The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-05-10
Water Works OF Anoiont Rome.

| VI OIL tuc ClIlcs oI tnc Greck and 10
man world, Rome was most abundantly
provided with water, the Importance ci
which element, in its domcstcs and sari
tary aspects, ls now again after centuries
OF neglect, beginning to be recognized a.
paramount among the physical conditions
OF urban life. We have, however, not ",
qulte learned to allow to water, as affect
ing the lie, comfort and dcccncics of life,
inc positlon Which was accorded to do il
al Roms; but even to us it is inconceiyabie
now many great cities of medieval and even
modern ages could have existed and then
nave been considered rs elegant and rein.
Ell aDodcs, with no artificial, or at most IN
adequate, arrangements for the ntroduc.
| ton and distribution of water among the
people. Even Paris, in some sort the
0fOtter ctcgantiaruna of modern Europc.
until recently derived its supply of drink,
ing water from the Seine, the grand rcci-
pient Of the sewerage of Paris, and from
polluted by intiltratlon, and 80 late az 1896
Parent Duchatclet published work in
Which the water of the Seine was proved
to be altogether inotIcnslvc to the taste and
wholesome, because the foul matter con-
tributed to its current by the superficial and
subterrancan drainage Of the city was not
sufficient III quantity to affect scnsibly tho
taste, the limpidty, or the saluDrity of It's
waters
The ancient Romans Disseminated caro-
fully between the waters of different
springs. What tests they employed we in
general know as little as we know their
rules for Judging of the quality of stone
and other materials employed in arch,tcct-
ure. After the giea natural division of
water into fresh and salt, the most obvious
distinction was between cold and hot
springs The latter Of these was every
where sought, and in all the wide domain
OF imperial Rome, there is to be found
scarcely single spring aboye the ordinary
temperature which is not surrounded Dy
the ruins OF old constructions obviously
deslg ghed for bathing. They also consld-
cred specific gravity Of drinking-watcr a
mhtter OF much Importance. 4 letter of
Synesius to Hoyatia describes and recon-
mends an instrument Tor testing the
weight of water. This was simply a
graduated brazen tube, closed and weighted
at one end. This, OF course. by tho height
at which the tube stood in the fluid would
answer for comparing the gravity of df-
1crent waters. Chemistry had not yet
Taught natural philosophers that water,
even IN its simplest form, Is not all clcmcn-
tal, but compound substance: they knew,
however, that not only spring water, but
even TIC purest rainwutcr, contain in
suspension or in solution variety OF for
cign ingredients.
Much OF the water introduced into Rome
ny aqueducts was employed for feeding
iountalnS-thc younger i'lny speaks of IL
jet a. Oedu--as well as for domestic uses;
out the principal object of these cons,ruc-
tlons was to supply water for bathing, for
which al enormous quantity was required.
Thua tho "'r,"hncis subserved the DUR
poses or luxury as well as tho nooosei,,ca
OIL lie. Cast iron being scarcely known
10 The Romans, the distribution OF tie
water from the reservoirs was effected by
pipes OF baked clay, and, where those were
not appll"arle, OF lead; and II is singular
That, though skillful in casting bronze,
The Roman founders wefc not yet able to
cast lead pipe. The condults Of this ma
terlal orc made from cast sheets, or rather
plates, OF lead, wrapped around IMAM
urcl aud rlYctcd or clumpcd at the oppo-
site edges. The plates being thicker than
modern rolled lead, the pipes were heavier, |
and accordingly the consumption OF that
metal was very great. From one single
point OF distribution of an aqucd,lct the
Borghcso family took, III the sixteenth
century. not less than iU, 600 pounds OF
lead p.pc. The citadel OF Alatri was sup
Piled with water carried across Il deep ra-
vine by an inverted slphon of curlncrn
pipes, imbeddcd in concrete, TO height
ol more than $50 lcel above the bottom of
the ravine, aud, Of course, under pres
sure OF fully ten atmospharcs.