New-York tribune., 1901-05-26
MEASURING WATERFLOW
GENIOUS METER USED BY THE
HYDROGRAPHER

mcrcc they mingIe with the ocean, has become
an important part of the work of the United
States Geological Survey.
Perhaps no other of the great natural resources
of the country is accepted much matter
of course and with such unthnkng complacence
its running water; and yet it is safe to say
that few. if any. have so important bearing
on the country's progress, touch more closely
the interests and the wellbeing of its individual
inhabitants In the first place, everybody must
drink, and water must always remain the great
world beverage. in spite of the numerous sub
stitutes mans ingenuity has invented AS no
other source has been found for this needed
supply than the stream above or below ground.
the brooks and rivers will always be among the
nations most necessary assets. Furthermore the
laws of health demand that the drinking water
for cities must lac free from injurious I'M
pLrties The land is broad and the streams are
numerous. and in their beginnings pure. and all
would be well were it not for the bad habit that
every town and city has Of dumping its sew
age into the nearest river This is where the
trouble begins, and end Of difficulties Is the
result: property values impaired, sickness
and epdcmics are prevalent, and even dtath
itself IS present
Again. the streams have increasing value
as sources Of water power. The law OF ET'tNI'R-
ton which makes the accumulated waters OF
the highland regions travel sometimes hundreds
Of miles down to the sea gives them power
for use in manufacturing and the arts which
the people of this country have hardly besun
TO utilize even though the Waterwheels on many
streams are saving timber, grinding wheat
weaving fabrics lighting streets and doing hun
dreds Of other useful and necessary things
ont in the dry West the rivers have 4 unique
and special value that Of irrigatins parehed
lands SO that many a desert spot has become a
garden, and prosperity and activity nave TAM"
the place of solitude.
President Mckinley and his party arc reported
TO have expressed their surprise at the astpnlsh-
ing results OF river irrigation as they passed
through California on their recent tlr anu
many others WHO have seen this section nave
been impressed with the results obtained. W Nm
these and many other USES Of tho rivers IN view.
the problem has been how to secure data and
information regarding the streams which VIII
be of tn greatest value. and. in spite OF the
great breadth OF tho fed 10 bo covered. the
limited funds at command ana the short space
Of time Investigations have been under way.
great deal of important information has been
collected
The first thing To be known about a river IS
its drainage ea-that is the number Of square
miles Of country drained by II. and its various
tributary streams. For instance, the Croton
River drains an area OF :::;S square miles. the
Passaic SD square miles the Hudson 4.'op
square miles above tidcwater This Involves
an interesting study Of the character OF the
country. whether low mountainous. thlckIy
wooded or cleared for agriculture. for a river
system, like a human being. Is apt TO be Inuch
Influenced by its environments. The next IN
formation needed is the amount Of the annual
rainfall over the drainage area 1t is easy to see
how important a factor this is for without
rainfall. broadly speaking. there would be no
river The rainfall is readily measured by rain
gauges and other instruments placed about at
different points in the drainage area recorded
at stated intervals and averaged for the month
and year.
The next step is the measurement of the How
OF water in the stream. This is done by means
OF simple but ingcnlously arranged meter
somewhat resembling a small Windmill, a wheel
in front delicately adjusted that even a slight
breeze viii start it rotating, and metal tail
vane behind it which keeps the wheel headed
upstream. The meters wheel is arranged
that with every revolution il makes and breaks
an electric current, which sounds a buZZer at
the other end Of the wire cord from which the
instrument is suspended. The first thing is to
find place suitable for the measurement not
simple matter as it might at first appear.
for between its rapids and ITS sluggish portions,
Its dams and It's cataracts, streams condition
Of normal flow is sometimes hard to find.
Whenever such section is found where a bridge
crosses, it brings joy to the photographer who