The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-06
THE NEW PUMPS AT WORK.
COMPLETION OF THIS IMPORTANT
IMPROVEMENT NEAR
AT HAND NOW.
Talk About the Reservoir Park, Lee
Monument, Electric Light, ArfiH.
cial lee, Old Fogies, Mayors
VetOes, &C.. &c.

Netoes, &C.. &c.
The new city water-works at the Three
mile locks were in operation Yesterday.
They poured water into the reservoir IN a
tremendous stream. Though there is at
present the usual friction Of new machine
ry, the pumps were fulfilling expectation,
and the official belief is tina, they NAV be
relied upon to serve all our needs but the
biz stcam-pump will be retained, so that
never again shall Richmond suffer the an-
noyance and Inconvenience to which it was
subjected in 1881. and from which IL was
| only relieved by the prompt action Of the
Mayor, aided by "the sensational press"
These Struck-not Tock--but the big
steam-pump, and great streams OF water
gushCd forth.
CAUSE OF DELAY.
The delay in the completion OF the new
water-wOrks has not been, as is commonly
believed. because OF any necessity for re-
modelling or roarranging the pumps.
Nothing has been done to them at all: and
nothing done about them except 20
lower the walls in the pit so as 20
give the water better exit from
the wheels. TIE real trouble has been
with the head-gates and the race or canal.
The first were undermined by ireshet;
the banks OF the other broke or got cut by
muskratS. The entire work WIli now in a
short time be concluded. II is not done
yet. but Will be before long. An additional
appropriation OF about $4,000 will be re-
quired 10 pay what is already Cue and
make some Improvements contemplated.
Ii will be a matter OF great public re-
ioicing when the volume OF accounts shall
have been written upaud the word "fniS'
confidently added by the disbursng officer.
And yet it will not turn out that we have
sunk 80 much money there. Reservoir,
keepers house, pumps, pump-bOuse, water
way, and head-gates and all, viii not cost
more than 100000.
PARK.
With these we get thrown in a park OF
over 300 acres, with It's lakes, drives,
grounds, &C., &c.
II is very likely that we never would
have gotten a park otherwise. The city
comes into tie possession Of one now al
most without knowing il. II we had
started out to get it we would have had 10
fight down old fogie- by Daitalions. This
park i going TO be lovely. II will not be
many years before # is the pride OF Rich
mond-whcn / viii be approached 10y an
avenue from Broad street; when it will be
reached 10y >trco,-eals, and also by the
stcam-cars OF the Allegheny Company;
when is river views will be recognized
and appreciated; wnen it will have nice
tr0tting course, lake for boating. fOun-
tains, walks. flowers, &c., and statuary
too. Taking about the Lee monument, il
will become a question whether il ought
not 10 be put ont there. The fact that one
OF the Richmond Lee Monument Assoca-
tions has abou, S2e, ,OCO and the other about
$1,000 induce, the belief that Ne will not
have to wait very much longer before the
money is put to the use for which il was
subscribed.
SUBSEQUENT TO THE GROANS.
After the grooming is over about the cost
OF the water-wCrkS we will begin 10 esti-
mate their true worth, and perhaps incline
our hearts 10 pity those who have had the
hard task Of spending the money there.
Engineering i, not an exact science so far
aS the spending Of money j. concerned.
The engineers could start tunnelling on
one side OF the Alps and with perfect pre-
cision meet midway the party tunnelling
from the other side; but tlicy could not
make both cash ends meet o. they h2d esti-
mated. Look at the Church-iiill tunnel!
Look at all public works. Perhaps some
OF our citiZcns WHO have bought lots and
built houses have some personal expert
cncc.
All this for talk. not for apology.
When doctors and druggists make mis-
takes the victims voice is hushcd in the
grave: when the lawyer errs his mln's
mouth i shut in prison walls; but when
engineers blunder and they do sometimes),
the bluudcr stands as monument.
THE Old WORKS.
When. after sufficient trial il is found
that the new works are able to perform all
their prop0s d functions. the city Will nave
the Hollywood S,Cam-rump and the old
water-workS 10 sell. The latter. II is hoped,
NAV be utilized in connection with an clcc-
iric light: bu, /, must be admitted that no
proposition 10 that end that tie city could
accept has been made yet. But the people
here will mist on having electric light.
Ga, people, If in Tie way, viii iall before
that movement. g, dld the ta.lOW-dip
maker before the employment oi ga,.
Richmond is moving.
ANYBODY who stands m her way will be
run over.
ARTIFICIAL ICE AND HOW "a IS MADE.
The transition from water to Ice is na-
tural: bat artificial ice is sOmathing new
with H.. To people generally the making
OF it is a great mystery. They cannot TN
dcrstand how those thick, beautifully clear.
and perfectly compact blocks oXhibi,od by
the Transparent lee Company aie turned
d - f. a. I. for
per day--bcfore the summer is oyer. probs-
bly to he made at the rate Of twenty tons
per day. Tie thing Is plain. James-rlycr
water !, doubiy filtered. Then It is SUBJ
icctcd to Process analogous 10 the ffco2lng
of icc-crCam. WhatfreczCs ihe creamin the
one ease frccz,s the pure water in the
other. But with this diA'ren that tie |
water +, kept stlll i'm the tanks or ircczcrs. |
The process depends upon the fact that /
any liquid when ID is changed into yapor !
or Gas must and viii have heat, and this |
heat il takes from anything near il. For
example. when water Is applied to a hot or
lniiamcd pagt of the body, il begins 10
turn into yapor, and as il must have heat
i'm order to do this, IL takes the heat from
the body and 20 cO0ls il. II 4 liquid J.
used which lurns into yapor more rapidly
than water does-for instance, cther-itwi |
cool the part still more, and it can be made
even 10 freeze II.
In the ice-machinc the liquid which is
i ammonia. This J. naturally a
gas, but before il is used ii is liquiiicd 10y
being subjected to great pressure. A. soon
as the pressure is removed il ,liessinto gas
again, and. in accordance with the forego-
ing principle. must have heat. What the
machine does i 20 pump the liquid ammo |
MIA 10 the ireczers, where the pressure Is re-
lieved. and the liquid, suddenly becoming
changed into 4 great volume OF gas, takes
the great amount OF heat il then needs from
whatever happens to be near il. In this
il is water which is near il,