above the tops Of most houses in the city, is
not supported by pillars, but by II massive walls
turned with arches running parallel to Derne street,
except the short arches at right angles with that
direction on the DerHe-street side.
The principal facade in Derne street is unique
and grand in its effect. The tall narrow arches
the commemorative tablets, and the heavy coping,
"a feet above the pavemeut-founing, with the
dental projections in the frieze beneath it, fine
cornice or crown-give it bold and original char
acler. ltstands out from all buildings in its
unity and grandeur.
Ascending by the solid ,corkscrew stairs inserted
in the southeast corner, you emerge upon the lofty
coping, and find il broad enough to drive coach
round the basin upon it, As there is railing on
either side, one walks with some crawling sense
ton Of the toes between the two precipices-ihe
street and the busiu-loolting down into The sky
lights Of the houses on all sides but one, and on
terms Of perfect equality with the garrets Of the
Mount Vernon-street gentry. The view of the city
and Charlestown from this lofty level is very fine.
This mighty fabric, really much larger than it
seems on account of It's simplicity has used up
$4,000 cubic yards of granite and 5000 Of concrete
In ALL it includes about $4,000 cubic yards Of ma
sonry, weighing not less than 10000 tons For
the last six months the materials have been raised
at the rate OF $50 tons per day.