The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
TO DRAIN NEW ORLEANS.
Preparations Making to Install u Gigantic
Electric PampinG Plant.

@a-
The commission which has charge OF the task
of providing for the disposition of the surface
drainage of New Orleans has decided to use
electric power for pumping away the enormous
quantities of rain water which it has to deal
with. and a contract for an electric outfit for
the central poworhouse and for three pumping
stations has just been made with the General
Electric Company of Schenectady. A great
part of tho city of New Orleans lies below tho
mean level of the Mississippi River and only a
little above the level OF Lake Pontchartrain.
and when rains fall the little flow that can be
got naturally is not enough to keep the city from
being flooded. In ordinary showers the usual
fall is an inch of water an hour and In heavy
showers this amount runs up to 516 inches. In
order to gather this and get rid of it the New
Orleans Drainage Commission is having two
long canals dug from the low parts of the city
to the other side of the Metairie ridge. which
lies about midway between the.river' and Lake
Pontchartrain. A pumping station Will be es-
tabllshed at the head OF each Of these canals to
lift the water into other artificial ways, whence
1t can run of into the lake;
One Of these canals is above and the other
below Bayou st; John, which reaches into the
heart OF the city from Lake Pontchartrain.
The one below will DO divided into two parts.
different levels meet. o third pumping station
will be established to lift the water from tho
lower to the upper leyel: ~, The n, station VIII be
AAiAoV II no ANos - bttA ~ fiAA 80 49,
feet. The other stations. numbered respectively
q and 2, will be at the ends OF the canals and
will each lift the water ten feet. The pumps at
station 2 will be able TO raise 500 cubic feet OF
water three feet every second. Those at each
OF the other stations must raise 300 cubic feet
Of water ten feet every second.
The whole system is to be supplied with power
and operated from a central station situated at
the Florida avenue crossing of the n. o. and
n: +, Railroad. Here will be the big dynamos;
OF these there will he three, each of 1000
horsepower, one OF 500 horsepower and two OF
100 horsepower each. The object In dividing
the power In this way Is TO enable the engineers
10 throw in whatever amount OF power may DO
needed to clear the canals of water, in accord
ance with the severity of the rains.
Multiphase, high-tension dynamos and motors
will be used. The current will go out at $500
volts and reach the motors at the jumping sta
tons at 5000 volts. Two separats sets OF wires
will. reach to the pumping stations to guard
against breakdowns. The nearest pumping
station will BIO No. 2. That will be $4,000 feet
and o will be 10000 feet from the powerhouse.
Station 2 will have two pump motors OF 10
horsepower each and one of 40 horsepower,
and each of the other stations will have three
motors of 450 horsepower each.
Instead OF using ordinary pumps, the water
Is TO be raised by whirling screws Just like the
propeller screw OF a steamship. For the big
stations each of these screws Will be about
twelve feet in diameter and will make 62LS
revolutions a minute. The screws will work In
a pit and their shafts stand vertical. Tho
end of these shafts and revolye horizontally.
1t 10 intended eventually to build and equip hvo
other pumping stations when the drainage canal
| system IL IT, S@zalnn6d.