Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1881-08-25
American Water-Works.

supply or water TO towns were con-
structed by Hans Christopher Chris
tiansen, and put in operation June 20.
1854, at the Moravian settlement of
Bethlehem, in Pennsylvania.
The water from a spring, which is
still used for a supply, was forced by a
pump of lignum-vitp of five inches
bore, through hemlock logs into a
wooden reservoir.
The same ingenious Dane, eight
years later, replaced this rude pump by
three iron pumps of four-inch bore
and eighteen.inch stroke, which for
many years were the only machinery
for w~ater-supply on the continent, and
for seventy years furnished water for
Bethlehem.
Among the Oldest, if not the very
next in date to Bethlehem, is the Nor
ristown, On. j. Water Company, which
was incorporated in 1791, and has ever
since furnished the town with water
collected from the n%eighboring hills.
The first application of steam to
pumping was in Philadelphia, in 1900,
when the third steam engine of any
considerable size in the United States
was erected on the banks of the Schuyl-
kill. 1t is believed that these works
were the first constructed by a munich
pality. The first cast-iron water pipes
were laid in Philadelphia in 1904.
New York was first supplied by a
company which erected a small pump
ing engine about 1900.
During the first thirty years of the
century several small works were con-
structed, among others, at Cincinnati,
in 1917; at Detroit, in 1927; at Lynch
burg, in 1928; Syracuse. in 1899, and
Richmond, in 1880. Few Of these
works exhibited any great advance in
engineering. The enlarged works for
the supply of Philadelphia by water
power, constructed at Paramount in
49,, showed, however, a marked adj
vance, and were for many years re-
garded us a model Of efficient and eco
nomical works. The design and exc
cution of the gravity supply works for
New York and Boston, between 1880
and 1910, were such as cannot be
greatly improved, even at the present
day, except in some minor details.
About 1850 the substitution of light
wrought iron pipe, lined inside and out
with hydraulic cement, for east iron at
greatly reduced cost, was found to be
practicable in many cases, and the for
nation of companies to manufacture
and lay such pipes, introduced a com
mercial element into the matter of
water supply, and led to the construc.
ton of many works.
Improved forms of pumping ma.
chinery, which performed a fair duty
at small expense for construction and
maintenance, were designed, and Their
manufacture became Especial business
The careful analysis and investiga
ton employed in the construction OF
the works for the supply of Brooklyn
between 1850 and 1860, resulted in Z
more decided advance, in both theoreti
cal science, than had hitherto beer
made, the effects of which were seer
during the succeeding decade in i'm.
provements in pipe manufacture, in ell
CINE building, in reservoir construction
and in maintenance of works.
Between 1860 and 1870 a further
impetus to waite rworks construction
was given by the vigorous prosecution
Of an enterprise for building entire
works for direct supply, by pumping
into the mains without the Intervention
of a reservoir. The success attending
this enterprise, owing to the first small
cost of construction and the shrewC
management, created competition, the
rasmlt of which has hpan To force the