Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-08-19
Editorial Correspondence.
CHICAGO, Aug. Is, 1870.


DEAR CHRONICLE One of the most in
teresting visits me have made during our
stay in the city, was at the far'famed CHI
cago city water works. The building of
the Lake Tunnel has naturally demanded
other improvements, so that within the past
two years all the old buildings have been
taken down and new and more commodi-
Gus ones erected. These buildings are the
handsomest of which the city can boast;
the style of architecture is Gothic, and
built altogether of solid stone; the whole |
buildings are of a most permanent charac-
ter. The dimensions of the engine room
are 142 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 80
feet from floor to ceiling. Midway be-
tween the floor and ceiling and extending
around the entire building, is handsome
and substantial gallery protected by
fancy Gothic iron railing. From this bal
cony the visitor IS enabled to see the vari-
Gus operations and movements of the
mighty engines below and the watchful
care Of their masters, the engineers.
The gallery is reached by two flights Of
spiral stairways built of iron, and on
either side are rooms designed for the off,
ces one side is divided off into drawing
rooms and sleeping apa, tments for the &C
commodation of the engineers; the others
are commissioners rooms, reception rooms,
&c.,. Below the main floor and extending
the whole length and breadth Of the build
ing, is a space where the huge pumps, de-
livery mains, and several engines are kept;
store rooms, furnaces and boilers, coal
houses, and other convenient rooms are
on this floor. From the floor Of this large
basement the pump wells connected with
the lake tunnel descend.
From between the two boilers huge
chimney, or smoke stack arises. This
structure is 10 feet square to point 80
feet high; it then assumes an octagon
shape, gradually tapcring to the summit,
which is 1870 feet from the ground
While in this apartment we learned that
these vast engines were constantly kept at
work, day and night, Sundays and holi-
days. Here we saw two mighty furnaces
which together consume from 81 to SO
tons Of coal every "a hours. This seems
almost incredible but when it is consider
ed that these engines are among the most
powerful that have ever been constructed,
and are never allowed to be idle for mo-
ment, and that the average amount of wa.
ter used by the city, daily, is from $4,000,
900 to % 100000 of gallons, it is not to
be wondered at so much.
There is still constant demand for
more water. There is now in process of
erection another powerful engine. The
length of new water pipe laid in the city
last year, was 80 miles and 2,eO0 feet.
The total length of water pipe is over 200
miles. 59sa a7a ii
The water Lwcr is the most imposing
feature ac>ong the whole map Of buildings,
and like the rest of the works is built of
solid stone. 1t is claimed to be the most
| substantial and beautiful structure of the
kind on this whole continent it stands
about 106 feet from the main building;
its foundations are perfectly strong start
ing at depth of 20 feet below the surface.
| The structure is built upon 162 heavy
piles, all the space between them is filled
in with cement. This tower is of an oc.a-
gon shape, and rises to the giddy height
of l54 feet. The top is surmounted with
an iron cupola with numerous windows,
| and here we obtained the most magnificent
view of the lake, the city, and surround
ing country, the only obstruction being
| the smoke from thousands of chimneys.-
We counted over 40 sailing vessels on the
lake; steamboats,, sloops, fishing boats,
pleasure boats, tugs, canal boats, and. in
fact, almost every kind of craft that floats
on the water, could be seen. The crib,
though two miles away, looked as though
it was almost down at our feet From the
base SO inch wrought iron stand pipe
ascends to the height of 1873 feet, and
around this pipe leading to the summit, is
substantial spiral stairway of PA steps
The road upwards is lighted with altcrna-
ting windows.
Feeling well satisfied with our visit, we
descended to earth once again, gave up
the tower key to the gentemanly engineer
and started in quest Of more sights.
E. T. w.
REPREsENrAT ATOM IN THE CnuNTY CONVEY |