The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-01
TOPEKA WILL KNOW.
City to Buy an Automatic Self
Recording Water Pressure Gauge.

Recording Water Pressure Gauge.
Topeka Will soon be in shape to keep
an accurate continuous record of the
water pressure furnished by the To-
peka water company An automatic
self-recording pressure gauge is to be
purchased and installed at fire
department headquarters, similar to
~ purchased by the Topeka Water
company for it's pumping station and
down town Office.
Automatic water pressure gauges
cost from $50 to S1eO each, and both
Mayor Bergundthal and Fire Marshal
Wilmarth agree that one will have to
be bought, if the city expects to keep
an accurate record of its water pres
sure, and that seems to be a mighty
important matter just now.
Just at the present time the city
has no pressure gauge at all, worth
mentioning. About a year ago, the
crosby of its soul, presented to Chief
WilRarth a standard pressure gauge
for use at the fire department head
quarters. The necessary connections
were put in, and the gauge has been
IN constant use ever since. Within the
past few weeks the water company
has observed some marked variations
between the pressure as recorded on
the fire department gauge, and on the
gauge at the office of the water COM
pany. The water company had it's
gauge tested. to see if it was out of
order It proved to be all right, and
then Chief Wilmarth took the fire de-
partment gauge to Bromichs boiler
works, and had it tested by a stand
ard gauge. The test showed that the
Topeka gauge has been missing the
standard by from to / o pounds. The
gauge was then taken to pieces, and
found to be worn out.
Chief Wilmarth obtained a smaller
pressure gauge from one of the boilers
l
it failed to do good work. 1t failed
to give correct results, according to
the standard gauge.
So there is nothing left for the city
to do but buy a standard pressure
gauge, and while making the invest
ment, it was decided to get a gauge
which could be depended upon, and
which would give continuous record
of the pressure from one day to an
other.
Those who are familiar with self
recording devices on meteorological
instruments will not need an extend
ed description of the self-recording
water pressure gauge. Instead of hav-
ing-a dial and indicator. the machine
consists in registering device con-
nected with a pen which carries it's
metal cylinder, on which is wrapped
strip of paper. The cylinder is re-
volved at a regular speed by clock
work, making a complete revolution in
ing the rise and fall of the water pres
sure by a continuous line on the pa
per. From this the exact condition of
the water pressure at any minute of
the day can be ascertained.
This automatic device has COM
mended itself so highly to the Topeka
Water company that the company has
recently ordered two of the machines
which will be installed at the pump
ing station and down town office as
soon as they arrive. With three stand
ard recording gauges at work, it ought
to be possible to tell just about what
the water pressure is doing, and how
much it varies between the pumping
station and the down town mains
Fire Marshal Wilmarth says; 81
can't see but what we will have to get
a recording gauge. 1t is important
that we preserve a record of our
water pressure, and the only way I
know of to do this is to get good
gauge. We can get recording gauges
all the way from $50 to 500. 1 think
we may be able to Get a very service
able one for $50. The old gauge,
which the water company gave US, is
completely worn out, and we have no
way at present of making an accurate
record
Mayor BergundthaI said: II think
it will be a good thing to have one
of these automatic pressure gauges,
and 1 suppose we will have to get
one"