The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-17

WATER FACILTIEs.-By request of the
President of the Franklin Institute, last night,
Mr.. Geyelin read before that body description
OF the great water works at Montreal, con-
structed with the Jonval turbine water wheels,
as put up by him at Paramount. There was pre-
sent large attendance of members, and the
paper was listened to with decided interest.
Montreal had III 1868, population of 10000, ana
a pumping apparatus OF uncertain capac ty, that
about one tenth OF what Fairmount supplies. The
authorities wanted 100000 gallons per Gay, lad the
fame OF lne JonVal turbine at Paramount works bad
determined them to follow copy from Philadelphia
and MIR. Geyelin was accordingly employ ed TO erect
new works. 1he ST. Lawrence river supplies Mon.
treal The water is brought IN an open canal five
miles long, from above the rapids to the site OF The
existing pumping apparatus, This canal Is thirty
thlckly frozen that nothing Dut incessant vigilance
prevented 1t from becoming soIdIfed to its very
bottom. The pumping apparatus con sisted of two
IRON breast wheels, drVng under head and
fail OF thirteen feet, with three plunge and
bucket pumps. They were built in 1884 by the
distinguished engineering firm, Messrs. William
Farbairn & Son, of Manchester, England. The ap.
paratus is fine piece OF mechanism. 1t is however
behind the time. The last and most serious objec.
tion is, judging from the report OF Mr. thomas c.
heeer that the engineer IN charge of the works did
weather has upon the open canal leading the wafer
TO the wheel-hOuse, where, under the most skllful
management one-hRlf the area of the canal was I'll ed
by ice; and this less than halt quantity brought TO
the wheel.house is hardly rendered available. The
comparative merit OF the breast-whee and the turbine
a1e mere most StrRlng 1luStl ated. When, last win
ter the breast wheels could not be used the JON
val turbines could draw water to the lowest level,
The new works at Montreal force 100000 gallons
daily loo 1eet, into a ieservoir three and one-ffJh
miles DISTANT. Eighty seven one.hundredths of
the theoretical duty il proven, were performed
by the pumps, proving that the coeffic ency
OF friction in long ascending mans is less than is
generally supposed. The speaker gave the opinion
that distant day the feasibility of forcing water
long distances will be hrOught to the serious con-
sideration of Philadelphia, as ell to Montreal.
Larger storage reservoirs are needed on the neigh
oh L and hns tIIna
By the water power that for eight months ia the year
passes over Falrmount dam. The motion in the new
Montreal works is the Jonval turbine. The pecu-
arlty of this wheel that 1t is encased in an air
ught cylinoer dlscharging the water entering it into
space 1Iom which ATMOSPHERIC air IS excluded, and
producing a tendency towards vacuum proper
tonaie to the length of the cylinder, thereby
producing, under the turbine, traction equal
BY closing the head.Rates, the water is ex-
cluded, and every part Of the turbine
powder mills, on the Brandywine, under a
waterfall of II feet, the turbines were placed by Mr.
Geyehn within three feet of the upper level. The
water is then conveyed in horizontal tube of sixty
feet in length, and then, at right les, conveyed
down the creek. The result was the same as If the
turbines had been put at the bottom OF the fall and
thereby saved q considerable amount OF exertion
lhe speaker illustrated at length, and by graphic
models, the working of the turbines. he per-
centage OF power obtained with large turbine like
those at Paramount is as high 81 per cent The
water after 1t leaves the turbine passes into an
alright cylinder, and escapes through q circular
sleeve or elescopic gate sliding on the outside of
the turbine cylinder. One of the most important
features is the step whereupon the turbine with its
shaft and weight of gear, reVoVes. For many wears
1t was held out as serious objection to their intro
ductlon as hydraulic mOors. these steps were then
made in hardened steel and bell metal, with oil as a
lubricalor; but no successful method found that
would keep the oil in place. Sluce the introduction
OF these improvements, however, the JonVal turbine
is unsurpassed IN simplicity and efficiency.
The paper Will be published in full in the
Journal OF the Franklin Institute. The show
ing by the speaker that eight months in the year
there is water enough wasted at Fairmount to
supply another city as large as Philadelphia,
was something that rather took the auditors by
surprise.