National Republican., 1876-09-02
GEN. BlBCOcK'S REPORT.
Iconiinued from First Psqs.l

shut of, soon displace the clear water In the
reservoir, and If II should be shut off the flow line
of the reservoir would be lowered in three days. SO
to materially reduce the pressure in the mains
In order to always have clear water in the mains
distributing reservoir or resort to the more costly
process of filtration. Fortunately there is plenty
OF land in the vicinity Of the reservoir from which
| its area can be enlarged.
HIGH SERVICE RESERVOIR.
On-tbe 7th of October a leak was discovered in
the high service reservoir in Georgetown. The
District of Columbia steam pump that supplied
it and the United States water pressure engine
! were shut down. The dividing stops between the
| high and low service were opened, and the res.
ervoir was rapidly emptied into the low service
voir contained about 100000 gallons Of water
After il was emptied an examination was made
to ascertain the cause of the leak, and an esti.
mate was made of the cost Of repairing 1t.
The cause of the leak was found to be due to
| the action Of the District of Columbia steam
pump, which, being a single-action engine, not
| bers, and pumping directly into the mains,
creates more or less Of a shock at each stroke
to leak and undermine the bottom of the reservoir
The cost ofrepairing it was more than could be
spared from the appropriation for superlntendence
! and repairs without creating deficiency. There.
lore it has not been repaired
Since the reservoir was emptied, in December,
the District steam-pump has pumped water
directly into the main sewer pipes.
In reference to this subject the following letter
was written TO the Commissioners Of the District
tiOn of Potomac water in the service pipes OF
Georgetown and Washington:
OFFICE OF THE wAsHIkGToS AQUEDucT,l
WASHINGTON, ID. O., June s, 1876 I
GENTLEMEN: l respectfully submit for your
consideration the following statement in refer
ence 10 the distribution Of Potomac water in the
You are no doubt aware that n large portion OF
the city is at such height that the distributing
reservoir of the Washington Aqueduct will not
supply 1t, and all that portion OF the city above
the level of ninety feet above tide is supplied by
system of small pipes fed from a pumping main
laid by the United States, which is connected
with the District of Columbia pumping engine
located on Fourth street, between High and
Frederick streets.
reservoir Of the Washington Aqueduct at the
corner of High and Road streets. This reservoir
is l2O feet in diameter and will contain, when
filled to the level of 90 feet above tide, about
10000 gallons of water.
The new pumping-engin is slngle.acting. Its
steam-cylinter is feet and its water-cylnder is
~ feet in diameter. Its length Of stroke is 2
feet 1t supplies therefore, at its present average
speed of 80 strokes minute, ll4i,s20 gallons Of
water in p hours. This quantity is not all con-
sumed in Georgetown, but part of it is distrib-
uted on the high grounds in the northwest section
Of Washington. The quantity supplied to George
town is not uniformly distributed and under the
present system of distrbutiOn-pipes it cannot be.
All that portion Of the city lying west of High
and north OF First street is supplied by means of
q single pipe, inches in diameter, which is con-
nected with the United States pumping main at
the intersection of Seventh and High streets. Re-
a portion of the city formerly supplied by the low
service is now supplied by the pumping service.
The consequence is that in the enorthwesterly part
OF Georgetown the inhabitants receive very little
Potomac water. This is especially the case at
the Georgetown Convent building.
For a remedy would suggest that 6-inch
main be laid in Fourth street, from the pumping
main to Fayette street, and also one in Fayette
street, from Fourth street to Eighth street, each
properly supplied with stoP-cocks, and would
also suggest that the supplying of portion of
Washington from the Georgetown high service
be discontinued.
The high service reservoir has not been used for
the storage Of water since the 7th of last Decem-
Der, when a leak being discovered therein 1t was
emptied. An examination showed that the
pumping main had leaked and undermined the
bottom Of the reservoir, causing several cracks In
the concrete floor. An estimate of the cost of
thoroughly repairing this reservoir was made,
and sent 10 the Chief of Engineers, United states
army. no appropriation has as yet been made,
therefore consequently 1t has not been repaired.
Every stroke Of the District of Columbia pump
ing engine creates n shock in the forcing main
and also In the distributing mains, and these
strokes can be counted in any house supplied by
tainty when the reservoir is repaired that the
action Of the pumping engine will not cause 1t to
leak again.
