The Hickman courier., 1878-08-09


Sna;n which was one of their provinces
for several centuries, and some OF 'nen'
are still in a good state OF preserVa'ion'
One of the finest of these is at SegoVia'
over the river Eresma, which neaIiy
eneircles that city. 1t is supposed 70
have been erected in the reign OF Trojan
It consists of two rows of arches one
resting upon the other, and Is z'o4V
feet long and one hundred and two feet
high. 1t conveyed the pure waters OF
the Rio Frio into SegoVia. 1t was
nearly ruined by the Moors, eight cen
turies ago, but Queen Isabella repaired
it at great cost in the middle OF the SIX
teenth century. 1t is now in tne con-
dition. 1t is constructed of granite,
without cement or mortar, and, ike
most of the great Roman fabrics, unites
simplicity, proportion, solidity and utll-
ity,
At Nismes, in France, there is beau
tiful and we'll preserved aqueduct, built
the Romans. with three rows of
arches. raised one above the other, spans
ming rock valley from hill to hill. On
the top of the highest and smallest range
of the arches is small canal, just large
enough fer a man TO creep through, and
used to convey to the town OF Nismes
the water of two springs twenty-five miles
distant.
The ancient squeducts in Peru were
extensive, costly and laborious works.
The Incas spared no cost nor labor, but
in order to irrigate their sandy and sterile
soil they brought water from the noun
tain reservoirs some hundreds of miles
distant. One of these squeducts, which
crossed the valley of Condesnym, was
four hundred and fifty miles long. These
immense water-courses, now in ruins,
passed along the precipitous course of
the Andes, winding around their bases,
and, when necessary, penetrating them
by tunnels cut through the solid rock
without iron tools. When great ravines
occurred, solid walls of masonry were
erected. The conduit was constructed
of large slabs of freestone closely fitting
together without cement. Similar works
were erected in Babylonia by Queen
Semiramis, and in Egypt by Sesosotris.
The City of Mexico was supplied with
WAGER by the squeduct of Chapultepee,
constructed by Montezuma, and carried
across the lake on causeway.
/
Among the modern aqueducts there
is one at Lisbon about nine miles long,
which was completed in 1888. Near the
city it is carried over deep valley, for
a length of 2, 400 feet, by a number of
J bold arches, the largest of which has a
span of one hundred and fifteen feet, its
height from the ground being two
hundred and fifty feet. The famous
water works of Versailles are collected
from many springs on the hills which
form the background, and are conveyed
over an squeduct which is supported by
the bridge of Maintenon, nearly mile
long and two hundred feet high.
Glasgow. in Scotland. gets her water
supply from Loch Kstrine. 1t passes
through a tunnel 6,975 feet bng,
through a mountain to a reservoir
twenty-five miles distant. The supply
amounts to 81 100000 gallons per day.
There is nothing ancient nor modern
in Europe tob be compared with the Gro
ton agueduct, which supplies the city of
New York with pure water. 1t mr.
passes all Others on the American ON
tinent, and, indeed, is the greatest work
of its class in the world. 1t conveys he
waters of the Croton river for distance
of forty miles to the city of New Yoik.
It was begun in 1897, finished in 1872,
cost over S13,000,000, and discharges
60 600, 900 gallons of water in twenty
four hours. The Croton river, which
rises in Dutchess county, has its waters
collected in dam forty feet hig and l66
above tide, at distance of forty-three
miles from the city hall in New Yofk
city. This dam, covering four hundred
acres, is now known as Croton lake, and
contains, with a depth of six feet, 8
supply of 500, 100000 gallons of water
constantly fed by the Croton, whose
lowest flow is about 10000, 900 gallons in
twenty-four hours. From Croton lake
to Harlem river the aqueduct is thirty
three miles long, and consist of cana
of stone, brick and cement, arched ovel
and under, which crosses Harlem rive
by fifteen arches, seven of which are o
fifty feet span, and eight of eighty fee
the greatest being $50 feet from tn
foundation to the top of the masOl
work, The receiving reservoir, who's
capacity is over 150.0O0,0O0 gallons, j
in the central palk, which it great,
narrows near one end by its massiv
bulk. There is another and smalle
distributing reservoir at Fortieth street
+ between Fifth and Sixth avenues; an
outside the city there has been con
pleted yet another reservoir. The wate
flows from Croton lake at the rate {
three miles IN every two hours.
! One of the wonders of modern eng
r neering is the great lake tunnel
Chicago. The greatness of the tunn'
under the Thames sinks into insignli
canoe when compared with this latest
. subterranean enterprises The tunn'
under Lake Michigan runs sixty-six fet
below the ordinary level of that vas
collection OF fresh water and is two mile
? long. 1t is a remarkable fact that In
g tunnel was built in two and half year
t Repeated analyses of the water prov
g that it is purer and better than tns
n supplied to any other city in the unlle
States. At the distance of one mi
|, from the shore the water is never COZ
d taminated by the most violent stofn
Is and the water in its natural quallty
t. singularly free from impurities OF an
g NAL or vegetable matter.
n -" Sound" said the schoolmaster'
what you hear. For instance, you ca
y not feel sound" "Oh, yes, you can
b said smart boy. John Wilson,, I
y torted the pedagogue, :" how do yc
If make that out7 What sound can "
}. feel ?o ga sound thrashing," quick