New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-28
UOLSEi"S LEADEN WATER PIPES.
\ rIECE or WORK ANCIENT AND HONEST.
From Tho Surrcv lEnglandl Comet.

From Tho Surrey England) Comet.
As long ago as the sixteenth century, Coombe
was noted for its frCsh-watcr springs. and when
IN" great Cardinal Wosey built Hampton Court
Palace he determined to bring his supply OF
drinking water from coombe. An elaborate and
very successful method employed for col
cctinc the water from the various springs on
the hill. There were three principal conduit
hOu sos, which Still eXiSt-One on the estate or
Sir Douglas Fox. which is called from this
circumstance "Coombe Springs" and two others
on or adjacent to the estate ~ Middleton Camp
bell 10y means OF number of underground
carriers or feeders. the water conveyed
from III" springs to these conduit houses, whence
IT flowed IN separate pipes to point rot far
from Eurbiton Station. where "A junction was
effected. From this point the water was taken
direct To the Palace through lead pipe "a
inches in diameter. which ran. at a depth vary
ing from thr"" feet 10 six feet In front Of what
is now st. Peters Nicarage. across the Cam
hridg" Road and IN straight line to tn" Fair
field which it crossed. proceeding theme" through
* i@hts Park. beneath the Hogs Mill stream.
and through Woodhinc Park to the river Here
cpnsid, rahle dip was necessary to take the
pip" under the Thames. after which 1t was an
easy matter T. lay II through the HON" Park 10
IN" Palace Tho water from Copmbc formed the
sole domestic supply for Hampton Court Palace
for nearly 80 years and was only discarded
about thirty years ago
Their" were two circumstances which chiefly
Influenced the authorities in abandoning the
Couwhc supply. Tho increase - building on
Kingston HIll had tho effect II polluting some
Of Tho sources - tho supply. and II was antIci-
pat-d that wlth 4 considerable addition To The
number ~ houses in the future there would he
further pollution. Another difficulty that
the larg's which came up To Kingston when
they dropped n,hor in the Thames used ire
qu"ntly to grapplc and damage the lead pipe.
which led To the occasional failure ~ the supply.
Consequently IA new supply ~ drinking water
for the Palace obtained from "A branch II
the River Conc. formerly known as the Car
dnals River but now known the Queen
River. The intake Is AT Hampton. where the
water unicrgocs filtration. and Is thence pumped
to the Palace
By order - the Commissioners Of Works tho
old lead pipes between Coomhc and Hampton
Court Palace. which have been buried ever since
the year 1870. have recently been taken up. IL
says much for The honest workmanship 81 our
ancestors that these pipes wcr" found 20 b" in
perfect condition. and very few u them had any
enormous length. as much as two hundred t,et
being found without a Joint. Thos" old pipes are
- great value. because they made at
ilrlc hen the furfhod II extracting the silver
from IN" bead had not been discovered and "a"
substantial natuf" II the pipes may hc gaug"i
from Tho fact iha' tho average about "lcf'n
,ou,.ds 10 th. foot liu'al owing To the great
doN riDIin"nt OF building N" route ~ "a"
pipe 70 har h'"n u course. impossible 20 re-
cover tho whole length that passes through
Kingston a. a good deal - u b. covered with
bricks ard mortar hut the undertaking has
proved decidedly profitable one FOR the COM
ms. ioncrs = Works Who viii be- some hun
dr. - NJ pounds DOB go, kct hy IL incidentally II
may Do" mentioned that thu old r'd brick plug
house. which f0r 500 many years An cy"snr'
To- p'opir crossing the foothriig, from Graug"
Road g. Denmark Road. has now been l,-
innlieh.d