Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-03-14
WATER IN THE DEsERT.
The Pipeline TO be Constructed Between
Sualsim and L:erber.

The Arerican Eeqinecr of March 9Th
SAYS: In our issue of January ID we made
note Of the proposition of General L. +.
Mo!ineuX and Lieutenant L, L. Iaiinski
to lay a pipeline across the desert, either
from Korosco TO Abou Hammed. or from
ouaSim to Berher, to supply water to u
route to be utilized in prosecuting the
Egyptian campaign. Cable dispatches
now advise Us that the English Goyeen-
ment has concluded TO adopt the plan for
the SuakimBerber route, 10 supply water
70 locomotives and 10 all the various re-
| qulrements Of an army and its line Of
| communication. The plan is TO lay sys-
TEN OF pipes IN the desert and force water
through them with powerful pumping
| machines.
The contract for tho latter has been
placed with the we'll known firm Of Henry
<. Worthinston, Of this country. -Four of
the pumping engines haze already been
shipped from New York. Ncare indebted
to the manufacturers for the following par
ticuIars:
From i;uakim % Bsrber, in a direct Inc
across the desert, i about 2G0 miles, but
the absence of water makes the journey one
Of great difficulty. if not a practical impos-
ibiiity for large bodies Of troops. t1ycn
the building and maintenance Of Il railway
would be extremely difficult for the sam,
reason. Water in large quantities would
be needed for the construction hands, the
soldiers to guard them and the completed
route, and for the engines,
To overcome these difficulties, two lines
Of four-iach pipe are to be laid between
Suakim and Berber. At intervals of - or
80 miles, or even less pumping stations
VIII be established, there being Duplicate
engines at every station capable of forcing
TO the square inch. There will also be a
large tank at each station, 10 be used as
reservoir IN case of need. Water will be
delivered at the end Of the route at the
rate of about $50 gallons per minute
The pipe is 10 he laid III eirec. line.
with occa-ional curves to allow for ex-
pansion and contraction, due 10 the
extreme changes Of the temperature
in the desert. With sufficient force Of
men it Is expected that the work Of laying
the pipes will proceed at the rate OF about
five miles day. An American engineer.
Ccnyeroant with al the details OF the oil
pipe line system, is now in London, in
consultation with the British Government.
If the pipes are tamperod with by the
Arab forces, the diminished pressure at the
nearest pumping station will speedily
demonstrate the fact and a force can be
sent ont to repair the break 1t has not
yet been decided upon who viii supply the
pipe to stand the great pressure at which
the water is pumped.
The idea Of forcing water through pipe
lines long distances is without doubt sug-
gested by the American practice of forcing
petroleum through pipelines from the oil
producing regions OF Western FennsyIya-
MIA to New York, Philadelphia and
Baltimore on the seaboari Buffalo and
Cleveland Oh Lake Erie, and to
Pittsburg at the head Of nayiga-
ton on the Ohio river BY this net
work Of pipelines the trans portation Of
oil is accomplished in a much more expo
ditious manner and at far less cost than by
the old system Of shipping by rail On the
main lines, each pair of engines is upwards
Of $50 to 500 horsepower. As rule they
are placed IS to "a miles apart, but they
have been known to pump via pipe loops
around the stations distance Of 10 miles
without breaking connection.