The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-18
NEW WATER WORKS.
Inefficient Pumps and Careless
Work OH Them.
wHeRE THE PUMPS FALL SHORT
s.s.,,.r 70 the Old ones-gad Work Of
ConstructIon stili laundering
After Cedar River.

8 shsrre. Imported By certsin members OF .ne
sonrcsi' q s4ill anxious to construct the Seoar
river system a. planned. A numoei Va iAS's S1.'
s. cited in support Of these charges
Tho present situation - tnas 'ne .e-se gnr
u the Spring Hill Company y Low ~. Us
81 r.oves ana the smaller suxihary pump 'oV,
Ia gallons dsy, making total o. .,sf,o-vgai,
Ions To do this these pumps are ocing strained
nYr,,oef To breaking point, ana nave peeu
Il ra.sstsnf operstlon for the last six months.
r. nysvent 1 breakdown, which wouia pace
iho civ completely at the mercy OF hre' mas rs
nrired ceaseless watehfuiness rom INC ens
neers, and John McWiiiiams. VINO mas enalss
81 tho numps has only had four hours steep
a,,snv the twenty-four hours when the ma
rhinrrv required unusual care. Inc pumps
waro not buiIs to stand such ceaseiess strain,
and cannot in reason long endure H. Inc large
purnp was guaranteed to make thirteen strokes
! rain,rte. and though It was understood tnat II
might Be run continuously, provision was 70 pe
made Tor stopping for repairs. "hen nrs1 punt
Il was operated nine hours DAY on tnFee Gays
Z week but it has since been forced 10 90 CON
eta,t,v increased service, until II has now peen
,,,r,,sr. cesse,esslv for six months and is forced
mn "a twenty three strokes minute.
4 was considered. sufficient for the city's needs
fhree wears ego. when the reservoir Win ca
nacifv OF 100000 gallons was Duii,, ana tue
daily consumption was 100000 gallons, AT the
nrcsent tine II the city were to use ali the water
Il absolutely needs. one DAYS consumption
would empty the reservoir. An iaea Oh the IN
creased demand made on the old pumps may De
formed from the statement that the city is using
"A m 1slious day for hydraulic elevators alone
mons than the whole city used six years ago.
Yef breakdown of q single pump now would
Ieayc the city practically without waier. so
rreaf Is the strain on this enc pump That, when
Il does break down, mechanics expect nothing
uhoft Of Z total collapse.
IA view OF these facts it would be expected
thar everything would be done to secure, at the
parlest possible day, the greatest possible serv-
i0e out OF the new pumps. Yet the new pumps
Are of such character and they are being put
Town in such manner as to warrant the sup
position that they were merely intended to sup
element service which wss already sufficient.
The present engine is a compound condenser,
while the three new pairs are compound nigh
pressure engines of small pattern. The con-
aensing engine is furnished with vacuum
phambcf, into which the st am is exhausted in
stead Of into the atmosphere. where 1t meets
the pressure OF the air Thus 1t makes q saving
ii power equal TO about % per cent. and to
make this up more fuel must be consumed.
The comparison between the boilers of the
Did and new pumps 10 equally uniavorabIe to
HE latter. The present three boilers each have
steam drum and plenty OF sieem
boom, thus supplying dry steam. The
now boilers, OF which two have been set for the
prst pair Of pumps, have the old-fashioned
lome into which the water foams up from the
boiler and mixes with the steam. The result is
hatthe dome win throw out large quantity of
water In the form of spray and the boiler viii
uss more fuel TO produce less power. The new
boilers with domes will not furnish steam
enough to work the pumps to their capacity
So als0 with regard 70 the steam connections
Of the boilers. The present three boilers have
two seven.inch connections from each to the
drain. 80 that they have plenty OF room for the
steam TO pass through. The new boilers have
nniy four-inch connections. instead OF seven
Inch, as they should be. The consequence is
Nat the pumps take steam faster than 1t can
pass through the opening, they get wet steam
and lose power.
