The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-09-03
water supply for Cities.

Tn an article day or SO s!oee we Eeaiaihee
,,s, the introduction Of water through aque-
ducts and pipes for the supply OF cRles was
of modern origin Ia this country. Living
nersons may remember when no town IN the
United States was go supplied. Springs,
wells, aud rain.water cisterns, together with
the aid of carts and water-boats, supplied
the largest towns. We remember when the
assemblages about springs and wells might
be called mui.itudes, and the handle OF the
town pump was kept saving the air IKE 'he
arms of a aboring aud prosy orator iroin
morning TIL bedtime. The muisiluaes
around the "basin spring 10 th's
city REQUIRED often the Intervention Oh Tue
notice TO oueIl the disputes as to whose
ssturnD came next. These VINO nave hea'a
The late CARTER LESS story of the alterca'
tion over the oump-handie in Norfolk De-
tween \ servant In the law-ofice OF LITTLE
ros WALLER TAzEwELL and porter OF
grocery store have lively appreciation OF
the contests that often arose at the fountain
in cities In those days. TAzswEIL's servant
triumphed, and drove the grocery-boy on
under the general derision by proving that
he had his hand on the pump handle fuss"
He Wanted his iaw-declared that be swept
more law out of Mr.. TAzEwELL's Office every
morning than the grocery.boy ever heard
of-and denounced 1t as the height OF impu-
deBce that he should dare to "'spute pint
aos law wild LlrrLEroN WALLER TAzEwELL's
"nigger."
philadelphia, as far as we are able to learn,
was the first city in the country to seek
supply through pipes. She completed mode
rate works in 1899, the reservoir OF which
was in the ceosre of the city in Penn square.
In 1912 she begun the Paramount Works.
and in 1927 the system was completed Win
the beautiful reservoir which stands on
bed OF rock, and covers four acres, with no
other elevations near il. and rises one hun
dred feet above the city. There are no"
four distinct pumping stations, which alto
aetber can throw I5S,000,00o of gallons of
water into the reservoir. All lift their wa
Ter from the Schuy kill, which lovely stream
is pretty well taxed to supply them at some
seasons. Indeed, the supply in the summer
of 1874 was scaut, and rather inclined to
bad odors. So we take it that Philadelphia
will have 10 look to some other source OF
supply to meet the growing wants of her
people.
After philadelphia the Virginia towns
were amongst the first cities to build water
works. Lynchburg completed her small
H. hai nm
hill. Alain street and all the city in the lower
terraces are supplied abundantly, and the
weight of water is sufficient for extinguish-
ing all fires save those occurring on the
heights, when tbepumps have to be brought
In play.
Richmond commenced her water.works
in October, 1880, and had them in operation
in March, '32. They were built by ALBERT
STEIN, German hydraulic engineer of dis
tinction. He also built the works in Lynch
burg and engineered the works in Peters.
burg, which were built about the same time.
The works in Richmond have been from
time to time improved, and now are about
to receive an addition at the cost of about
100000. We gave the dimensions of the
new reservoir the other day. 1t will hold
40,00O,000 of gallons.
Richmond was partially supplied with
water through wooden pipes curly in the
century. They were laid from Bloody Run
Spring and supplied Rockets and Main
street as high up as the Old Bell (now St.
Charles) Hotel. In 1929, merchants on Cary
street piped the basin water to Cary and es-
pecially to Main street. 1t was taken out OF
the basin at Eleventh street and was deliv-
cred to hydran,s as far down as Market
hr dye Oue or two hydrants of this system
are standing now one at the corner of Main
and Thirteenth streets. They were used
chiefly for watering horses and washing.
New York began her Croton Works later.
They were commenced in 1885 and com.
ple.ed in 1912. The Croton aqueduct sur.
passes all modern constructions Of It's kind.
1t Is forty and one.half miles long, six feet
nine inches wide at the bottom, and seven
feet five inches at the springing line of the
arch, and eight feet five and one-half inches
high. Its capacity is equal to 100000
gallons daily.
The aqueduct is supplied from the Croton
river, where dam raises the water forty
feet and where the water thus damned is
called Croton lake. An immense surface is
drained into this lake but the impression
is that New York will in time not long of
have TO resort TO new sources of supply.
Boston is very finely supplied from Lake
Cochituate. twenty miles distant, through
brick conduit. The lake covers $50 acres
and drains a surface of IA, 400 acres. The
reservoir at Brookline, near Boston, covers
twenty-three acres, and holds 120,000,000
gallons. A new reservoir, located at Bright.
on and Newton, has capacity of 730, 000.0 0C
gallons, and covers 125 acres of ground, and
on the bank Of the reservoir there is fine
drive sixty to eighty feet wide. Sudbury
river will be connected with the new reser
voir. The water-works of Boston thus fal
a have cost $40 ,0s7 500.
Cincinnati and Louisville get their water
from the Ohio, st. Louis and New Orleans
from the Mississippi, and Nashville from
the Tennessee.
Chicago has the most unique system fol
water supply, as we'll as one of the best il
the United States. 1t is tunnel built from
the shore to two miles into the lake. At tn,
shore 1t is pumped into the reservoirs.
This is splendid. Independent of this she
has several artesian wells from $50 feet to
"a e. t.