The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-11


lance vertically through which the wa
ter falls, and therefore increases the
velocity o.. the stream.
AS we approach the sea we invariably
find the inclination or slope of the plane
decreases. gradually feeding into sur
face nearly coincident with that of the
surface of the ocean.
QUESTION OF VELOCITY
But hydraulickans have discovered to
a degree of measurable certainty that
when water is introduced into uni
form channel the resistance of the sides
and bed Of the stream to the flow of the
water so regulates its movement that
the whole body assumes a uniform Ve-
locity instead OF uniformly acceler-
ated or increasing velocity, as in the
case of falling body. Yet the move
ment of water in any conduit depends
upon the force Of gravity for it's veloc-
ity. This is the great moving power
and upon it must we depend for results
,, in drainage problems. From the nature
of the material over which the water
runs, therefore, we cannot obtain an
increasing velocity as in the case of a
body falling in vacuo, and therefore
body of water running on a given in
clined pla.'e.
Fortunately, however, for the drain
age of the low lands, the streams. either
large or small. generally concentrate
into one main river through which ma
| ture inten0s to conduct the waters Of
the mountains and valleys to the sea.
| ANOTHER OF NATURES LAWS.
| Then does nature step in with an
other law that materially assists the
! possibility of the drainage of our val
| legs and low lands. That law is, that
as you increase the volume of moving
! body so d. you increase its momentum
or determination to move on, or to re-
sist the impulse Of any force with which
! it may come in contact.
| It is a well-known law in the solu-
ton of mechanical problems that the
momentum of a body is equal to the
mass Of the body multiplied by it's We
! locity.
INCREASING THE VOLUME.
! Now we have seen by our remarks
on inclined planes that we must in
crease the slope of the inclined plane
over which water descends in order
/ that we may increase the velocity, but
when we cannot increase the slope of
the plane we may be able to increase
/ the volume of water passing through
given conduit and thereby increa Sc
/ the momentum of the water or the
working power OF the stream.
PRIMARY ILLUSTRATION.
! As an Illustration of this simple prin-
ciple it is only necessary to remember
a very crude illustration: II we raise a
/ ten-pound hammer in the air and let
il fall on some substance we observe
that it produces a certain effect by vir-
/ tue of its impact or blow Now repeat
: the same operation with a one-pound
hammer and you will find that with the
same velocity and same application OF
moving power the effect of the blow is
ten times less. Sc il is with the power
of body of water moving in a canal
pipe or river. In the closing of a water
! pipe running under water pressure
we observe the tremendous conclusion
when closed very suddenly. This prin-
ciple is so well understood in hydraulics
that the methods are adopted in clos-
ing pipes of large diameters with ex-
| tensive heads OF water. such that the
! water flow will be checked by very
gradual degrees. Were the pipes closed
J instantaneous it would require very
strong pipe material to withstand the
blow Of the velocity or momentum OF
the water. In small pipes we have no
trouble in checking the flow Immediate
ly, hut in large bores the process must
be very gradual indeed and is generally
done by means Of 4 screw.
Therefore, il we desire to increase the
power Of a stream running from a
sharp incline or grade to o moderate
one. we must IL possible increase the
volume az we cannot increase the
grade. In other words in order that we
may keep the working force OF the
stream in its lower grades equal to the
working force of its upper or sharper
grades ii is only within the power OF
man to do so by increasing the volume
of the water In the stream
We must simply follow the laws tina,
nature has pointed out to us Every
watershed or catchment area of the
world demonstrates the usefulness OF
those laws. If IL were not for the con.
centration of the forces of the water
by the union of volumes making one
grand drainway OF all tributar,
streams, the final Improvement Of oul
great rivers or the possibility of keep.
ing a channel from destroying its owr