The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-20


SrrPT. @. 70. BOILING.
head OF tidewater. the typography OF 10
sita IS exceedingly varying, CONSISTING
OF a succession Of hills and valleys WIN
elevations differing as much as one nun,
bred and fifty-fye feet. IRON the MAJ 'a
of tidewater the river channel Ilses i a.
IDLY along a rocky bed. ana Wltnn .hs
distance OF one mile and quarter the
water has attained an elevation oil forty
feet above mean tide. IT..
AT the time when Mr. Stein was coHeu'
q portion of tho James RIVER ana haua-
wha Canal had been cons ructed aiOhs
the northern shores of James river anu
it's water surface was cighty-rnree leel
above tide At this point Mr. stein Sc
lected a site for the pump-house, ana re-
commanded 10 Use ithe wafer III ln'
James river canal as power the sur.
face of the canal being about forty iest
above the proposed site subsequently
the plan was changed. and water was
obtained from small forebay at tne
river, parallel with the canal and below
IL. and about 500 feet long. This iore-Day
was supplied with water by means OF
a wooden dam, built on the rock lodges,
and furnishing a head of ten Feet. Here
Mr. stein erected "A pump-house ana
pump. The water-wheol and pump was
furnished by William kemblc, or New
York. The wheel was low Dreast-Nneei
and worked a double acting hofizonitai
pump Of 10000 gallons capacity In wen
ty-four hours. Prom the Pump-hou an
eight-inch water main was laid unler
the canal to the reservoir, situated on
hill. 200 feet distant, and iS feet apoVs
hv lO4 T. 81 by 10 feet. inches deep. ana
was idivided Into two equal compart-
ments by brick wall; the enclosing
banks were clay. and It's capacity was
one million gallons.
ESTABLISHING FILTER BED.
In one commitment, filter bed. 50 IL
feet, by Is feet and feet above the bot
tom OF uhe reservoir, was constructed.
The bed consisted Of laye-5 of coarse
gravel at the bottom, the finer gravel ana
sand on the surface. The water Dy
means Of pipe arrangement was TO Do
forced upward and finally 10 ina IT'S way
out OF the division wall into the DIS
Irlbuting compartment. For the purpose
of cleanlng the bed 1t was 50 construct
al that water could be admitted from
the ,surface. and wasted through IND
pump main by means Of waste branch
Into raine. Mr. stein stated al the
time that this was tile largest nliering
bed in he United States, also that he was
doubtful of It's proving successiui. Tue
surface OF the water IN the reservoir
was eight feet higher than any point IN
the city, and water was conducted 10
The city by means of a surply-maln ~
inches in diameter. CLIO feet long. tbs
main was estimated 10 deliver SV,Vv hal-
Ions in twenty-four hours, or, ACCORDING
90 Mr.. STEMS calculations, furnish water
for 400 families. computing the daily
consumption 10 be 100 gallons per family.
main numerous distributing pipes OF
small diameters were laid. and nVe ny
drants put In at convenient points. The
total cost OF the works-pumps, reser-
Voir. pipes, etc.-eNclusive of the dam aud
fore-hay. was $1,000 The works were
accepted by the city February II, ISL
In 1893. another water-wheel and pump
of the same design and capacity was
greeted, and another cighc-inch water
main laid from tho pumps TO the reser-
voir In 1885, the filter bed was aro-
nounccd a failure for the purpose OF prri-
Tying the water, and its use abandoned
In 1892. the city bought the dam and
fore-bay for the sum OF s2o.pp; ana ilVe
years afterwards replaced portion or
the wooden dam with one OF stone. In
1888. the population then numbering 2, :
900. rhe reservoir capacity was increased
10 7,oDuD gallons by IA sing the banks
OF the old reservoir. ana adding a new
addition. In 1875 the SUPPLY OF water be-
coming limited~the population was 25,-
7la. .2l2 Of whom were water takerS-a
new supply main. twelve inches IN DAM
cter and 5.l1b feet long was laid. Ia 1873
the pumps were acain increased by the
addition Of two water-wheels and pumps
Of the same design and a little greater
capao.ty ard two eight-inch mains laid
from the pumps 20 the reservoir
Five years elapsed before IL was again
necessary 10 make additions. when two
pumps and wheels o. the same design.
day. were put up. and two twelve-inch
mains laid 70 tho reservoir. The water
takers az this time numbered l.SS2. the
total pumping capacity was .iN gal
Ions I'm twcnty-lour hours, and the re-
tervolr CAPACITY 10000 gallons. In 1860
n twenty-four inch supply main was laid
from tho reservoir TO the city. No fur
ther additions were made 10 the works
uutil 1872, the supply then becoming
scarce. owing 10 the Increased number OF
water-taters the population being $500
purtreg the years 1919 and 1874. under the
superintsndencc of Emile Geyein, two
horizontal double-acting pumps having
cfvarteen inch cyiintercts and six-foot
stroke were erected. These pumps were
run by JOnval turbine wheel Their
capacity was estimated at three million
gallons FL twenty-fOur hours. 4 steam
pump. constructed 10y Guild and Garri-
ron. OF Philadelphia. with a capacity OF
5000 gallons. was erected on the canal.
hear the old pumps. and a twenty-fOur
iNch main laid 20 the reservoir. into
which the new water power pumps and
steam pump discharged. Upon their
completion. the actual pumping capa" y
was 1898 gallons daily. the consCmp-
ton 25l7, 81 gallons. and the rate per cap
fta a 2-5 gallCns-
MORE PRESSURE NEEDED.
The city at this time was rapidly ex-
tending aud being built up ilNihe higher
norton, differing In elevation very little
Prom the site OF the reservoir, and was
s,luplied by mains laid along streets OF
widely different grades. greatly limiting
tba sir,nlv TO those living on the high