Equally faulty Is the work on the suction pipe
The present sixteen.inch pipe of the Spring Hill
plant Il made Of boiler iron with bell joints and
has needed no repairs during the six years il has
been in use. It extends 800 feet out into the
lake, and the depth OF water Is now twenty-nine
leet the distance being thirty -four feet from the
rcnfer of the horizontal pipe to the bottom of
The lake. In winter the depth is five feet more.
n the water usually reaches to the center of the
pipe.
The new suction pipe Is to be made of sixteen.
lnsh cast iron, with lead joints aud will only ex.
end 200 feet over the water, which at that point
b only twenty-five feet deep in summer the dis
lance to the center of the pipe being five feet
more. When the lake is high in winter the
water being level with the pipe, the waves viii
gradually loosen the joints and at all times.
summer or winter, tie vibration caused by the
now Of water viii tend to loosen the joints As
result, the pumps will suck in wind instead
Of water and somuch further loss will ensue.
The action OF the water committee in taking
~ water nearer the shore. instead of further
out than the old suction pipe, is also criticized
~ men experienced In such matters The
nearer the shore the water is. the warmer il is
md the more ii tastes Of the earth, while the
nrther out the suction pipe extends the more
likely II IL to draw in the under-currents of
culd. pure water.
The contract for the boilers was let tn John p
Sullivan. who sub-let to a teamster named Holl.
well the contract for hauling the boilers to the
lake and setting them. As they are set their
Whole weight rests on the two points OF the sami-
Circular opening in the brick-work and there is
space below them into which one can nnsh
HE finger. If properly set they would at close
" into this brick-work, and their weight would
Be equslly distributed over it. The contract
tor the steam connections was sub-let to Moran
Bros. "a
Ion of ]. r. Williamson. The first pair OF nrmns
has been placed In position on bed of concrete
into which anchor bolts were set M the ssieam
eno' OF the pump. by which TO bolt
down, but for some reason No
Dueh bsits we're Get at the "water end, and ,hc
sole agency for holding the pumps In position
q that end 70 sulphur. The concrete bed for the
eecoad pair OF pumps has also been prensred
butt. too. has no bolts at the water end Thara 4;
IUd&4ft. n each Sida nf fha
pump, concrete ledge, between which il resss
bus the concrete is so badly made that IL is
crnmbnng away. and q very light kick brings a.
Gown. the bolts were set so deep In the con.
rsete that they did not rise high ENOUGH sboya
y 10 screw the nuts ON, and the concrs,a nos
had to be clipped away. Similar oversiob,s in
otner places. showing inexperienes on the part
q the workmen, have caused delay in the com
kseuon OF the work The pipe for the suction
line and The wrought iron pipe for tho 49,,
connections inside the building are on tbe
groand. but nothing has been done ,owa-is
laying the suction pipe out into the lake qhe
Restlng on which IL IL % rest In not hniIt rot
and though the lumber Ia on the rro,,,s
nothing was being done with it YESTERDAY
nevertheless recent criticisms have stirred mn
me council to feverish outbreak OF energy
snu mayor Moran was st the works two DAYS
ago urging haste. Yet work ceased ,l,nr.,,e,y
- socicck, though several more hopr. ~ a.,
night might have been utilised Inv woftins
overtime. Mr.. Williamson says. however that
&c win have the first pair Of pumps Ia opera.
ten within ten days.
The capacity claimed for the three new do,h,s
eamps 10 L2Soooo gallons a day for each mir
wing $4,000 gallons day in addition 70 the
sesent supply. Bat some discount has 10 be
saoxed Tor loss OF power, so tia, It Is estimated
thaf the actual capacity of the whole nm, "a
md new. viii be S.50e,01e gallons = sav W." 80
running 70 its full capacity.
The delay In laying the new main n,ne linz =.
alsoa serious difficulty. Work was see,,T 80, -
Nag > and Is to be finished in three u,ont6s -
81 August .. though James A. McWnlI.,,s
supefintendent OF the Spring Hin plant. cIaI,ns
E1Hf he ennld Ia lasH - --'-.ln