Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-09-24
FIRST EDITION.
THE WILMINGTON WATER WORKS.

| AT O'Clock, yesterday afternoon, the new
Worthington pump al the City MIL was set in
/ motion to supersede the Cornish Engine which
has for many years been the main, but precsri
| us,source of the water pupply of our city. The
| preliminary trial to test the working of the ma.
chinery was made on Monday, and reported in
the COMMERCIAL that afternoon, but the regular
trial was made, yesterday, In the presence OF
the City Council, and many of our leading bust.
ness men. The machinery worked vel " smooth
| ly and with good execution, and only express
sions of admiration were uttered by the large
number of persons present. The trial was made
| under the superinteudeDce Of Mr.. William j,
Root, the Oompany's Rgent sent on for the pur-
pose, and under his sSilful direction the pump
behaved splendidly.
DEsCRIrrroN OF THS PUMP.
The Worthington Duplex Pumping Engine is
the name by which this pump is known. The
capacity of the pump is 100000 gallons in "a
hours. Each stroke Of the engine lifts 80 gallons
or $40 gallons per revolution. It's speed is 45 sin
gle strokes to the minute lifting 5000 gallons in
that length of time. The diameter Of the high
pressure cvnder is 81 inches, and Of the low
pressure $685. inches. The. diameter of the pump
cylinder is ~ inches, and. the streke feet.
The engine Is 125 horse power, and the boilers
are 16 feet long, feet in diameter, with so g.
inch tubes in each The fire passes three times
over and through the boilers. The suction pipe
is 27 feet long, making the lift of water from
the pit to the reservoir about 1913 foet.
IT'S MANNER OF WORKING.
The Steam Cylinders are arranged on the
"Rolf principle" that s the steam . used first in
high pressure cylinder aud then exhausted into
a low pressure cylinder. This arrangement has
become very popular of late years for marine
engines. Its peculiar advantage for pumping
engine is thas it gives Uniform propulsion OF
sroke without the necessity OF the Intervention
. a. ala knI wxl.. i
used without any cut OF in the high pressure
cylinder, all the expansion taking place in the
low pressure, which III three times the ares of
high press sure.
There are Ga water 80 suction ard 80 force valves
which go subdivide the valve area that if any
thing occurs to one Of them tue whole engine il
not 10 danger, ,as s the case with The Cornish In-
gines. There are two engines side by side, one
operating The steam valve of the other and when
one piston is stopped at the end OF the stl oke
the other is not quite completing its stroke,
which keeps up auniformity OF pressure not at.
tanned by any other ongine. The pause at the
end Of the stroke gives the water valves an OPP
portunity TO seat without any pressure upon them
which accounts for the remarkable quiet motion
pump
In economy OF coal it is fully equal to any 9TH
or pumping engine in the country.
There are engines already running, of he
same style OF the one spoken of, ola total pump
ing capacity Of A
"ASNtbNNaNNo
The first one has been running almost con-
stsntly for the past nine YEARS. with very trivial
repairs, and those only what ia necessary for all
machinery. There is fine black walnut bag
ging roady to put over the Steam cylinders
reaching to the floor, which will be put on in a
few days, soon as the various joints are proven
tight. .stf Et,l tr
The baissrs uwers made for ar. woEthinrtan
by tlie Harlan g. Hollingsworth Co., and are very
satisfactory.
There is an independent feed pump for boil
ers, which pumps part OF the hot water which
flows fiom the air pumps of the main engine.
The exhaust of this feed pump is connected to
the condenser of the main ergine, thereby max
ing low pressure pump of the feed pump.
THE NEW CITY MILL
In which this pumping engine is loc ated has al
ready been fully described in these columns and
We need not repeat at tins time. We will state.
however, that the building, now conplete, is 60
by 60 feet, with CO lirg 40 feet in height L. is
we'll lighted by windows % feet high, is sur
mounted by Mansard aud is in all respects
well adapted for the purposes for which it ID in-
tended, The boier-house, 40xi0 feet, alongside
the city mill, is not yet completed, but the walls
are erected.
THE SURROUNDINGS.
Through the energy and perseverance Of Chiet
Engineer Chas. II. Gallagher, the entire sur
roundings of the city mill have been metamor-
phosed into an air of attractiveness Not con-
tent with the work within the building, his prac-
tical eye hes sought out improvements equally
demanded outside, and with admirable Skill and
Judgment he has transformed the appearance OF
thugs, generally. The yard at the west end OF the
mill has been relieved of the debris which has fill
edit for many years, and in its stead flowers bloom
and rare plants thrive and crafty the senses; q
neat picket fence surrounds the building; the
race banks opposite have been sodded and
bridge thrown across them, while very pretty
little fountain sends its streams from the bed OF
the race. These things, in conjunction with the
water works, make this another place of interest
in the city, and all Our people will receive cor
dial welcome FROM Capt. Gallagher. We under
stand that the Worthington engine will be run
ON Sunday afternoons, and that the mill will }
open to visitors.
THE TOTAL COST OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS
Will reach between $45, 900 and $50 00O of which
sun $35 600 were expended in the pump alone
The new building cost $4,000, and the remainder
has been expended in the repairs OF the water
pumps, the digging OF a pit under the mill 30
that our water supply could be taken from the
race after it had passed through the water wheel,
in tunneling under the bed OF the Brandywine.
and in the improvements just noted But it has
been money well spent, and no man says aught
against the work which has been done. The or
dering of it was the browning act of wisdom in
the last Council, and atteches to it credit for
good sense which its predecessors had been vain
" importuned to take to themselves.
When the new city baein s completed Whining
ton may Justly be proud of it's water works. 1t
was expected that work would be commenced on
this basin this season, but some difficulty having
arisen with regard tO the title, it may be deferred
until next year.
THE RISE AND HISTORY OF OUR WATER WORKS.
1t may not be amiss in this connection to
briefly notice the rise and history Of the Whining
| ton Water Works. Chief Engineer Gallagher in
his last annual report to Council, incorporated
| full history of the Water Works, and it is from
| this report our information is taken.
The first action taken by Council in relation
| to water was on the 3lst of December, 1896,
| while Wilmington was yet borough, when, by
| resolution, Isaac Hendrckson and William Poole
were appointed TO ascertain if the owners Of
/ street pumps would be willing to give them up
| to the COZ poration, provided they were kept in
order. part only consented and as the needs
of the borough for an increased supply OF water
| we're increasing, Council directed that an esti-
| mate of the cost of bringing in the water from
/ the spring on the hill in Third street. near Tat
| nall, be made The plan was reported to be a
| feasible one and the cost about $i0O, but no ac-
| tion was then taken and the matter was finally
abandoned
In 1893 the popular necessity led to the for
nation OF company for the purpose of supply
| ing the borough with spring water, aud in 1904
THE WILMINGTON SPRING WATER co.
Was organized. A fountain was opened in High
(4th) street. between West and Tatnall, and this
fountain supplied all that part OF the borough
living south OF High street. In 1905 the works
were extended so as to furnish supply to all
the people, but in 1910 the borough became
noaseasad of the works by purchase, paying