Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-05-25
The City Water Works.

We visited the fountain head of the city
Water Works this morning, and were kindly
shown about the premises By Superintendent
Boyuton, and Engineer Cramer. The frat
thing that attracts the eye of q visitor, as he
enters the large brick building from the
west, is the massive engines weighing about
one hundred tons, and resting upon solid
masonry, built up from the bedrock below
/ The main engine is 800 horse power and
is said by competent engineers to be a mas
terpiece. Every casting is perfect, and the
whole machinery built in the best aud most
substantial manner. II can be run upon
either high or low pressure, but for ordinary
domestic supply low pressure will be used
The rotary engine, weighing about sixty
hundred, is $50 horse power. Two en-
gines are necessary, for the reason that the
machinery must be kept working all of the
time, and should it be necessary to stop one
for repairs or other purposes, the other can
do the work. There are 6 gang and ro-
tary pumps. We step from the engine into
the boiler room. Here are two mammoth
} boilers. The main one being feet in
diameter by IA feet in length, with sixty:
seven 81 inch return tubes. Ii is calculated
that for ordinary supply from Is to %
pounds Of steam will be sufficient, but In
order to be prepared for FIRE or any emer-
gency, another boiler has been put in. 1t
is called the Holly Patent, and, engineers
say, IS bound to revolutionizs the entire
. system of boiler making. 1t is an up
right, and has diameter of 7
! feet, with height of eight. There is 4
inches Of water space round the shell, and
8 inside one hundred and one-hAlf inch fire
fues, ulso 264 water tubes running down
: into the furnace. Il will be seen by this
5 that an immense heating surface Is given
: more than doubling the amount in ordinary
boilers, and it is claimed, BY the inventor
II ths; IS pounds Of steam can be raised il
g 6 minutes from the starting of the fire il
y the furnace. The boilers are so construct
ed that one or both can be used at time
= A fan OF blower running into tho furnaces
J. has been put in, aud should a Ire bIeal
rs out in the city, eheu the engine is ruunInj
g. upon low pressure at 10 pounds Of steam
nd il be necessary to iIc ease the power
E. both engines eau he worked a. high press
u ure. Ere put under the Holly boiler, the ia
If. used, and in ten minutes the engines wi
be working with - pounds. Of steam OF
~ Not bad showing.
ne The superintendent states that the troubl
@F with the foundation pu; them back abot
H. two weeks, but the work is ROW going o
finely, and the foundation will be fnishe
ne to-day. The l6 inch pipe connecting wit
the river will also be put in and the work {
Us putting in the IA inch discharge pipe cor
oy Meeting with the main on Illinois stree
CT commenced.
II no unforeseen obstacle intervenes, it
'e calculated that steam will be made With
- 10 days. OF course, the machinery bein
new, it will be necessary TO run it for sever
80 days for the purpose of testing it, and pr
" pairing it for work, but, the people Of Roc
,b Island will soon be enjoying tbs bened
= and advantages ACQUIRING from the compl
- ton Of this work, the result Of their ov
d, enterprise, industry aud labor