The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-22
UNDERWOOD WATER.
A Visit to the Spring at Falmouth
Foreside.
How the Water is Bottled for Ship
ment.

Yesterday afternoon upon the invitation
of Mr.. Charles S. Deake, party of Portland
Newspaper men, accompanied by Doctors
Moulton and Palmer visited the Underwood
Mineral Spring at Falmouth ForeSide. The
party was conveyed to the spring in one of
the Falmouth Hotel coaches and upon arrival
found delicious clambake awaiting them
upon the rocks down at the shore. After the
repast had been enjoyed an inspection was
made of the spring and the works, where the
clear, sparkling water is bottled for ship
ment to points all over the country where its
value is known and appreciated.
The spring itself is situated in a glade be-
meath the bluffs overlooking the ocean. The
work of nature has been utilized by sur
rounding the spring with granite shaft
connected by pipes with the bottling house
while a system of sub-soil drainage collects
the surface water and car ries it to
the shore where it cannot percolate into the
spring. Looking into the well the surface
of the water is seen about seven feet from
the curbing and fifteen feet beneath the sur
face can be seen the quicksand in which the
spring has its origin. The granite shaft was
built with much difficulty, caisson being
sunk in order TO accomplish the work. The
daily overflow is 10000 gallons which is car
ried off by large iron pipe, in which is car
rled the pipe Of block tin for the supply Of
water for bottling purposes. The natural
temperature of the water is forty-eight de-
grees and the daily supply remains the same
through all seasons of the year. The land
fhn hoc fur
and the banks strengthened by layers of
stone. The work at the spring was done I'M
der the supervision of Civil Engineers j.
Herbert Shedd and E. G. Jordan.
The process of bottling is carried on in a
house built for the purpose near the shore,
several hundred feet from the spring itself,
and containing the necessary apparatus be-
sides the steam engine and boiler to furnish
the motive power. Here the water is
charged with pure carbonic acid gas, drawn
from springs in Germany and brought to this
country in steel cylinders, each containing
twenty pounds of gas, with pressure
of IT'S pounds to the square inch. The
apparatus used in charging the water
consists of two steel fountains with ma
chinery in the interior for mixing the water
and the gas thoroughly. The fountains are
manufactured by Puffer & Sons. In charging
the water the tank is first completely filed.
Then gas is admitted until a pressure of
twenty pounds is indicated on the gauge on
the cylinder. The water is then drawn off
until the cylinder contains twenty gallons.
Gas is again let in until pressure of 100
pounds is indicated, when the machinery is
set in motion and the contents agitated down
to pressure of about forty pounds. Gas is
again admitted to the extent of 100 pounds,
and then by agitation the pressure is reduced
to sixty pounds, and the water is ready to be
let into the bottles at this pressure. The
capacity of the works is 5000 bottles day,
each cylinder containing sufficient gas for
1000 bottles
The bottles which have been used are
cleaned in the same building by means of the
Lightning bottle washer, manufactured by
Hoyt Brothers & Co. of Lynn, Mass The
rubber brush which removes all the dirt
from the inside of the bottles revolves at the
rate of $500 times a minute, and 125 dozen
bottles can be cleaned in the machine in an
hour.
ic acid gas, which is as satisfactory in its re-
suits as it is interesting to spectators, is the
solidication of the gas allowed to flow into
a canvas bag, The condensation is accom-
panied with intense cold, the gas in its solid
flied form being white in color and showing
temperature of 1750 Fahrenheit below the
freezing point. When handled there is the
feeling of extreme cold but il is well TO he
careful, for those who have handled this
cold substance too long are afflicted first with
a sensation Of numbness and then carry
away a sore resembling that resulting from
a burn.
The Underwood water with its chemical
pleasant taste and absence of Or
ganic matter deserves it's success. The wat
er has been analysed both at the school of
Mines in New York and by Professor Frank
L. Bartlett. Both analyses were the same
and were as follows:
Chloride of Sodium. ................. .859 grains