Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-09
CITY AND DISTRICT.
Pumping Potomac wa,cr

HOT AIR AS MOTIVE POwER-THE USE OF TANKS
A WONDERFUL INVENTION BY CAPT. ERICssON-A
CALoRIC PUMP THAT RUNS ITSELF AT AN EXPENSE
| OF TWO OF THREE CENTS AN HOUR-A TALK WITH
MR. RIDGWAY-THE NEED OF PUMPS AND TANKS
IN THIS CITY, &C.
| curious little engine that works industrlously
| all day long in the window OF the establishment
OF Mr. Rldgway, the plumber, 1911 street, has
attracted much attention for several days. "That
Sir" said Mr.. Ridgway to STAR reporter opening
little door under the engine and showing the few
jets of gas which furnished che motive power that
kept the tireless little giant at work. ais the hot
air pumping engine invented by Capt Ericsson, of
Monitor fame and is specially intended for domes-
Tic use In lifting and forcing water from wells and
cisterns in the country, and from water in house
pipes to tanks on upper floors OF buildings In
this or any city,
4" Is it dangerous ?" inquired the reporter.
No, sir; 1t Is entirely safe-no steam beinr en-
plOyed, 1t is hot liable to arrangements and It can
De operated and attended to by any one. There
are hundreds of them in New York city to-day on
Grated by the ordinary hired help OF the house 1t
Is absolutely safe and does not affect insurance
What Is better" continued Mr.. Ridgway "the
first cost Of the engine Is the only expense that is
worthy OF consideration. The one In the window
on exhibition is the smallest size made; it is called
the 6-nch cylinder, With gas furnace, and adapted
Tor domestic purposes, and is run at cost OF two
OF three cents per hour. In ordinary dwelling
houses there would be no necessity of running it
i longer than two hours, in that time iJ would
pump AGO gallons OF water so feet high OF more at
less height And this is a good average quantity
for private dwelling for domestic use. There
fore the cost OF running the 6-inch for domestic
| purposes should not be considered alongside OF
| the good secured, as there is nothing like n tank
full of water elevated high enough to give SUM-
| cient flush to plumbing fixtures. just here /
would say that these engines are made to pump
LOO gallons per hour so feet high or more at less
height
Il see In Capt. r. L. Hoxie's report. that he adj
slseS tne use OF tinks for such purposes" OBJ
=" Yes, Sir" said Mr.. Rdgway. HE recommends
the the use OF tanks. OF course, in localities where
Pc omac water Will rise to tanks at night by its
own gravity, pumps are not needed; but there are
a. great many places where the water Will not
ris, and under these conditions you will have to
pump the water There are thousands OF bath
tubs In high sections OF the city that the people
use virtually for tanks-that Is they dip the water
out Tor various purposes, and specially Tor flushing
the water closets as they are used. Now this is
both inconyenient and dangerous use the
closets used are Of the hopper or pan closet nat
tern, with the soil pipes terminating at the closet
traps, and sudden flushing or pouring down of
bucketful OF water ia either OF these closets
| under certain conditions would syphon or unseaI
the trap in which case the water line Of trap
passage OF sewer odors Then Ii sewer GAS nes
healthy 1t Is dangerous OF course you viii under
stand me- that If the plumbing work is done
merely have reference to work done years ago,
| OF which there Is great deal and in about the
to all other plumbing fixtures should, by all
means, have reliable supply OF water to remove
/ Iilcif COutcutS instantly ana IN q proper wav.
There are great many hand pumps used for this
purpose, but they are very unsattsractory-the
very time you need water there Is none in the
tank and your man Friday is OF or doing some
thing else, and when he does pump he does it re-
luctantly and he only manages after great deal
OF swearing and sweating to get you few gallons
stops; be thinks he has done enough work for the
day and honestly enough too, and If you don't
three hours with a time piece in front Of you
Now, sir. this little engine never tires; you may
derful invention and well worth the price asked
! for it.n
"Dont you think." asked THE STAR man, .that
the first cost OF the pump will prevent the general
| use OF them?"
They are to-day" said Mr.. RIdgway. "the
pump, with boiler, would be very expensive aio 9
! side OF the calorc, not speaking at all OF the
| great expense in running them. OF course, they
are most too expensive To use in ordinary rented
houses, but where parties own their resi-
dences they VIII be used, and no frst-class house
they can obtain /. by means OF this kind
| could not one OF these engines be made to sup
ply block OF 6uildings-that is, row, say, OF six,
| Certainly, 1t would be entirely practicable to
| utilize one pump I'm this way. One tank could be
These pumps are used extensively In New York
city Tor French flats and apartment houses, where
twenty-five or more families may be occupying the
care there any of these pumps in use in this
!
/ states National Museum, and one 8" in the HoOe
oullding on street There is also, believe, one
| In Mr. Justice Fields residence on Capitol Hill II
Is now q staple article among architects and
plumbers In New York city, and over 5000 are now
In use IN the United States In this city 1t win be
| eilt OF improvements and a better water supply
| ~ mas been my aim to take great pains to intro.
| nave always taken pride In doing It This engine
Will surely be very popular among Washington
| ians because they are not behind any city in the
Introduction OF improvements, especially where
heal tn Is concerned"
| CHAPPED HANDS. face or roughness OF the Skin
| cured by using Bishops camphorine a pleaSan,
and positive cure. L c. Bishop, Druggist, corner
| 9Th and II stS. NV.
| SILVER WARE SALE.-The attention OF the public
Is called TO the advertisement OF silver plated ware
| 10 De sold at Walter b. Williams Co.'S. auction
| room, commencing Tuesday, December 10th. The
STOCK Is the choicest and most complete evel
| offered and affords purchasers An opportunity Il
i StlurH eieCaQt goods their nrfcaS