The times., 1899-06-25

A MODEL WATER
PUMPING STATION
The U Street Plant the Finest
in America.
Vast Work Performed by the Nor
ster Engines.
Millions of Gallons Forced Through
the Mains to supply the Clty's
Daily Needs.

|
for its distribution. In point of efficiency
and excellence of mechanical equipment
there is no city in the world which sur
passes the pumping and distributing plants
! of the National Capital. The pump sta
tion, located on Street between Sixteenth
! and Seventeenth Streets northwest, is a
model institution in every way. Through
the courtesy of Captain Craighill u S A.,
detailed as assistant TO Captain Beach, the
Engineer Commissioner of the District, a
| Times reporter was permitted to accom-
pany him through the plant. Its immense
steam pumps are of the latest design and
are fitted out with the more recent auto
matte appliances for oiling and regulating
| the machinery. To one entering the build
| ing for the first time, the immensity of the
machinery incapacitates him for noting
ings, but having been forced, out OF pure
weariness. to take his eyes from the great.
| throbbing machines, he is at once i'm
pressed with the immaculate cleanliness of
the place. The hardwood floor Is oiled
and polished until it shines like cabinet
furniture and around the machines and
leading to the different parts of the pump
| room, lest the polish be marred by shoe
marks, strips of rubber mating are laid.
The walls all the way around for several
feet up from the floor are tiled. the brass
railings glitter with the brightness of gold
and every inch of the huge pumping en-
! gines is carefully wiped presenting a thing
in strange contrast to the ordinary idea of
dust and dirt generally associated with
machinery. Even the boiler room is so
clean that even a lady gowned in bright
| summer regalia might not fear to enter.
Last month, when the convention OF
mechanical engineers was being held in
this city, large number of the delegates
visited the pump station, and all who
were heard to express opinions said that
| they had never seen a. finer engine room.
The station is equipped with four
! pumps-two large ones and two smaller
ones. Their total capacity is about H.
100000 gallons a day. The largest is a
Barr pump OF the vertical triple-expan-
sio ntype, built by the Barr Engine Com
pany, of Philadelphia, and has a
capacity for distributing 5000, 600
| gallons of water per day 1t is
used to force the water drawn from
the distributing reservoir, located on the
Heights of Georgetown, about a mile and
half above the Aqueduct Bridge, into
the mains of the middle pressure service,
| which includes Georgetown, the part of
| Washington north of a line extending
from Rock Greek eastward passing
through Thomas Circle, and all sections
of the city of an altitude of from leo to
i50 feet above the river.
In ordinary weather the Barr pump will
| furnish all the water needed in the mid
die service. but in the summer time when
a great deal OF water is used for sprink-
| ling streets and lawns and for bathing
| purposes, it is necessary at certain Pc
| riods of the day to re-enforce its output
with secondary pump. The Barr pump
is an immense piece of mechanism, stand
| ing at least twenty feet in height and
filling large floor space. 1t is fitted with
| three plungers, each twenty inches in di-
ameter, which fit into lrge cylinders of
a corresponding size. AT each revolution
| of the propelling machinery $50 gallons
of water is forced into the big twenty
! four-inch main. The engine is fitted with
/ an improved self-acting lubricating ap-
J paratus and a contrivance called the Mon
arch engine STOP which regulates
/ the speed of the pumps automatically
| In case of an accident. 1t is so
| arranged that undue increase or
! decrease in the speed of the engines
causes an electrically propelled mechan-
ism to be set in motion. This mechanism
! causes the throttle to turn. thus regu-
| lating the amount of steam pressure IN
the engine cylinders. This contriyance is
especially valuable, as il prevents the en-
gines from running away" in case OF bad
| break in the mains, obviating much pos
| sible damage. Should an oiler be caught
in the machinery, or should it be desir-
able to stop the pumps in short order, the
! engineer by properly manipulating the ap-
pliance can bring the pump to a standstill
/ in three seconds.
In the morning from I until 10 o'clock
the largest amount of water is used Be
! ginning with o'clock an immense amount
of water is used for cooking. bathing, and
! sprinkling purposes, and the pumps are
| working faster at that time than at Fny
other period of the day. In the summer
months during the early morning hours
it becomes necessary to use, in addition
| to the big engine, one of the smaller
pumps After 10 o'clock in the morning
the supply is not drawn upon so heavily
and from that time on until 1 O'Clock in
the afternoon. the one large pump is able
TO care for the entire middle service of
the city. The pump works day and night
! and is stopped for rest but one day in
the week when, if necessary, repairs are
made.
The next largest pump is Norberg.
| built by the Norberg Manufacturing Com
pany. of Milwaukee. Wis, and is
OF the horizontal, triple, expansion
type. 1t has a capacity of $500, 900 gallons
a day. Originally its capacity was ,. 900, ,0CO
gallons, but Superintendent of Water
Works Mcfarland, by an adjustment of
| the plungers. increased its output about
| 100000 gallons. Before the Barr pump
was put in place the Norberg pump sup
piled the entire middle service. Ii is now
/ kept in reserve, so that if the machinery
of the Barr machine becomes deranged it
can be used to do a part of its work.
| When the Barr pump is not in operation
the NOrberg is re-enforced by a Gaskill
| double compound machine. built by the
| Holly Manufacturing Company. of Lock
port. n. Y. and which is capable of
sending out $500 900 gallons a day Ordi-
/ narily the Gaskill supplies the water for
/ the high service. which includes Columbia
! Heights. Mount Pleasant, Holmead Manor,
! Petworth, Brightwood the part OF Takoma
| Park within the District. lexington. and all
! points in the District of an altitude of more
| than $50 feet above the river. The water
| is drawn from the distributing reservoir
and by means of the Gaskill pump is forced
| into the reservoir at Fort Reno. near
! Tenleytown, the highest point in the Dis
| trict. 1t is 420 feet above the river. The
| supply for the high service is maintained
| for week by two days operation of the
pump. In addition to the three pumps de-
scrihed. there is small Barr double COM
| pound machine with a capacity of 150, 600
| gallons a day. 1t is used to re-enforce the
! high pressure service.
The power for propelling the huge
| machinery is generated in four large boil
ers built by the Campbell & Zell Boiler
| Company, of Baltimore, two having ca
! MAJ of oh Nd