The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-04-03
Reservoir on Beacon Hill, Boston.

This magnificent work is now nearly fin
ished The water was let in for the first
time on Monday last. and is now let in over
night, and drained off in the morning. 1t
rises into the basin, through two pipes "a
inche in diameter, one at the south east
aud the other at the southwest corner.
There is gate at the southwest corner, by
which means the reservoir may be emptIed
and cleansed; and just under the coping is
a waste-weir, to let off the surplus water.
The water is to rise 10 the coping, within
1S inches of the top. The basin is sur
rounded by a double wall, twelve feet thick.
The bottom is laid with mixture Of ce-
ment and gravel, called concrete, which
becomes as hard as a rock, aud over this is
pavement Of brick.
The structure is about 600 feet on each
side, and covers about an acre. The ba-
sin measures on the inside about 160 feet
square, II is l6 feet deep, and will hold
8, 900, 900 gallons.--Ths floor is supported
by IA massive walls, turned with arches
running parallel with perne street, except
the short arches at right angles with that
direction on the Derne st. side.--1he ap-
pearance of the immense pile from Derne
aod Hancock streets is grand and imposing;
aud the view from the top 1.-The ascent to-
which is by flight of stairs] is very fine.
You stand above the tops Of the house,
except a few on the top of the Hill. and
take in at one view East Boston, Chelsea,
Charlestown, and East Cambridge, and
look down npon the city of Boston below.
This huge fabric contains abou, 700, 900
cubic feet of masonry, weighing not less
than 7O, 900 tons. For six months, $50 tons
have been raised per day. IL has swallow
ed up $1,000 cubic yaads of granite, and
9 900 of concrete. 1t does great credit to
the architect, aud to the enterprising con-
tractors, and will be, for ages to come, to
Boston, what those immense hydraulic
works, now in ruins, have beeu to the great
cities of the East.
Under this pile are immense rooms for
storage which, we sincerely hope, may new
er he desecrated for strong alchoholic
liquors.
The contractors by whom this great
work has been constructed, are Messrs.
Conder, Case & Co., gentlemen Of extern
sive enterprise and skill, the senior partner
being engaged in the construction of vari-
Gus public works, now in progress in Mary
land and Pennsylvania. The manner in
which their great contract has been per-
formed, reflects the highest credit upon
their capacity for such undertakings. The
difficult work has been accomplished with
remarkable quietness aud good order, and
without the annoyance to citizens which
generally attend such works. The con-
tractors have left behind them good name,
and have secured themselves many friends,
by their uniform courtesy and genieInanly
bearing II Boston Atlas.
| 90 The spirit Of trade hates intellect as
the mole hates the light. But can any one
give any other reason for this aversion than
stupid envy and conscious inferiority: II
cannot be merely by a standard Of thrift that
they are so universally condemned. There
is no literary man of any repute, and no art
list, who cannot realize more, il actual mon
ey, by his labor, than most of the trades
men lovers who would lie preferred in their
place. And the livelihood thu. gained is
not only larger but more stable. the materi.
al being inalicnable except with life or rem
son. Add to this q delicacyI Of taste, and
qualities of heart and mind which are rare.
ly cradled in counting house or behind q
counter, and the advantage seems quite tc
overweigh on the side Of the man who i've,
by the gifts Of nature. What can be th,
secret Of this instructive aversion, z asl
again. Possibly. among other and simila,
reasons, there may be dread that the uuicl
eye of talent may detect the mean secret
Of an interior to which the ostentatjous ex
terior by no means corresponds. Is il thi
dread of true cIimation and sietec iion rha
makes Mammon so invariably the enemy o
Genius! rs AlueT oGR ,stsa1g ~
i At the last dates from San Francisco