There is but one main leading into the reservoir,
and it is used both for a supply and discharge
pipe, and, whenever it is necessary, for drain
There ought to have been laid at the time the
reservoir was built separate mains for each pur-
pose, but as this was not done / would suggest
that a l2-ineh main be laid from the pumping
engine, by the shortest route, to the reservoir,
and that 1t be connected with the reservoir so as
to discharge into it above the flow line, and that
IL be used only as a forcing main.
The present forcing main could then be used
exclusively for supplying the distribution pipes,
and the action Of the engine would then affect
only the proposed forcing main, and in the event
of that leaking there would be no danger ofits
undermining the reservoir
very respectfully Colonel of EEgthcaPs ne SAtcGSA e. g. H.
Chief Engineer Of the Washington Aqueduct.
The Honorable CommissioHerS Of the District Of
Columbia.
woRTHINGToN wATER-PREs SURE ENGINE.
The Worthington water-pressure engine that
supplied part of Georgetown Heights with Po-
tOmac water was several times repaired and kept
in operation until the Commissioners of the Dis
trict purchased and erected new steam pump
and boiler.
The Worthington engine was then examined
and found TO be practically worn out 1t was
therefore shut down and It's operation dscon-
tinued.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA STEAM PUMP AND BOILER.
In the last annual report it is stated that the
attention OF the Commissioners of the District was
called to the condition of the water pressure en-
gine, and 1t was suggested that they purchase
"WorthingtOn Duplex Steam Pump and Boiler"
Of sufficient capacity TO supply the entire heights.
In reference to this subject the following letter
Engineer Of the Washington aqueduct:
OFFICE OF WASHINGTON AoUEDUcr,)
WAsHINGToN, ID. O., September "a, 1875
GENTLEMEN: Referring to q recent conversa-
ton with you in regard to the High Service
Pumping Works" at Georgetown, i have the
honor to state that in compliance with your re-
quest l wrote to Henry b. WOrthington, esq,
president Of the Hydraulic Works, No. 259i Broad
way, New York, and requested him to inform me
OF the probable cost of furnishing and erecting
in complete working order, at Georgetown, ID. O.,
one "Worthington Duplex Steam Pump and
Boiler" capable of raising o. 900 gallons Of water
10 feet high in twelve hours.
To-day received his reply, from which the fol-
IL uiTar al n oH
Assuming that an expansive and condensng
pumping engine would suit the requirements you
propose one Of my compound cylindrical duplex
engines and boilers, to be in all respects hrst
class, and fully equal to any have built for
similar works; the cost of which would be about
81, 500, which would include connections and
foundations, transportation and erection"
From the data contained in this office am
enabled to furnish the following information in
reference to this engine.
Its leading charact eristic is that 1t is a direct
acting, non-rotatiye engine-there being two
steam cylinders each-with its proper steam and
exhaust valves, its proper piston and pistonrod
and pump -plunger attached to the piston-rod, the
pistonrOd Of each engine being made in the course
of its stroke to operate the steam and exhaust
valves Of the other engine, through suitable con-
nections, without the Intervention or control of
and crank, shaft or other device for producing
rotary motion.
ITO this construction of pumping engine Mr..
WOrthington gave the name Of duplex early in
the history of his invention, and it mas ever since
been commonly known by that name. Its value
consists in its providing the means of pumping
heavy volumes Of water with ease and safety to
the machinery employed, ,etfecting the application
Of any amount of pumping power required to lift
the water-column, without violent or abrupt
action upon the water, which has been the source
OF many destructive accidents.
1.-The first requirement Of a pumping service is
that the rate Of movement Of the water-column
through the forcing main shall be as nearly as
possible uniform, so that no considerable altera-
tian OF pressure shall be shown therein at any
time while the pump is working.
"The Cornish engine, and all others that are
single acting and intermittent, fails in this
spect, absolutely requiring stand pipe into
which the watercan be thrown, to avoid the de-
structive effect which follows the attempt to put
the water column in motion through long main,
after every stroke.
''The crank or rotary engine also fails In this
requirement. because the speed of a piston
driven by q crank must always vary according to
its distance from the centre.
"Another requirement lie that there should be
time allowed at the end Of each stroke before the
piston takes up its return motion, to allow the
water-valves to seat themselves quietly, and also
to allow the incoming supply to pack solidly be-
hind the plunger; otherwise the piston will
Jump through part of the return stroke, forcing
the valves violently to their seats and impinging
upon the water in The partly filled chamber with
the violent conclusion well known as the water
RAM
Lastly, the engine should be in the greatest
practical degree compact and selfcontained, re-
curing onlY small and cheap foundations and