The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20
Gigantic Calabash Pipes


As rough illustration, the combustion
chamber and the water tower into which
the water is forced are shaped like the
body and bowl of a calabash pipe. The
mixture Is admitted into the chamber
and fired. and the pump begins business
without the slightest fuss. There are ten
explosions a minute, but the noise they
make is remarkably slight-a good hearty
cough and nothing more. BY the time
when the King inspects the plant it will
be practically noiseless.
There are a number of youthful eng-
neers In charge of the erection Of the
pun. ps-the kind OF quiet, purposeful
young men that one sees in charge of a
torpedo boat destroyer. 1t Is their boast
that they can start the pumps going and
leave them alone in perfect security.
Nothing can happen to the pumps, or, at
The, very worst, they can only stop, a
little child could lead them. and two men
at a time will be sufficient to look afte.
the pumping station
One of the young engineers dropped
down into a pit and busted himself
with valve that needed attention.
Then he gave the signal for the pump
to start. 1t drew in great breath
and coughed. then coughed again, and
| the water in the chamber below the
pump swirled about madly. The two
coughs had filled up the great water
tower-the bowl of the calabash pipe,
so feet deep-attached to this pump,
and with this the water began TO pour
into the lake. Each cough represents
20 tons of water passing through the
pump and the only signs on the sur
face of all this hidden energy were
the agitation of numerous valves, the
gentle coughing of the machine and the
| swirling of the water below.
At the head of the lake is a long
| flight of granite steps, and at the top
of these are five huge mouths pointing
| to heaven like gigantic howitzers The
| two coughs from the machine given,
one of these instantly spouted forth
| a green column of water, which went
| leaping and cascading down the steps
into the reservoir. Two pumps make
cataract which leaps two yards into
| the air at the top of the stairs and
on gala days, when the whole five are
going, it will be Niagara itself.
The Romance of Pump
Nothing is more romantic about the
pumps than the way in which they
| were discovered by the world. The IN
venter, Mr.. II. A. Humphreys. gave a
| lecture on his new internal combustion
pump and the Metropolitan water
board, which had intended to use the
ordinary pumping installation for its
new reservoir, decided to try the new,
revolutionary system. Up to that time
nothing had been made but models,
and the suggestion of applying the
! principle to such a huge installation
was one to be thought about seriously.
| But the inventor had every confidence
! in his child, and the contract was un-
dertaken-with penalty of 10000 II
\ 1t did not do what was expected or II.
| No wonder that the hand that started
| the first pump of it's kind trembled a
| little But the machine showed itself
triumphant success Immediately.
The ceremony of inauguration by the
| King will be an imposing one Already
preparations are being made for erect
| ing huge tents for the reception OF the
many visitors and the granite steps
down which the water viii spout are
| thanked by two large stands reminis
| cent of the coronation.