, 1872-11-19
six diamonds, one about three carats.'' The gen.
tloman who wrote the letter is diamond dealer
in New York. ALGERIA.
THE Wh7ER-WOnKS.

t 10 the Ed1toT Of The Chicago Tribune:
| s1R: In to-day TRIBUNE there is an account
of the starting Of the new engines at the Water.
Works, and it WIS stated some days since thai
the Board Of Public Works and the City En-
gineer were to be there to test the engines
which implies that, if the trial should be salts.
factory, they would be accepted, and, Of course,
paid for. If such is the case, should like to
ask you and the public come questions, and
| make few remarks;
Is it considered that m engine is tested, or,
to use mlldor term, tried, when it pumps water
u feet high, when the work it is intended to
accomplish is to pump water $50 high? Is
there anything in the contract that allows the
builders Of the engines to leave them on the
hands Of the city on any such trial7 II not,
should such @ trial be accepted? And, if there
is not anything in the contract allowing such q
lc Works and the Engineer, or the people Of
the city? Or will the insurance companies
doing business in the city stand by, and, without
q protest, accept such farce Of trial, With the
immense interests they, have at stake ?
$50 feet high, that there is never a
pressure Of over so pounds to the square inch
in the pipes close BY the Water Work, wlleu
$50 feet should givo double that pressure One
more question and will finish my inquiries: !:
W
give Satisfaction with the supply Of wator that
such pressure gives them?
Having taken quite an interest in all public
works where machinery is used, especially
Chicago should be satisfied with water-works
such as this shows they have. Thinking the
present the moss suitable time hope some Of
the leading men Of the city will take interest
enough in them to Investigate the whole matter,
and lay it before the public, before the new
works are commenced. nH t}1ia NAV fA c0nHi6ere1
the finishing OF the old works and the COM
mencement Of the new ones. shall make
few comments Oh the old. and what the new
ones ought to be.
In the first place, the management has prac-
tically been in the hands Of the same. officers
from tho commencement, and they have been
granted all the money they have asked for.
They have built and put in engine after engine
to suit themselves; and now, at the finish, have
they done what they promised in regard to the
main object OF the supply of water7 They
have promised water with head Of
$50 feet, and they have bought half a block OF
ground, and have built town for the express
purpose. They have had engines erected to
suit themselves, and this morning the report
states that the new engines are capable OF
pumping $4,000, 900 gallons Of water $50 feet
high in q hours, and that the other engines will
pump a proportionate quantity to the same
height. Now, under these circumstances, how
is it that the reservoir on the North Side was re-
paired after the fire and again put in use2 Why
was not it, and the one on the West Side, laid
up, and tho engines put down to their work,
giving the $50 feet the tower and engines we're
built for? It is certain that, SO long as the
are in use, the engines cannot give
the pressure it is said they are capable OF.
II some men 1 know lad made the contract
for those engines. there would be q test some
thing Like the following in the contracts: That
they should pump 49, 060, 900 gallons of water $50
feet high in q hours, with q consumption Of
coal not exceeding 80 much. In getting up the
plans Of the new works, would it not be best to
advertise for plans for the works complete, spec
high it should be pumped, what duty the en-
gines should give, or how much coal they should
uee, putting up the duty to as high point as
possible, 80 that the City Of Chicago may have
worthy Of the name?
With water-works with pressure OF $50 or
200 feet,-which ia quite practicable with pipes
tested, as they are, to 500 or 500 feet,-see what
would be the benefits If fire should break out
il. IL the top OF the highest building in Chicago.
The watchman could get water on tho
top floor; or connect hose, without
waiting for the engines, and would often save
large buildings from being burnt; and it would
also enable a hose-cart to put on stream with
put engine, and often, in parts OF the city
have to be 90 many engines out at every alarm :;
aud 1t would give them twice as much water
from the same mains that they now get.
I am aware that it will take more coal to do
pay the whole; and, in large fires, it would givo
tho 1remen chance to get water enough, and
not be throwing only halfway to the top OF q
building, because they have not water enough |
70 fill their pumps which often is the case, and |
hey are blamed for what they cannot help.
hope that there will be q new departure in |
he building OF the new works, and if possible, |
some change in the old, as the fire OF Oct. and
he Boston fire show that We need III the pre-
:autions that are possible. FIREMAN.
CHICAGO, Nov. Is, 1879.