New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-21
THE RIDoEWooD IVA TER WORKS.


Yesterday being the date fixed for the fusl transfer
Sf the Brooklyn City Water-Works from the hands o.
Messrs welles & Co-the contractors who have con
essuced the same tie authorities OF the city tue
occion was celebrated by party, formed on the In
vtion of the contractors, to visit the engine-house
where the water is pumped from the feeding conduit
into the reservoir
About 90 guests were invited. including the Mayo
and Common Council of Brooklyn, the two Boards OF
Water Commissioners, the Engineer Board OF Con-
structiou the heads Of other City Departments Messrs
Woe dru 4 Beach, the Hartford builders of the engine,
with their Chief Engineer, Mr. Wi liam Wright who
superinended its construction and prominent Brooklyn
citizens
The WaIer Works have been nine months in opera
,;op uyder the MANAGEMENT Ct Messrs. Welles & Co.
These gentlemen completed their contract in three
wears at total cost of a. 65O00O. Tnereeervoir and
epgine-house are on the Long leland Railroad, az
distance of s. miles from the Brooklyn City Hail. The
immenae engine is a beautiful piece of machinery,
and works without a jar. The engine-room occupies
the main body of large building constructed OF brick
and trimmed with brown stone, and is 80 feet long, %
feet in width and So iD ght frou floor TO ridge
POLE On the arrival there of the special train char-
tered to convey the guests from the South Ferry to the
WORKS the Company onee gathered 10 The center TO
inspect and admire them.
From Mr. r. w. Hamilton, who oficiates as
.nRineer aided by two assistants and three hremen,
the folio wing particulars were obtained: The engine
is Of 500 horsepower aud 10 feet stroke; the cy-
Under is 90 inches In diameter, Of the largest IN
the country. The valves are worked by double
acting " cataract movement" The weight of the
wakipg-besm is 20 tuns, Of abe entire engine, about
$50 tens. The boiler is warranted To carry 30
pounds of steam, but about l6 pounds is the pres
sure in common use az which rate about revelations
per minute are obtained. With this number OF
etrokes about 70 900 900 gallons of water pumped
up every "a houIs-the total capacity of the engine
being at least Is 900 COO Fhe city only present
from three to four million gallons daily aud 90 the
DUPLICATE reservoirs holds 100 eco 000 they always con:
tain large surplus and the engine 10 not kept running
more than half the time. Seven tuns of coal are at
preeent burned daily.
The water is conveyed from Beaseey's Pond, and
other small lakes, through a emile conduit to the
well from which il is lifted by the engine 100 feet to
the reservoir through tubing 10 inches in dame
ter, and 2, 400 feet in length
The cost of this mammoth engine (which has ny
ing power according to the statement OF Mr. MeEroy
I per cent greater than the celebrated en-
cine of the Holland marshes, the largest in
Europe was about $1,000
After the company had fully inspected the working
and arrangement of the machinery, &c, all joined in
partaking Of bounteons collation. provided by the
hospitabe contractors. When all had satsedtue inner
man, the Rev. G. h. johnson called the party to-
gether, and made short prayer an introduction to
come remarks made by gentlemen present
MAY or Powell followed with brief speech, describ
ing the struggles which lad been the LOT Of the parties
who had conceived the idea Of the great enterprise
whose completion they had met to celebrate IL had
been claimed by dou5ers that there was not on Long
leland sufficient quantity Of water to supply gre It
city ike Brooklyn. Now, though the city debt had
been increased "a 500 600, his felowctzens III
the enjoyment of Heavens greatest blessing" drink
from the bubbling fountain, flowing free" One thou
sand houses in process of erection, tshed to the
benefits conferred the city by this iues mabe boon
Twenty years ago. ne had thought It madness TO pre-
dict population OF 500 900 for Brooklyn; hs now
pected within twenty years, TO count 10000 souls
within her borders.
The Rev. DIR. Kennedy was next called upon. He
saw in the engine before him greater emblem OF
power than Sampson or Goliath. He alluded to the
year A. b. 1884, when Batmorean, by the name Of
Hunt contracted to supply the City Of New York with
water from q well under Brooklyn Hight, by tubing
laid across tie river. But the Ne Workers, with
Characteristic jealousy, obtained injunction, and the
enterprise fell TO the GROUND.
Mr.. Samuel McElroy proceeded TO give some s.s-
tcs Of the proportions and capabilities Of the ma
ehinery, most of which detailed above.
Aldermen KalbAeisch, Pearson, and Dayton made
come appropriate remarks, after which, as the sun was
declining tbs assenblage took their places in the cars
and returned to their homes highly satisfied with the
successful completion of the Brooklyn WAter-Works,
and the prosperous they had witnessed Of the
future welfare Of the third city of the BUited States
We append copy of the certificate of experts Be-
lected 70 test the engine at Ridgewood
10 JAS p. HAYWOOD, esq, and VIZ. Z. MoRaIs, esq
GEETLSsHN; We have made experiments the pumping
snsBe at RdgrwoOd Snd complies with the
c both TO capacity and duty; that Is the discharge into
ehe dGrg esntinnouS hours exceeded ten
millions OF feHYok gallons; and the duty eTcesded 6Oo0
pounds pos raised foot high with peund Of
h1neral Goal
The machine Judge. hes been contracted Of
ERAsTUs w. SMITH,
FREDERICK GRAFT,
Bssoklts, jan a. 1859. W. r. WURTHEN.