The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-08
The City Wnter SnnnlY.

For the first time in five weeks the water
passed over the dam at Fairmount yesterday
afternoon This artificial flood was produced by
the opening of the dams of the Schuylkl Navf
CATION Company as far up the river as Reading
consequent upon an agreement between our
Chief Engineer and the officials of that corpo-
ration, to enable the boats to pass through the
canal locks. The water commenced rising in
the morning; ut 3 o'clock it overhowed and at
q O'Clock 1t passed over the temporary breast
works erected during the drought in volume
of fully eight inches. The large number of
canal boats above the dam were now set i'm
motion; the arrival of the first was signalized by
the firing of cannon, and during the afternoon
and evening n large number of boats were
'locRed through What effect this concession
will have on the supply of water for city con-
sumption, romans to be seen.
At o'clock yesterday afternoon the New
York Wrecking and fire steamer John Fuller,
anchored in the stream below the dam and in
front of the wheel-houses, commenced to pump
water into Fairmount basin. The connection
was made by means of an iron pipe, and a great
volume of water was projected, estimated by
some to reach five millions gallons daily. The
steamer is 100 feet long, with Is feet beam, Is
tlat-bottomed, and built for light water draught.
She has two Niagara steam pumps with 22-nch
square steam cylinders, and has a l6-inch
valve IN the bottom, by which the water is taken
from the river, and then forced by the above
steamers steam pumps through a large main
laid for the purpose. The steamer is especially
seryiceable and effective ut all times, and under
almost any emergency, inasmuch as if there is
water about she is capactated to pump it Ono
matter how low it may be) by means of the
wrecking suction hose, twelve inches in dame
ter, which has been heretofore fully and salts
factOrily tested
The water is being forced from below the dam
into the reservoir at an elevation of about one
hundred feet above the level of the river, and the
average working of the steamer yesterday indi-
Gated that nearly five million gallons were being
pumped in twenty-four hours, and even this is
not, by any means, her utmost capacity.
The vessel is the private property of Messrs.
j. {. Baxter IL Sons, of No. 3OS West street,
New York, and is engaged for wrecking and fire
purposes by the cities OF New York and Brook
lyn, who pay for her services, when used, ut the
following rates.
For running and lay time of steamer, before
and after pumping, per hour, Sl2; for the first
hours pumping, $50; for each hour after the
first $50. The vessel has been engaged for ten
DAYS by Chief Engineer GraeH and, both night
and day, will work necessarily. The average
expense per diem will be in the neighborhood of
$500, which is considerably less than their regu-
lar standard rates. as charged and paid in
accordance with the foregoing tariff.
In case of fire the steamer has proved its in
disputable usefulness in New York. which also
has engaged another steamer, named the 5. E.
BabcOck, for cases of emergency and of about
equal capacity and power with the John Fuller
The latter can throw eight formidable streams
at one time, and, although her more immediate
object and purpose is to protect the commerce
and save property along the river front, she is
nevertheless, provided with thousands of feet of
hose, which will extend the usefulness of the
apparatus to fire in almost any part of the city
The steamer is commanded by Captain George
w. Dewey, and Mr.. Charles II. Bahler is the
chief engineer. The greatest capacity of the
pumps is claimed to be eight thousand gallons
per minute, that is, where there is every advan-
tage both of water and natural flow without
ascent.
The water came over the dam yesterday in
immense quantities, which was caused byan arti-
fetal flood produced by the dams of the Schuyl-
kill Navigation Company being opened as far
as Reading, which enabled great number of
boats to come down the river This arrange
ment was brought about between our Chief En-
gineer and the authorities of the Navigation
Company, and has given great satisfaction. No
boat had been able to get down since Saturday
afternoon, August IA, ut o'clock, and when the
first one made its appearance yesterday after
noon at halt-past ! o'clock, cannon was fired
| to signalize the event.
Notwithstanding the very acceptable aid which
is furnished by the steamer, it must not be sup
| posed that the rigid economy which has been
| practiced can be deviated from. 1t must be re-
membered that the average daily consumption
| of water from Farmount works has been twenty
| three million gallons, and whilst the economy OF
| the last few weeks has demonstrated that a
much less quantity has been used, ii WILL never
| theless, require a continued saving of the aque-
| GUS fluid, in conjunction with the auxiliary aid
| furnished by the wrecker If this course is pur-
| sued we will likely be able to avert the melan-
| choly evils which have been of late, with sc
much reason, apprehended, and in reasonable
| time again have an ample supply for all oul
| practical purposes and wants.