Idaho semi-weekly world., 1892-06-10
a ciTy's WATER SUPPLY IN TANKS

Lake Ontario to Rochester.
By far the most novel suggestion that
las yet been s.ared for supplying
Rochester with additional water Is the
following:
The proposal is, in brief, to bring the
water from Lake Ontario by means Of
tank cars running on a railroad.
In explaining the proposed the pro
Sector said: Since the idea first oc-
Cured to me have looked at it from
all points, and the more | think of it !
the better It pleases me- But whether
1t will be found practical or not re-
mains to be seen. The engineers can
no doubt easily calculate the cost, and
that isthe only feature that A am in
fear about As it is, after rough cal
culation estimate that this plan will
give this city and. other places pure wa
ter at, low price and in unlimited guam
tity. The whole plan is TO bring tho
water in vessel made for the purpose
| from point in the lake so far from
shore that there will be no chance Of it
containing impurities
1.-THE vessel would be somewhat on
/ the plan OF the floats used in New
York for carrying garbage out to sea
and dropping it in the ocean through
the bottom of the vessel. In the case
of my ship the cargo, instead of being
taken to sea, would be brought from
sea to shore. and in place Of entering
the hold through the matches wonld
come in through trap in the bottom.
/ When we had our vessel full OF the pure
and sparkling water we would tow it to
the harbor by tug, and pump the
water into tank cars specially made for
the purpose and running like ordinary
freight cars on the common track. The
cars could be provided with trap doors
or valves through which to discharge
their liquid contents into reservoir
over which the train would run, just as
a coal or wheat car runs and drops its
load. This plan, OF course, would only
be adopted where the system was to be
applied On large scale. Where the
idea was to be adopted as temporary
expedient the water could be pumped
from the cars directly into the mains
of the town.
"Now fors some figures in regard tothe
scheme. The railroads carry freight al
a profit for half cent ton per mile
A ton of water contains 2S5 gallons, sc
that, allowing so gallons of water to eacf
nerson. the railroad would carry sup
nly for family of five the distance O
a mile for half a cent. 1t would cos
1-2 cents as freight from the lake t.
Rochester, assuming that the distance
is seven miles Thirty tons is an ord'
b nary load of Goals on a gondola car
and a locomotive would have no DIN
Guilty in drawing a train OF twenty cars
or GOO tons, holding III 900 gallons.
one train made twelve trips day
moderate estimate for run OF sevel
4 miles-we get 2, ,o52, 900 gallons OF wa
ter, You see there is virtually no llml
to the amount of water you can brln
To town in that way, and the plant r.
ouired is neither expensive nor diincu
to make.
1.-TWO or three steam pumps OF KIN
that can be found ready made, the sh
for CARRYING the water and the tan
cars are the principal novel features
the whole, and any good mechanic ca
rig them all up in short time III
~'5 Man tell you, is entirely practica
and when have had chance to COZ
sult with some ship carpenter as TO u
cost of the vessel, and with the rallroa
managers as to the best rates they ca
give on freight, may give you more
relation to it.
"1ust fancy" continued the pr
;ector. chow easy it would be TO esta
ish a reservoir in the vicinity OF nur'
mark. and keep it full OF water oy
- tra;p of tank cars running to ana 1ro
Charlotte.
.Jf the cost of carrying the water
.- rail should prove too great 'iie p
iector added, as though he hao c'us
. smother idea, then | shall figure
The expediency of bringing the wa'
from Lake Erie in canal boats. An
want in that case is fleet OF boats u
~ we can run into the lake, I'LL WITH p.
I. ,uater tow down here and pump
Is contents into the reservoir. inteho
"- oall the attention of the Chicago peol
= To the plan of bringing water IN sl
" ~ from beyond the sewage lihe INV
49,. - ester Post Express.