The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17
HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING.

HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING.
This is one OF the oldest branches of en-
cheering, and was developed before the
last century. The irrigation works of
ASIA Africa, Spain, Italy, the Roman
aqueducts, and the canals of Europe are
examples. Hydraulic works cannot be
constructed in ignorance of the laws
which govern the flow of water. The
action of water is relentless. as ruined
canals. obstructed rivers, and washed-out
dams do testify.
The principal additions of the nine
tenth century to hydraulic engineering
are the collection of larger statistics OF
the flow of water in pipes and channels.
of rainfall, run-off, and available supply.
1t is now known that the germs of dis
ease can be retained by ordinary sand
filters, and it is now an established fact
that pure drinking water and proper
drainage is sure preventive of typhoid
and similar fevers. Very foul water can
be made potable. Experiments show that
the water of the Schuylkill River at
| Philadelphia, which contains 400. 900 germs
| in the space of less than a cubic inch
was so much purified by fitering that
| only sixty remained. This Is a discovery
of sanitary science. but the application
of 1t is through structural engineering,
| which designs and executes the filter beds
| with great economy.
The removal of sewage, after having
| been done by the Etruscans before the
| foundation of Rome, became lost art
during the dirty Dark Ages, when filth
and piety were deemed to be connected in
| some myterious way.
! 1t was reserved for good John Wesley
| to point out that Cleanliness is next to
| godliness" Now sewage works are as
common as those for water supply. Some
of them have been of great size and cost.
| Such are the drainage works of London,
| Paris, Berlin, Boston. Chicago, and New
| Orleans. A very difficult work was the
| drainage of the City of Mexico, which il
! in valley surrounded by mountains, and
| elevated only four to five feet above a
| lake having no outlet. Attempts to drain
| the lake have been made in vain for go
| years. 1t has lately been accomplished
b. tunnel six miles long through the
mountains, and n canal of over thirty
miles, the whole work costing some $780,
coz, 900.
The drainage of Chicago by locks and
| canal into the Illinois River has cost some
s35, 100000, and is well worth its cost.
Scientific research has been applied to
the designing of high masonry and con-
crete dams, and we know now that no
well-designed dam on good foundation
should fail. The dams now building across
the Nile by order of the British Govern
rnent will create the largest artificial lakes
in the world. The water thus stored will
be of inestimable value in irrigating the
crops of lower Egypt. Their cost, al
though great, will not exceed the sums
spent by lavish Khedive Ismail on useless
palaces, now falling to decay.
The Suez Canal is one of the largest
hydraulic works of the last century, and
is notable Instance of the displacement
of hand labor by the use t.f machinery.
Ismail began by impressing a large part
of the peasant population of Egypt. just
as Rameses had done over 5000 years be-
fore These unfortunate people were set
to dig the sand with rude hoes, and carry
it away in baskets on their heads. They
died by thousands for want of water and
proper food At last the French en-
gineers persuaded the Khedive to let them
introduce steam dredging machinery. A
light railway was laid to supply pro-
visions, and a small ditch dug to bring |
pure water. The number of men en- |
ployed fell to oue-fourth. Machinery did |
the rest. But for this the canal would |
never have been finished.
The Panama Canal now uses the best |
modern machinery. and the Nicaragua |
Canal, if built, will apply still better
methods developed on the Chicago drain
age canal, where material was handled |
at a less cost than has ever been done |
before.
Russia is better supplied with internal |
waterways than any other country. Her |
rivers rise near each other, and have
long been connected by canals. 1t is
stated that she has over 60G00 miles of
internal navigation, and is now prepar-
ing the construction of canals to connect
the Caspian with the Baltic Sea.
The Erie Canal was one of very small
cost. but it's influence has been surpassed
by none. The winning of the West
was FASTENED many years by the con-
struction of this work in the first quar-
ter of the century. Two horses were just
able to draw ton of goods at the speed
of two miles an hour over the wretehed
roads of those days. When the canal was
made these two horses could draw boat
carrying $50 tons four miles an hour Mud,
or, i'm other words. friction, is the great
enemy of civilization, and canals We're
the first things to diminish it, and after
that railways.
The Erie Canal was made by engineers,
but it had to make its own engineers first,
as there was none available in this coun-
try at that time. These self-taught men,
some of them land surveyors and others
lawyers, showed themselves the equals
of the Englishmen Brindley and Smeaton
when they located water route through
the wilderness, having a uniform descent
from Lake Erie to the Hudson and which
would have been so built if there had been
enough money.
The question now is whether to enlarge
the capacity of this canal by gravity, en-
larging its prism and locks, or to in
crease speed and move more boats in
season by electrical appliances. The last
method seems more in line with those of
the present day.
There should be waterway from the
Hudson to Lake Erie large enough for
vessels able to navigate the lakes and
The ocean. draft of twenty-One feet can |
be had at a cost estimated at $250,0O0.O0O
The deepening of the Chicago drainage |
canal to the Mississippi River, and the {
deepening of the Mississippi itself to the
Iulf of Mexico, is Il logical sequence of |
he first project. The Nicaragua Canal I
would then form one part of a great line l
Irr