St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-01-28
The Water Question.


II j. natural that in So vital qncS-
ton ~ that of Il water supply. definite
information should he desired us to
what may Ice effected in certain contin-
""mcie>; and perhaps many may he
Interested in Il series of tests in list. of
aqurdnct cr in which the writer WAS
personally engaged Il short Tim" since
IL these trials the circumstances were
81 nearly like some in which il would
b" possible to bring water To this vii
lH.:r. rs To lac specially OF service
After much discussion "f various
plans. it was decided in Kcenc. n H..
to take water from Il pond Il little more
than three miles from the village. Bv
survey. it WAS found that the level of
the pond WAS one hundred and sixty
feet ;,i.">c the main square of the viii
lIgr. Pipes were laid over undulating
ground, III about six feet depth. begin
ming at the pond with diameter of
twelve inches. and afterwards contract
my To about eight inches in the Village,
OF considerably smaller in many streets.
Much interest WIS felt To see how
much influence friction in 81 Ion" Il pipe
ut that diameter would have when or
binary hose were used. Fora standard
stream Il good length of host, WAS at
tarhcd to IL hNdrant and the diScharr..
pipe was firmly fastened IN Il pcrpcn-
dicmlar direction near Il church spire.
The diameter "f the stream thrown WAS
larger than is usually thrown with Il
hand engine. \ transit WAS stationed
III Il nriGhhorlng cupnla, and So adjust
ed that the exact height at any moment
could he easily measured and recorded.
At II given signal til, fire department
let the water into the hose fuI the
standard stream. At another signal.
another stream was started in another
place. ;" at certain signals other
streams were let on in all part, of the
Village, aud the height of the standard
stream noted III every cast. The full
twenty eight, though from lack of dis
charge nOllcS from some hS dIantS. water
was thrown through the open hose, so
that the flow WAS equal to many more
than twenty eight ordinary jets.
When only the one stream WAS ON,
the perpendicular throw Was one hun
H., Il Al
we're let ON, the height gradually dimin-
islIcd ill When the twenty eight were
on. the height WAS twenty feet. Ii did
not fall very rapidly at first however.
tut when even Il dozen good sized
streams were ou there MAS il height of
about eighty feet. At another time the
water WAS let on to the standard let
through over two thousand feet of hose.
Then the height was forty feet. 1t will
hc remembered that not quite 80 high
an elevation can he attained with
perpendicular stream. owing t" the
hindrance of the falling water.
Much satisfaction WIS felt in this
tlial Ton il showed that with rs many
streams as would ever Ice wanted at
once. the height attained and the
quantity thrown seemed to lie amply
sufficient.
Often III the public drill of the fire
department since that time. wls.n quite
Il number of streams are thrown at once.
the water is easily thrown t" the roofs
at the largest buildings.
Some tolcrably severe tests have. been
sn;uie ia real >-l\icc ia fires. and in |
tNels 'a>e the supply has been as cticc-
ave as could he expected. and the
water supply j. we'll considered as in
valuable, and NON the strongest original
of the In"Iert could not think !
sd dispensing with it Oh aD, conSidera-
tlOn. = H. b.
he W asihngt"n correspondent of the I.
New York Herald teie@raphS that the
,lrHiOcratlc leaders are '-ie.gining Ia
consider whether they might nos profit
bl the mistake Of the republicans i'll <"
ing to Cincinnati. and call the cnnvru-
ton for Philadelphia. and capture the
centennial enthusiasm and excitement"