The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-29
RAILROAD NEWS.
William Archer Contributes to
"RaiIWay Age.
Exhaustive Article on Subject
of s'Railroad Water supply"
BREAK HARD WATER.
Methods Employed by Santa Fe
to Destroy Incrustants.
Deep Wells Have Been Drilled
in Arkansas Valley.

William Archer, supervisor Of the
Santa Fe water service. has contributed
an exhaustive article to the Railway
Age on the subject Of Railroad Water
Supply" handling it in its relation to
the Santa Fe. He considers not only
the means of securing water for en-
gines. but some of the improved meth
DDS which the company has inaugurated
for purifying it. with a brief mention OF
the steel tanks which are dlsplaclng
those of wood. He describes the water
treating plant which was lately placed
in operation at Guthrie, Okla, as FOL
This plant has a capacity of 10000
gallons of treated water per day ana IS
located at Guthrie, Okla, upon Cotton
wood creek This creek was the Only
available source of supply in the neigh
borhood that would furnish sufficient
water for the requirements Of the rall-
road The water in the creek was also
very hard and unsuitable for boiler
purposes; furthermore, during the ran
of the year the creek would in some
years go dry. A dam was first bulll
across the creek which held the water
back for about four miles, this storage
basin holds about 35 000,000 gallons OF
water, and which viii tide over the
season of dry weather between July
and November.
The next consideration was to de-
eide upon some system of treating the
water SO that the incrustants should be
eliminated. BY analysis of it was
found that the water contained carbon
ate Of lime and magnesia and sulphate
of lime, the total incrustants being AZ
grains per gallon. After considering
various methods, it was decided to use
the lime and soda process and apply it
by the use of settling tanks, which APP
peared in this case to give promise Of
the most satisfactory results. The
pant. therefore, as installed, is located
r-f+ e1rr
ground
The plant is operated in the follow
ing manner: One of the duplex pumps
forces the water from the creek into
the treating tub to the left, at a speed
of 800 gallons per minute; when the tub
is full the lime solution previously pre-
pared is poured into the tub and thor
Oughly mixed with the water by the
pressure from the air pumps. When
the separation has taken place the next
solution of either carbonate or caustic
soda, as the case may require. is poured
into the tub and also thoroughly mixed
water is now allowed to settle, and the
process Of filling and treating the other
tub is continued When the precipi-
tatiOn in the first tub is complete. an
S-inch valve is opened and all the clear
water is run off by gravity into the
cistern to the right Of the pump house.
from which it is pumped by the other
duplex pump into the "a by 20 foot steel
tank The No. Z Knowles pump is used
to pump against washout pressure over |
at the round house. One man operates
the plant, mixes the solution, etc, dur
ing the day and one man at night. !
making the plant continuous in opera
ton.
There are numerous ways in which /
this method of treating with lime and
soda can be applied, but where you have |
the room to spread the plant out and
where fuel is cheap and the time of the
pumper is not required for any other
purpose except handling this water, this |
plan has advantages for railroad pur-
poses over many other plans recon-
mended. Many waters that are Objec- !
tiOnable as boiler waters can be treate !
practically free from incFustants. and in
many others the scale producing salts /
can by partial treatment be reduced 80 /
per cent without causing any tendency /
to foam after treatment There are a |
few waters, of course, that could not be
benefited owing to the fact that by
chemical reaction the soda salts would
be increased to such an extent that
foaming would be caused by concentra-
ticn. Some people claim that this can
be overcome by frequent or occasional
blowing out, but as a matter of fact at
the present time locomotive engine |
man, generally speaking, has not much
steam to spare to blow out his engine
The Santa TIE has also adopted the ]
method Of drilling deep wells for it's
supply of water For six years this
river for a distance of 375 miles with
considerable accuracy as the location of
them in order to strike the veins. So
far as the statements Of ten given, as to
deep wells water containing the injur-
lous lncrustants, the reports are much !
at variance. In some cases it is impOSsi- !
Bile to find water that does not require
treatment" while in others the quality
is pure and the cost of getting it more
economical than treating would be.
Speaking Of the building Of steel tanks |
over the system he says.
'Of the late improvements of the San
ia Fe to its water supply, much has
been done in the replacement OF the
wooden tanks with steel tanks OF various
sizes These tanks are uniformly "A feet-t
in diameter and are from % to so feet |
in height.
The 29-foot tanks have a capacity
of 81 $50 gallons above the spout. the a. /
foot a capacity Of 105,5s0 gallons. and !
the 60-foot tanks capacity of 1853, $40
gallons.
Steel tanks have many advantages i
over wooden tanks. They last longer. are /
cheaper to build in proportion to their
capacity, and a wooden tank holding
over $4,000 gallons is not usually desired. |
A steel tank that viii hold 81 600 gal /
Ions Of water above the spout can be
built for practically the same amount !
as 10000 gallon wood tank provided !
the tank is built Of good material and
IN country where Chicago prices on
lumber govern the cost of the material /
This is based upon everything about !
the tank being built in first class shape /
with the tub Of 3-clear lumber"