The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-02-23
Lockport Cor. N. Y. Times.

Lockport Cor. N. Y. Times.
The great manufacturing feature of
Lockport is the Holly Waterworks Com.
pany. This system Of supplying cities
with water has several peculiar features
about it, and appears to me to be very
far superior TO any other system in
vogue. As far as | can judge, it seems
to avoid every shortcoming that water
consumers have hitherto suffered from.
| Its main characteristics are the aboli-
ton of reservoirs and fire. engines, the
sustentation of regular supply of wa.
ter, an unerring uniformity of pres
sure, and vastly increased protection
against fire.
Mr.. Holly's plan is to place one or
more, according to the amount of water
to be supplied, of his powerful elliptical
rotary pumps within a frost proof and
| fire-proof building, Immediately at the
source of supply, no matter how fer it
may be from the city to be supplied.
This effectually does away with reser.
voirs. He is now constructing works
for Atlanta, GA. ; but the pumps are
four miles from the city. He tells me
that he could easily force water from
Lockport to Buffalo ; that it would only
depend on the size of the pipes. The
great loss of velocity in water occurs
through the friction of water against the
pipe. The larger the pipes, of course,
the less the friction. The rotatory
pump, too, is constantly revolving in
one direction and keeps up an even
and ceaseless pressure in the pipes. Not
so the suction pump, which must of me-
cessity force the water into the pipes in
shoots. This again impairs the velocity.
But the most interesting part of the
system is that part of it which regulates
the supply to the demand, and at the
same time entirely does away with the
necessity of fire-engines. The rotary
pump is constructed of sufficient
power to force twice the ordinary sup
ply of water through the pipes, if needs
be; and the pump is governed in its &C
ton by very ingenious piece of ma
chinery-the hydrostatic water supply
regula. or-which regulates the supply
Of water to varying amount on the
same principle that steam governor
regulates the supply of steam to an un-
varying amount. A sudden and rapid
increase in the consumption of water
as, for instance, in case Of fire, is in
stantly communicated to the governor
as surely the nerves momentarily
communicate the event of injury to the
bodily extremities to the brain.
Mr.. Holly places double fre-hydrant
to every block, the hose throwing a
stream 100 feet high. The moment the
hose is attached and the stream is
turned on, the governor feels it and in
stantly calls on the engine to make ten
more revolutions per minute, SO as to
keep up the regular supply. The engine
obeyS automatically. Should another
FIRE occur at the same time the provi-
dent governor calls for another ten
revolutions and so on for half dozen
fires blazing at once in different parts Of
the city. But look at the loss Of time,
and thereby the probable destruction of
property and life, which this arrange
ment saves Most large warehouses
have their own hose. In the event of
fire, the hose has only to be attached,
and the fire is out before the fire-engine
has got we'll started on its way to the
scene Of confagration. The hydrants
are provided with simple apparatus
| dll VIC WdUcI II jill tHtlu,
so that they shall not freeze. Here is
a basketful of advantages at once-put-
ting aside the great question of protec-
ton from fire! No outlay for engines,
engine,houses, and horses; fewer fire.
men to be paid; no chance of water
giving out, or decreasing in volume in
the extinguishing of large fires and no
chance of an accident to fire-engine,
which is of necessity very lightly built,
from something giving way, or the run.
ming against an OMNIBUS or the lamp
post in turning a corner. cannot but
think that Chicago would still be stand.
ing had she been furnished with the
Holly system of water works. l under
stand that the City Fathers of Chicago
did once discuss the propriety and adj
visibility of adopting it; but they un-
wisely resolved to be content with what
they had, though fully recognizing the
superiority of the Holly system. The
Chicago works cost many millions, and
entail working expenditure of $4,000
a year. Mr.. Holly says he will construct
works which shall render another Chi
cago fire impossible for $1,000, 900, and
of which the working expenses shall be
only $4,000 year.