The Evening critic., 1883-01-03
CuICAoo WATER = WORKS.
Our "Curious Trayclcr'' Dtscourses
About Them In ass Interesting xnd
Instructive MRnner-A Publication
Somewhat Delayed, but as Iuter-
,..F.,r Nnxy Nyha., ,-fs

Instructive Manner-A Publication
Somewhat Delayed, but as later
cstfng Now as When Written.
Special Cor. of THE EvEHiSo CRITIC.
CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 1882.
Through a snowstorm as binding as Janu-
ary we went to see the last OF the watcr-works;
the picturesque building on Chicago avenue,
that usually looks so white, was 80 brown
against the snow whirl as 10 half convince us
II was a case OF mistaken identity, but the
roar Of the engines dispelled the doubt, and
we stepped into one of tho neatest places you
Tho ground plan is large square, with cas-
tellated corners, and a roof sloping gradually
Joliet stone, and is the casing OF the stand
pipe, which runs to tho height OF hundred
and flfty- feet.
is the largest In the country, not even except
ing the enc at Pullman, and as we usually
have the best aud biggest In the world, sup.
pose 1t will be safe to call 1t the largest pump
engine in existence. 1t is q Corlss, and as
stood In the breath of Its f0rty-ton iiy-wheel
could readily believe the Information roared
in my attentive car by the engineer. He spoke
with special pride of Its comparison with the
Centennial Corliss, and said that while Its
low pressure rating was only twelve hundred
horse power, that on the samo rating as the
one at Pullman II would have three thousand
horse power. 1t is
So Enormously Heavy
that in order to Insure against settling they
went down forty.two feet In the foundation
and filled In with solid masonry. This station
receives water from both the Crib tunnels.
The old one, which is over two miles long, was
built toward tho close Of the sixties, and is In
full use still, but the new one, which Is more
than six miles long, was built In IA at the
cost of nearly two millions of dollars, and was
the scene, SO popular report says, of Senator
Harris walk under the lake.
The opening is seven feet high, and hearing
go much OF the fame gained by the Senator,
! became fired with zeal to go through also.
Iquoted my walk under tho bed OF the ohi'
cago river, and shrugged my shoulders CON
temptuously at the scale of distance unrolled;
at the perils suggested; at everything, except
the statement that
The Tunnel was Full of Water
all the time and that tho Senator had taken
his little promenade through 1t before the
water was turned In.
That silenced me, and the Jupiter Pluvius of
the place was enabled to go on with his recital
1t seems that all the water-works belong to the
city. There are no stockholders; no dividends;
no anything; nothing to consume the water
rates but the keeping up OF the water-supplJ.
An idea of this expense may be gathered from
the fact that twelve million of dollars have
already been expended, and that one item of
expense alone is twenty-three tons of coal
uaiiy. Ihere are
Four Hundred and Ninety-Six Miles
of Mains
supplied from the North-side works, and that
great, splendid engine pumps up thirty-six
millions OF gallons a day. was so fascinated
by the rythmic motion of the immense ma
chine that perched myself down In front of
the fly-wheel, and watched Its shining rim
flashing through the shadows. 1t Is nearly q
hundred feet In circumference, and II whlrled
and whirled until all my senses seemed
merged into a stare. little lau,h reused
me, ana l looked up to see one Of the party
pointing at something near me. 1t was a
large
White Cat Sitting i'm Pretty Much
the Same Attitude as Myself.
and looking, II anything, more absorbed In
seeing ''wheels go wound" than was. The
engineer Joined us, and we asked IL 1t was a
pet. He looked much pleased and said:
"Oh, yes, Miss. And It's funny thing about
that cat. was in here on just such a.day as
this last year, dull and stormy, with the
shadows a-nying like rags Off the Wheel And
see something white going round and round.
AT first thought 1t was the light shining on
the steel, but 1t kept up with the wheel IN
stead OF striking 1t now and then regular like.
looked closer, and blessed II 1t wasn't a cat.
She was a sticking on, with her tall the size OF
engine, and / think 1t must have taken week
to get her hair smoothed down,
II WAS so Set Up with Scare.
Well, as soon as see just what 1t was called
up my mate, and We sort of consulted to-
gether, and decided we'd stop the machinery
for q while and get her off, and we did. The
poor thing was 30 scared that she was as stllr
as wood, and 1t was hours before she moved.
She's used to the noise now, tho, and likes
It, and We like her; but she amt ever had q
ride on the big wheel SINCE"
We asked III she stayed all day there, ana II
che wasn't afraid of strangers.
'No, maam. She don't take any notice OF
'em, but Just sits and stares at that wheel till
sne goes to sleep with the whiz of 1t, Just like
ehe was wondering how she ever got on
there, and after she did get there, why she
didn't tumble on"
The wheel makes ten revolutions minute,
and two strokes per revolution; consequently
-as my informant said In an airy manner, as
II ! had been raised on logarlthms-it pumps
up
Twenty.seven Hundred and Fifty
Gallons Per Stroke.
With regard to these figures have been like
| the bane Of our elections-a faithful repeater
and only hope the results to my mathemati
| cal readers will not be as disastrous. Those
| that the size OF the steam cylinder
| go inches In dameter) and the pump cylln
| der (57 Inches in diameter) would prove to the
least observant person the rating and capacity
of the engine. hastened to comment on both
| at once, but Will ask you In confidence why
| they would prove any such thing? This is the
the daily capacity Of the two tunnels is I5o, ,
0O0 600 gallons. There has also been very
commendable Improvement in the sewerage
system here during the past two years, and
| the effect is visible In the diminution OF the
| death rates.
Apropos TO Health statistics,
they have good custom here, which COM
mend TO our city authorities. AS We drove
| from the waterworks, noticed two or three
| charming houses, with large red placards Oh
the doors. / said:
"Ah, for rent, / suppose. Isn't that little
unusual at this season?'
"No," was the answer, ''not for rent. Thost
are scarlet fever cards."
And looking closer saw the words,
'Scarlet fever here"
| When IL is smallpox the card is yellow, anC
| bears the legend appropriate 10 the disease.
IL is simple process, and avoids contagion
| for no one calls except the physician, tn,
| green grocer and the butcher; the friend!
making inquiries from safe distance.
| There are some superb houses here. We
| went to one tho same day, and am sorry 4
| say stared undisgnisedly at the exquisite
Cabanels and zamacois that hung about a;
| numerously as ifthey had been woodcuts ant
| engrayings. The room in which we sat was
| tapestried In Gobelin, and the one beyond wa
| finished and furnished in Bohemian glass ant
| ash wood. 1t was marvel OF color this last
and the chandelier looked like one OF Alad
and .volutes of crimson fame
CURING up there we're as pendants 81 orang
and blue, and globes OF all tints cut In facets
there were chains OF cut glass, and branches o
| rose and white: the furniture was Finished
with balls and spirals of glass, and the cab
ipets and mantel were frosted with color. l
| gave the whole room the effect of being SO
| with gorgeous Jewels. In the hall Dore'
"Gloria victris" kept guard, and ancestra
| armor Il don't know whose) hung along tn
walls. CURIOUS TRAVELLER.
"AIderney Dairy Wagons"
Fresh Aiderney Butter, churned every morn
Ing and delivered In ~ ib ''ward" prints, 55c
per fb. Also, cottage cheese, buttermilk an,
sweet mix. &C. per at. Cream 15r. per pint.
New York milliners say it's to be round.ha
| season.
mule is unlike a poor rule because h