The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-08
LIFTS MILLIONS or GALLONS.
The New Drainage Pump at Mr.
Lnthrop's Rice Plantation.

The New Drainage Pump nj Mr.
Lnthrop's Rice Plantation.
.Mr. Duncan strayick OF New orleans
completed the work yesterday Of instal-
ing one OF his irrigatiug and drainage
pumps az Argyle the rice plantation Of
Mr.. Frank :. Lathrop. few miles above
the city.
Although IN common use In Louisiana
for irrigating and drainage purposes.
these pumps are comparatively unknown
here. this being the first one 20 be in
stalled IN this section. A. the cost Of
the pumps r. very reasonable and they
can be economically operated IN connec-
lion with the plantation mills while the
amount OF work done Is remarkable. Il
would seem that they would rapidly come
into general use.
The pump Installed az Mr.. Lathrop's
plantation is Of small size having "a wheel
only twcnty-four incncs IN diameter. and
yei IL has guaranteed pumping capac-
ity OF Sn.oo salons an hour This means
i2eo0oQo gallons lu twenty -four hours. or
tuss twice the average daily pumpage OF
the Savannah wafertXotks And yet the
rice mill pump only costs Mr. Lathrop.
an told. lees than 500. while the new wa
terworks Cost the city nearly 10000. The
difference ie easily explained. The rice
field pump simply lifts water few feet.
ana les H ma rs own level. while the
city works must force the water for
miles Trough thousands Of mains and
pipes. and furnish a pressure sufficient 60
carry Il TO almost any hight desired.
Those who are ekepucal. however. on
the subject OF the capacity OF the new
pump. need only lake O trip to Argyle
20 see the pump In operation. As the
plantation De- not very conveniently situot-
81 o. IL likely that thu rice planters in
the vicinity are about the only ones who
will take the trouble to make this in
vestisation. They win ind u worth
their while. The machinery 81 the pump
is very simply. consisting simply OF an
upright spindle in o frame with the usual
betting connections at the tor. and "a
nch turbine wheel at the bottom. the
lower half irclosed In a square box frame
10 which the water g. admitted upward
he frame resting In the bed Of the main
canal ny which the plantation Is drained
The motion Of the wheel Il such that the
water h forced rapidly upward from tho
bottom without being able 10 return. The
water Is easily lifted "a hight Of several
fesi. and rs forced ont upon M incio~ed
platform from which u pours In the de-
sired direction
The pump can be used equally well eth
er TO drain or Hood the plantation. In
dry weather water can be- pumped IN and
IN wet weather u can be pumped out II
Is expected TO prove very desirable ad-
junct In the planting season. when the
spring tides frequently fail 10 furnish
suthcient water 10 cover the newly sown
rice. In case Of storms. such as the one
just threatened the pump IS expected TO
prove invaluable In draining on the water
from flooded lands where the rice has
been tcwly cut. Mr. Robert Snead MIR
Lathrop's manager. estimates that the
pump would have saved a loss o. 5000 10
5000 IN the fan OF iS9s. when i50 acres
Of newly cut rice was flooded by the
storm OF that season.
John Rourke a sons also completed
yesterday the work Of putting IN a new
tubular boiler. 6o-horsc power, At MIR
IAthrop's mill the boiler l. intended 20
operate both the pump and the mill en-
eine. the pump requiring only 2i-horse
power.