The daily gazette., 1875-07-21
Water Meters, and Wafer as a
Motor.

Storage reservoirs, therefore, are new.
er to be recommended wherever water
| enough and to apare for the use of q
large population can be brought direct
into q city hy natural flow. II is better
for a municipality to go fifty miles to q
great river affording an ample supply fol-
the largest probable population than to
attempt to exc out tho deficiency OF q
variable stream by storing in reservoirs
| its surplus i'll wet seasons to be drawn
upon in dry. Independent of the fact
| that all water stored up as a reserve
| loses, from want of motion, part OF its
| oxygen, and by its great absorbent pow.
er becomes more or less tainted from long
standing, we have the authority Of Mr..
Duvall and AIR. Sickels for saying that all
reservoirs are Objectionable, and that
large reservoirs "nre decidedly dangerous
when the drain from them falls to the
valley Of the city. RS there is always O
possibility of reservoir embankment or
dam giving way, let its construction be
ever SO perfect"
But whilst, Mr.. Duvnll says, the stor-
age OF water in reservoirs may not be
the most desirable, and especially when
the same may be had otherwise" any
attempt to restrict in any way the avail
able supply would be injudicious, and
most injudicious and most impolItic OF
all would he economizing the supply by
putting restriction on consumption.
The chief motive power throughout
but ina multitude of industries, wher-
ever water can be used as motor,it will
invariably be preferred, and for these
reasons 1t is cheaper, the whole cost of
fuel being saved it is entirely free from
danger; the power can be applied or shut
off at any moment; the saving Of insur-
ance would be considerable, and the ma
chinery occupies but small space.
MIR. Sickels, in his report to the Coun-
Gil in 1854, observed "As a power to
propel machinery, water possesses many
advantages over steam, and If it could
be furnished in cities at a cost thai
would warrant its application for this
purpose there is no doubt that it would
be largely substituted as q motor" As
an illustration of this he sites the fact
in the city of Greenock, Scotland, where
the water works afford surplus of 90.
000,Q 600 Of gallons for manufacturing pur-
poses, the number Of operatives employ
ed in factories using water pressure en-
gines was at that time 1000, and their
wages amounted to a million and half
OF dollars per annum. In London, he
says, many mechanics use small pres.
sure engines, which are supplied with
water at II rate of eight cents per thou
sand gallons, by companies who elevate
the water power by steam power
Again "These water pressure engines
are well adapted for the heaviest opera
tions in machinery; yet their great su-
periority over steam is more manifest
where power is required in small quanti-
ties, and at regularintervals." He adds:
l., =
cities of this country" and the reason
why there are so few, he states, ''is the
inadequacy Of the supply"
Now the cost'ef running steam engines
being considerable item in the cost OF
Inanufac ctured products, if we could say
to the manufacturers and mechanics of
other cities, I'VE have daily surplus of
one hundred or two hundred millions of
gallons of water, which has hundred or
a hundred and fifty feet fall. and which
we will furnish you as motive power free
OF cost for twenty years, if you will bring
hither your machinery and your skilled
labor" does anyone doubt that such an
lnducement would draw to US many man
ufacturing and mechanical industries,
besides stimulating other persons among
US to embark in similar enterprises p
Men ply their trade wherever they can
best compete with similar commodities
Ii they can undersell the latter by rea-
son OF the smaller cost of manufacture,
they will take these means and their ac-
quired skill to the city offering them this
advantage. If, in addition to this, the
city. from its position on the seaboard, is
the best distributing point for all that
| region where the great bulk OF the buy
ers OF manufactured al lticlss live, the dou-
BILE incentive to make that city their field
OF industry would be irresistible to large
| class OF energetic men. If, then, it be
| desirable to increase cur manufacturing
Industries, our population and our taxa
bic basis, we have pointed out one way
| to do it.-Balt. Gazette.