, 1876-02-27

~ is per cent mora WORK than tie specified quantity
.nd ,Fas moreover going to tho extreme ht Of psu-
sign Of weakness greater than is exhibited by two
thirds Of all the large pumping engines IN the country
n.tion ot a he visible portions Of the engine while
doug this maximum duty disclosed no defect in
strength that gave any reason 9os apprehaudinG
seemed disclose the fact that the weaker portion of
the machine in the column supports Of the hesns
Is not this just what might be expected The
278-horse power MAS being diaslpated and used
up in tearing the engine to pieces, and ne now
in this connection--it certainly Was doing, has
done, and will continue to do its work, unless
better use Of this wasted power can be- made.
But consider for moment the statement that
these engines are doing "a we'll as two-tlirds the
larger pumping engines in the country; Can
our English cou.ins that We cannot build
4 $4,000, ,000-galton pumping-engi that
will last three yaa1s, while they build
engines Of equal or greater capacity thar have
and ara giving duty Of 105, 000 600. and bid fair
to bo good engines for thirty years to come? 1t
this statement is co1rec: that these broken-down
Chicago engines are but fair sample Of two
thirds the large pumping engines in tho country,
it would seem that true economy would lead us
to employ the English manufacturers to build
our engines I've cannot afford to spend $500, 600
aud ind at the end of three yeara that we havo
nothing but broken-down engine to show for it.
But this report goes farther. A quotation
from psge II says:
The engines ut tbs present pumping station, With
those in process Of construction for the pumping sta
ton in the West Division, when all completed and III
operation, will not, In the opinion Of tho Committee,
be amply sufficient for the needs OF the city under Ill
contingencies. In our opinion. the Immediate con-
Btruction aud erection Of third pair Of engines, o1
equal capacity with either tho south engines or
the proposed West Division engines, l. al absolute
necessity, II tho water supply OF Chicago IL to be
brought to Stale of efficiency and amplitude COM
parable with Tue supplies IN cities having large rases-
Of water consumption in Chicago Ia not attanded by
needless or unavoidable wa5te.
Tie plain inference from this must be that il
80 cannot safely get along without threa en-
giues equal in efficiency to the south engines,
We are now in 8 very unsate condition. And
this consider to be emphatlcally true. That
tho city officials think too ia plainly infereble
from the fact that they arc now putting on two
Knowles pumps. Would tt Lot be well at this
time to act AZ prudent merchants do. and take
an account Of stock? It would read something
like this:
No. !, single engine: capacity 1a,G0o,oo0 gallons.
No. d rim sle engine; capacity. $40 .o0J eailons.
So 1, douLin engins: capacity, a5oooo oo5 gallons.
MEA.-Sos. l, 2, and all unreliable, snd were mt
considered safe and worthy Of test by the Citizens
No 4, built thres years ago, hsa never proved good
and is now in crippled condition, unreliable, and
every day in danger OF breaking down entirely.
I now como to the application. Are these in
fcrences correct fairly dram, and fairly pre-
scented? 1t has been nv intention to do 30.
Granting the concluslona to be correct what
as prudent and intelligent men, ought re to do !!
The opinion is held by some that. ii the south
engines were properly balanced and pnt in good
order, they would work very much easier
aud with much less strain upon the parts doing
the came work. with a saving Of At least 20 per
cent in fuel. These changes can be made at very
little expense. Would it not be we'll for The city
to employ some competent engineer from the
East-such can ba found-to examine the en-
gines carefully to SEQ if they are capable Of
being changed 20 AZ to avoid the heavy stresa
upon them? II, in his judgment, it is worth try
ing, have it done under his supervision aud Con-
troll, II this should work adyaotageously, other
changes can bo made until it is made as complete
as possible under the circumstances. It is pos
sible to have this engine made fairly c1etltable
to the city, rather than us it now ia. moth upon
coal-pie and liable at any time to become 4
mass OF ruins
The Cttizeas association can take steps 10 this
direction without any conflict with the city au-
thor1ties, or even necessity Of their knowing
anything about it. a competent mau can deter
mine from inspection Of the engine and from
the Citizans' report whether any change can be
made for the better. #. in his Judgment, none
which ought not to be large. Still. the very best
talent should be mad. and no saving Bhould bs
attempted in that direction.
In view OF these facts. does not this extract,
taken from tho Clrizens report, that the ca
pncitv Of the machine being about double that Of
ap7 previously constructed. would naturally tend
or cause the designer to aim at aucceas rather
than economy" read like huge joke. Success
Such success han been but one OF the macy
causes that have added to our burdens. doubled
city. Cannot stop be put to this leak at least
VEEAs-