The Cecil Whig., 1873-10-18
The Kitchen Pump.

Every kitchen should contain good
pump and sink, with the necessary
drainage for carrying off the surplus
water. In point of convenience and
usefulness, it ranks next to the cook
stove; and it ought always to be pro-
vded when it can be done without
incurring too much trouble and expense.
In some sections continuous fountain
of pure water may be easily obtained
by conducting it to the house in pipes
from a more elevated spring; but there
are few localities in which the present
system of driving wells will not afford
an abundant water supply with little
expense Convenience is not the only
argument in favor of the kitchen-pump.
1t is almost at risk of health that a
woman passes from the super-heatcd
atmosphere of the kitchen into the open
air, to obtain this indispensable article
if domestic use. We cannot est innate
the number of premature deaths whose
origin is traceable to causes of this kind;
but if we could, its magnitude might
appal US.
Unless some obstruction is met with,
it seldom requires more than half day
to drive down a tube, attach a pump,
and pump out the water until it comes
clear; and it may be driven in the
kitchen almost as easily as anywhere
else. If cellar intervenes between
the floor and the ground, it makes no
difference, except that the tube does
not require SO much driving. Cast-iron
sinks may be obtained at most hard
ware houses, and are preferable to
wooden ones, as they do not leak, are
more easily cleaned, and are always
free from odor. Unless the drainage
from pump of this kind is properly
accomplished, it is sometimes the source
of great annoyance. If the water is
allowed to flow from the sink, out upon
the surface of the ground, it too often
forms source of i'll health in Summer,
and of danger in Winter. Even when
it is conducted in pipes into underground
cisterns, unless the arrangement is cor
rect, nauseous odors may return from
the cesspool to contaminate the air of
the kitchen, or the pipes may freeze up
in Winter, either of which is a very
great annoyance. The cistern should
always be of sufficient depth to reach
through the impcrvious subsoil and al
low the water to soak away, and should
be securely covered over with flags tone
or plank, some distance below the sur
face of the ground The water should
all enter the cistern by one pipe, or a
circulation will be produced which will
drive the nosome gases from their
subterranean prison. The pipes, which
are probably best when earthen, should
be not less than three inches in diameter,
and should extend from the center to Il
point directly beneath the outlet of the
sink. Here it should turn perpendicu-
larly upward until it reaches within a
few inches of the bottom of the sink
The water should pass into the earthcn
pipe through small tube an inch in
diameter which should extend down.
ward in the center of the large tube a
few inches Thus arranged it cannot
freeze up, because the water does not
touch the earthen tube until it is below
the surface of the ground. OF course
this pipe should be laid sufficiently deep
to be out of the way Of the frost, and
should have sufficient fall so that no
water VIII remain in it. 1t is probable
that small sum of money could not
be more wisely expended than in thus
providing in the kitchen Il convenient
access to fountain Of pure water for
drinking and domestic purposes.
Country Gentleman.