Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-08-24
The Power of Water.
From the Reno Gazette.

/ FROM the Reno uaZtAlJt
The properties OF water are only
partially understood by those who
have never seen it under high pres
sure The Virginia City Water Com
pany gets its supply from Marlette
Lake, on the Tahoe side of the noun
tain. 1t gets it through by long
tunnel, is then on the crest of high
mountain opposite Mount Davidson,
with Washoe Valley between. To
cross this valley by fume would be
almost impossible, so the water is car
ried down the mountain side to the
bottom, and crosses under the v and
T. Railroad track, on the divide be-
tween Washoe and Eagle valleys,
then up again to the required height
in iron pipes. The depression created
and the pressure on the pipes is 500
pounds to the squareinch iron, lap
welded, and eighteen feet long, with
screw joints. There is a little trouble
from it; but the other, which is twelve
inches in diameter and is riveted pipe,
make more or less trouble all the
time The pipe is laid with the seam
down, and whenever crack is made
by the frost or sun warping it, or from
any other cause. the stream pours
forth with tremendous force If the
joint is broken open, of course the
whole stream is loose and goes tear
ing down the mountains, but usually
the escape is very small. The break
last week was less than tiveeights of
an inch III diameter, and yet the
water in the fume was lowered an
inch and half by it, and the pres
sure went down fifteen or twenty
pounds Capt Overton says that
fifty inches of water went through it.
1t has been probably a year III cutting
out, and was made by little stream
hardly visible to the naked eye that
escaped through a joint and struck
the pipe two or three feet off, eating
away the iron until the pressure in
side broke it through. When such
break occurs the noise can be heard
for half a mile, and the earth shakes
for hundreds of feet around. A break
the size of a knitting needle will cut a
hole in the pipe in half an hour. Such
breaks are repaired by puttinga band
around the pipe, pouring in molten
lead, and tamping 1t in Such
stream bores through a rock like a
sand blast. The flying water is as
hard as iron. and feels rough like a
file to the touch 1t IS impossible to
turn it with the hand, as it tears the
flesh off the bones, and if the fingers
are stuck into the stream, with the
point up, the nails are. instantly turned
back. and sometimes torn loose from
the flesh.
Mrs. Tompkins requests the pleasure
of Captsin Browns company TO a
small party ON certain Friday even
ing, and receives the following reply:
''21 Spriggins place, Monday. Captain
Brown presents his compliments to
Mrs. Tompkins, and regrets that
thirteen priyates Will be detained by
habeascorpus writs, and two sergeants
are on the sick-list. The rest of
Captain Browns company will
have much pleasure In waiting on Mrs
Tompkins on Friday evening.
Summer resort note: At the depot
Are you sure that our trunks are all
righti'' Yes, my dear; lust saw
them:" Did you think TO lock the
front door, Yes And have
you telegraphed Uncle Josh to meet
us at the stationf'' Yes, and lndi-
Gated that we would stay at his farm
until cold weather That was
right, but how about the newspaper
notices. Here they are, all ready
TO mail as soon as can get stamps:
Mr. and Mrs Deadbeat, with their
interesting family, VIII soiourn At
Saratoga.