Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-16
AQUEDUCT TUNNEL PUMPS
SECRETARY OF WAR CONTRACTS
FOR THREE LARGE PLANTS.
Will BE Used for Clearing the Tunnel
of Water for Purposes of
Cleaning and Repair.

The Secretary of War has made a con-
tract with the Bacon Air Lift Company of
New York to furnish and install two larf 2
air lift pumps at points above the Wash
ington Aqueduct tunnel for the purpose of
pumping the tunnel dry whenever it is
necessary The work of completing the
tunnel in accordance with the plans of the
engineer department of the army includes
as one of its most important features the
installation of an efficient pumping plant
for emptying the tunnel of water whenever
necessary for cleaning or repairs. Pump
ing will be required at the Rock creek.
Champlain avenue and east shafts At
the Rock creek shaft the local conditions
permit the use of centrifugal pumps. The
pumps to be installed at that point must
each be capable of diseharging 1900 gall
Ions of water per minute with a maxi
mum lift of 451a feet, and each must be
able to free the tunnel at that shaft of all
water in twenty hours.
At ChamplaIn Avenue.
At the Champlain avenue and east shafts
the conditions are entirely different, and it
has been decided to employ the air-lift
principle for cleaning out the water at
those points, About 2,GO0,UOO gallons are
to be removed at each of these shafts in
twenty hours. At the Champlain avenue
shaft the rate of discharge is to be 1.I50
gallons per minute, with maximum lift
of 130 feet. At the east shaft the same
rate of discharge must be attained with a
maxmum life of 16f feet.
The conditions under which all of the
pumps must work are severe, and their in
stallation and testing are expected to solve
one of the most interesting engineering
questions which has arisen in connection
with the completion OF the aqueduct tun-
mel. Although the pumps may not be call
ed into use more than once a year, they
must be of type which can be relied upon
for severe duty at any moment.
Contracts have been let for the three sets
of pumping plants. and 1t is expected that
the work of installation will soon be under
way.
The Air Lift Principle.
The air-lift principle for use in tunnels
has never before been applied IN this vi
cinity, and its operation In the water sup
ply system of the District will be watched
with considerable interest. AS described
by one of the officers of the Bacon air Lift
Company. two pipes. one within the other
are inserted in the shaft, reaching from the
surface Of the ground to submerged pits in
the bottom of the tunnel. Compressed air
is then forced by the pumps down the space
between the pipes and 50 brought in con-
tact with the wafer at the bottom of the
pipe, with the result that the water Is
easily raised to the surface of the ground
and carried off
The Bacon Air Lift Company has con-
structed numerous works Of varying ca
pacty for safes. cities and private corpor-
ations, probably the most important being
that at Jackson City. Mich, where the
plant has a pumping capacity of 100000
gallons. The organizer of this company,
Mr. Edward S. Hosmer. who is also It's
president. Is now d resident of New York
city. where he has achieved notable sue
cess corporation lawyer He resided
in this city for many years and Is well
known to the residents of the District