The Water Works

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The Water Works.

Yesterday we paid a visit of inspection to the Reservoir and Pump Well, at Ridgewood. Several paragraphs respecting the progress of the work, most of them more or less inaccurate, having appeared in the papers, we were anxious to see for ourselves the actual state of affairs. Driving along the high road alongside the Reservoir, we found no water whatever in one compartment and only a small quantity in the other compartment, not sufficient to cover the floor or bottom. Numbers of men were at work all round the reservoir chipping and shaping the large slabs of stone intended to form the coping of the walls. On the road out we passed a great many carts, each laden with a single block of stone for this purpose.

From the Reservoir we passed on to the pump well, where another numerous body of laborers were hard at work. Here by the courtesy of Mr. McElroy¹ (brother of one of the engineers, and clerk of the Works) we were shown from point to point, and every facility afforded us for noticing the present position and progress of the Works.

The pumping of water into the reservoir, by means of a small donkey engine, commenced on Wednesday evening, and progressed for about 24 hours. By this means about 700,000 gallons of water had been thrown into the reservoir, when the crank of the engine broke, and prevented further progress. It was expected that the damage would be repaired to-day.

The buildings in course of erection consist of an engine house and pump well. The contractor for the former is Mr. Rollins,² and for the latter Messrs Farwell³ and Potter.⁴ The pump well is built of massive blocks of stone—weighing entire 2000 tons—yet we are assured it has not sunk an inch. The danger in fact was the other way—it was feared that the pressure of the subsoil springs upward would lift the work out of its position. These springs rise to the height of ten feet above the tide level, and to twelve feet high above the base of the pump well. Hence to relieve the upward pressure the conduit was bored by pipes just outside its connection with the pump well, and these springs are thus tapped to the extent of nearly a million gallons per day. This quantity of water we may reckon on in perpetuity, besides what will come through the conduit.

The Engine house is being built at a few feet outside and around the pump well. It is of red brick, with brown stone facings. Dimensions, 84 feet by 69. The chimney, of 100 feet in height, is completed with the exception of the iron cap to be placed on its summit. The walls of the engine house are raised nearly to their full height of 45 feet already.

Of the two engines to be erected by the present contractors (space being left for two more when the city requires them) only one is as yet begun. The sub-contractors say it will be ready for use in a fortnight. Three boilers are already in their places. Judging from the comparative smallness of the fire chambers, it would seem that the engines are not expected to use a very great deal of fuel. The engine now being erected is not of the Cornish pattern agreed upon in the contract, but one of a new pattern, which is claimed to have answered well at Hartford, Conn., on a small scale. It costs $25,000 or so less than the Cornish engine, and is proportionately less massive. Before adopting it instead of the Cornish pattern, the Commissioners had experiments made of the two kinds of engines, which resulted in their giving the preference to this Hartford pattern.

The force pipes connecting the pump well with the reservoir are 3200 feet in length, 36 inches in diameter, and ascend 175 feet—or at the rate of about 240 feet per mile. In this part of the work, consequently, the greatest strength and solidity of workmanship are required. The sub-contractors on this section, Messrs. Hill & Newman,⁵ of this district, while executing their work with rapidity, have done their utmost to secure the requisite massiveness and permanence to it. In parts where they feared that the weight of the pipes and water might depress the line, they have built thick beds of solid masonry below it. Our attention was particularly called to the joint which connects the force pipe with the pump well. Here the whole weight of the column of water 3200 feet long by 3 feet diameter, viz: 43 tons, has to rest. This gives a pressure of 75 lbs to the square inch on the joint, which it has successfully resisted during the recent trials, while the crank of the donkey engine gave way. Each length of the force pipe is nine feet, and weighs 55 cwt. The same sub contractors, Hill and Newman, have laid the Eastern District mains and distributing pipes. They commenced at the corner of De Kalb and Division avenues, with a 30 inch main, proceeding thence to Graham Avenue, along which a 20 inch main was laid to North 2d street. At Union ave. another 20 inch main diverges to North 2d street. The original main proceeds to Kent avenue; another main is laid in Grand street and another in Fifth street. From these extend 35 miles of smaller pipes, covering the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 19th wards with a network of pipes. Excepting in a small portion of the 19th ward, the whole of these are laid and ready for the introduction of water, of which the donkey engine will probably be able to force a sufficient quanitty into the reservoir in two or three weeks more, to enable the pipes to be cleaned out and tested.

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