The Republican journal., 1885-12-03
Homer, N. Y, Water Works.

A correspondent of the rittsburg Despatch
gives an account of the water works construct
ed at Homer, N. Y, by Kinds, Motfett & Co.,
and recently completed Work was begun
July 20 and the pumps were first started Oct.
"a The system is known as the gravity sys-
tenn The water, which Is of soft and exceed
ingly pure quality, is obtained from series Of
twenty gang wells near the woollen mills, hav-
ing total capacity of 800 gallons minute.
The pumps used are of the Worthington manll-
facture of New York. They consist of duplex,
compound, condensing pumping engines, and
have a capacity of Il million gallons every
twenty-four hours. The water is foi ced into
reservoir on East hill, which is forty feet high
and twenty-five feet across, having capacity
of 100000 gallons. 1t was made by the Sharon
boiler works of Sharon, Pa. The boiler at the
pump house is from the work. of B. W. Payne
of Elmira, and is of seventy-fi horse power.
The mains, which are Of cast iron, are four, siS
and eight-nch pipes, according to their loca-
tion. There are nearly six miles of pipes in the
village. The hylrants, thirty-three in number,
were made by the Ludlow Valve company Of
1lUf, N. L ~ slS Sttlu VI SdtCs az tdtu slIttt
allows the pressure to be directed In sections f
desired. The cost of the works was about S75,-
900, and Kinds, Moffett & Co. own control
ling interest in them. The town has rented 50
hydrants at an annual cost of $50 per hydrart
for term Of years and applications for water
are coming In rapidly from the citizens. In the
first test of the system, says the Despatch co.,
respondent:
Two streams were thrown from one hydrar t
with fifty feet Of hose and one and one-fourth
inch noZzles. The streams measured 100 fee t
and $50 gallons minute were thrown from
each pipe. In the second test four streams
were thrown from one hydrant through fifty
feet OF hose with three-fourths and sever
eghths inch nozzles. In the third test six
streams were thrown from three hydrant.
through 300 feet of hose each, with three-quaI-
ter and one and one quarter inch nozzles. The
pressure at the reservoir was only reduced sew
en- pounds, although 1000 gallons of water l
minute were being thrown. The fourth test
consisted of one stream from one hydrant
through 400 feet of hose with one and one
quarter inch nozzle. This stream was thrown
above the small windows In the Congregational
church spre. The fifth and last test was fou
streams from three hydrants, through 800 fee t
of hose each, with three-quarter and one and
one-quarter inch nozzes, with the pressure di.
rect from the pumps. These streams We're
more powerful than the gravity pressure. a
distance of 200 feet can be thrown or even more
if necessary, the limit being confined only t.
the strength of the pipe. During the third tes
the steamer at the foot of Wall street threw I
stream through $50 feet of hose with seven
eighth inch nozzle about twenty feet higher
than the six streams of the works.
This correspondent also states that Kinds.
Motfit e. Co. have put in water works in eleven
towns and cities this year, and have nine
places, including Syracuse, in which they will
put in their works next year. This shows that
the question of a water supply is agtating 9th
er communities than those in Maine. and the
facts here presented will have local applica-
ton and interest at this time.