The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-06-28
For tie Jcferson,an Democrat.
Ancient Modes Of Drawing Water.
TNo ol

NIChb To WHtCh 1T LED.
In wells and csierns Of considerable |
depth. the cistern. pole was exchanged for
the cord, as being most convenient. Its
use in this capacity dates back TO very
early period, as is apparent from the curb.
stones Of the wells IN the ancient city Of
Cana. and elsewhere. and OF the cisterns
Of Alexandria in Egypt, which are found
covered over with deep grooves. worn by
the attrition Of the corn in drawing water.
II was, In ancient as in modern times,
considered an indispensable part Of the
outfit Of every Oriental traveller, and
hence the woman OF Samaria WAS greatly
surprised at the saying Of Christ, and an
swered him "Sir, the well is deep, aud
thou hast nothing to drop ,cith !. whence,
then. has thou that living water %
When it was desired to change the d.
rection of the force in drawing water, or
10 substitute the strength of animals for
that of man. the cord, with the buckle;
suspended at one end. was passed over a
pulley, and the man or OK, having the
other, walked from the well distance
equal TO its depth. which brou yht the
vessel Of water 10 the surface. Oxen are
thus employed in various parts Of the
East, at the present day, and. at one
place in Ilindostan. five or six. with as
many puiieys, may be seen simultaneous
ly AT work At the same well. AT the pc
troi, um wells Of Birma. on the other
hand, men are now, rs they were n an-
cicnt times, exclusively employed in
raising the oil. These wells are about
one hundred in number, varying from
1870 to 270 feet in depth, and the yield OF
oil, wich has continued undis,urbed for
the last $500 years, is equal to the de-
mand in South Eastern Asia, where it is
largely used.
The Use Of the cord and pulley IN ele-
waiting water, is very ancient. Lryard
found carved upon blocks Of stone, among
the ruins Of Nineveh. men in the net OF
drawing wafer. with this device and, in
Egypt. a pulley Of Tamarick wood, with
part OF the cord attached, was discov-
cred. during the excavations in one Of the
earlier cities Of ,ha, country, and is sup
posed to reach back 10 the days OF Abra.
ham. This is preserved in ihe museum
Of Leyden.
BY attaching q bucket 10 each end o.
the rope, SO that one nigh, he filling while
the other was emptying, twice the guam
,ity Of water was raised in the same time
Agricols describes this form Of the device
as common 10 various par's Of the Ro'
man Empire, and especially among the
Calls and Germans. When animals were
employed in elevs,ing water with this de
wise. each bucket was suspended from q
separate pulley. and the cord passed on.
ward, round the axis OF . cspstan or
tread wheel. This, however, had the
same Inconvenience attending the other
forms Of the cord and bucket. viz the
vessel could not be raised to the surface
and sunk again. without reversing the
motion: This objection was overcome, a
very early period, in the following way
bell. either round or fat. and OF sufi
cient length to reach the water. was sus
, pended from an appropriate wheel abov
. the well, having series OF woodeI
or metallic vessels secured 10 il. at inter
walls Of two or three fert apart, forming
: belt Of buckets, which, by the rotation O
= the wheel, caused the buckets to be as
cending auc descending at the same time
!. This, slightly modified. was Introduce
into the towering mills Of the Unite'
States, by our countryman, Oliver Evans
J. in the year 1875. and by him called "Th
Elevators" name which it still retainl
!! This device, which was variously moo
. fled by different nations, was called b
4 AgricOla and other Roman writer's, eth
Chain OF Buckets" When one chai
only was used. il was secured TO the side
or passed through the bottom of eac
vessel when two were used, the bucket
. were suspended between them. In Italy
+" there were usually metallic cylinders
t about two feet long. six inches in diane
J. ter. and open at the top; 10 Egypt an
some other places, earthern ware vessel
were employed, and it was then terme'
{ 1.-The Chain of Pots" This last is sti
= = used at Joseph's Well, which is e97 fee
!. deep, and is supposed 10 be the one b.
a which water was elevated from the Eu
}. pirates 10 the top Of the Hanging Garden
d Of Babylon. This was very efiicien
4 means Of raising water, and WAS EN-
u ployed in those wells and cisierns tha
! were too deep for the Noria
a u Another variation of this devise, use,
in shallow wells, consisted in substituting
d for the buckets elastic bulls, of a size sui
n ficient to Gil the orifice Of tube through
o which they were drawn, as the wheel re
volved. The water, being forced up be
} fore them, issued from the side of th
y. - tube, as in the modern pump. 10 which
a ultimately led for, in those wells an
d cisterns only few feet deep, for the rop
% and string OF balls they substituted a roc
g with one ball, having v0lve opening Up
l. toord. This was worked by hand, an
was the simplest form Of the lifting pump
and is described by Vitruvius and Ag
10 ricola 1t was observed that the waite
l. followed the movable ball as is rose, and
y 10 stop its descent, a second ball wa
s. placed in the tube below the movable one
y with vdlve opening upward, which mad
" the rude outline OF the modern dtn'o'
', phsrie or suction pump. The principle
70 OF the common pump we're well unde'
stood by The ancients, but, for varioI
10 reasons, the device was not very niue
IL used. The reason assigned by Aristot
and others, why water followed th
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