, 1873-10-21
THE CIVIL ENGINEERS.


by MIR. ChcsbronErt ON the Conveys
nnco OF Water aud Repairs of Pipes
Under Navtgnblc Streams.
The Club OF Civil EngineorB Of tho Northwest
hold their thirty-ninth mocting ycasorday oven-
Ing, In the looturo-room Of the Academy Of eoi-
encos No. 2G3 Wabash ayonuc. City Enginoor
q. 8. CheRbrougil, President, in tho chair, Af-
tor reading tho minutes Of tho preceding moot
ing, tho election Of mombarB previously nom-
lnatod being In order, William y. McHarg,
Assistant -Enginoer, Sewerage Department,
Chicago, and Edward L. Billings, voro oloctod
mombors. Mr. N1illard s. Popo. President Of
tho Detroit Bridge and Iron Works, proposed tho
nnrao Of Wm. L. Dakor, Of Detroit, and tho
nomination went over, under the rl1c, to noxt
meeting.
hr. Z. s. OheBbrough. President Of tho Club,
then road very interesting paper upon tho
"Convoyance Of Water and the Repairs OF Pipes
undor Navignblo etrenma." The existence Of
navigablo streams In tho heart Of n city had,
until late years, beon considered great obstacle
to tho conveyance Of water by pipe acroBB them.
Wherever fixed bridges woro uaod, Of oourse,
tho pipe could DO carried acrosg without
difficulty, but whore thoro wore draws, It would
DO necessary to havo pipes along the bottom. or
in tunnels. Tho Babylonans aro said to have
had tunnel beneath the EuphrateB, but very
little is known about it. The oarliost instance
of carrying water accrosa Btteams was TINT Of
Watt, Of Glasgow. Tho next instance, aB in
tho case Of Watt, by 1oxiblo pipes, was that en-
ploved by William s. Whitweu, betwoon Boston
and Chelsea. Wards joiut, comparatively re-
cent invention, by it's economy, simplicity, and
pipes, aud has several patented improvements.
Another plan adopted at the crossing Of
the Charles and Mystic Rlvors by the
Boston Wator-Works, was to lay the pipes
ey so side Of exssng pilS bridges
tons, and to plaoe inverted ByphonB under the
chaunols at tho draws. Theso Inverted Bypllons
Woro put togother on shore, and wore made by
boxing around tile pipo with heavy timber, hav-
ing sufficient spaee between tho cast,iron pipo
| aud the wood to DO filled with cement to protect
tho iron from tho corrosive action Of saltwater.
AL pipes passing under water should be pro-
vdod with aomo meana OF removing from them
deposits. When not large enough to admit . man,
thoy should be provided with +" "blow-oirs" noar
the surface Of the water. The great importance
Of being ablo to reach at oil times. break or de-
feet has led to tho adoption of tunnels under
| navigable waters. Tho first on record in this
| Boston, passing under tho Charles River, though
thore nro now many in use In this country and
| Europe
Nlr. Ohosbrough proceeded to describe eomo OF
tho diIioultioH Of repairing pipes beneath the
suriaco Of the water, illustrating tho subject by
| reforonoo to the leaks repaired In tho Chioago
| avenuc and Rush street pipes bononth tue river
In this city. III these cases tho pipes first used
wcro simply maio OF boiler iron, Joined togotllor
md sunk into trenches III tho bottom, formed by
dredging. They were often injured by nnohors,
driving piles, oto, and therefore tunhols Ind
| been made at Rush street, Adams Btroet, Chi
eago avenue, Archer avenue, and two boneatl
| Division street. There was also 8G-inch pipo
laid through the LaSalle atroot tuupol. Tie
othor pipes were 24-inoh luid in tunnels six feet
IN diameter This gives quite sufficient room
| for tl,a workmon to make any needed ropairB.
Tho paper concluded with detailed account CT
tho accident Which occurred to tho main pipe at
Rush street in October, 1879, and Mr.. 0hes-
brough closed with brief account of the work
being douo at tho crib on tho now tunnel shnft,
as described in THE TRIBUNE recently.
On notion tho Executive Committee was an-
thorizod to make arrangements with tho Trus-
tees OF tho Academy Of Sciences relative to tic
use of tho leoture-room for club meetings, and
space therein for a bookcase. voto of THINKS
was tendered to tho Trustees for the uso OF tho
room for last evening. vote Of thauks was
alao voted to President Cheabrough for Lis able
and Interesting paper. On tho adjournment Of
| tho club, Mr.. Clnabroueh set in motion tho ap-
! paratus for the illustration OF Dr. Andrews
theory Of tho goyaers, and explained it to tic
| satisfaction Of all prosont.