A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF PRACTICAL INFORMATION, ART, SCIENCE, MECHANICS, CHEMISTRY, AND MANUFACTURES. Vol. per Annum. LIV.--No. 15.] . APRIL 10, 1886. [$3.20 [NEW SERIES.] NEW YORK, [POSTAGE PREPAID.] • THE DRIVEN WELL SYSTEJI[ OF THE lIROOKLYN system of water supply, it is of the highest import- pipes for each pumping engine are 20 inches diameter, WATER WOBXB. ance that all the material which goes to make up the the suction pipe, of course, leading to the collecting The method of obtaining an additional supply of working plant shltll be . of the most efficitnt and main of the wells, and the discharge pipe extending water for the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., by means of thoroughly reliable character, and, with this end in to the conduit running to the city. driven wells, has attr.acted widespread attention be­ view, t e officers of the Brooklyn. government con- Owing to the admirable design of these engines, ' h cause of the originality and boldness of the plans and tracted for the working of· the Andrews system with they are able to lift water from the greatest possi­ the Knowles pumping engines. good view of the ble depth, a vacuum 26 27 the perfect success attained; and not only is the .A.' of to inches being readily ob­ same system applicable in the case of other large plant in one of the stations is given on this page. 'tained. cities similarly in need of more water, but it is par­ There are two compound, crank and fly-wheel, duplex The air pumps for the condensers are of novel con­ ticularly adapted for small towns near which there is condensing pumping engines. The engines were put in struction. They are arranged on the independent no stream of sufficient size to furnish all the water under a guarantee to deliver 10,000,000 gallons each system, and are provided with double pump cylinders. 24 required. hours, but their actual pumping capacity is much The leg pipe of the condenser goes into one pump, A town unprovided with water works can obtain its in excess of this, since they have delivered 14,000,000 and the air pipe from the condenser goes into the supply from driven wells, and an immense aggregate gallons and o\-er during many successive days. The other pump, thereby discharging all the water into quantity of water can thus be obtained in thickly peo­ economical duty of these engines is between 80,000,000 one pump and the air into the other; sufficient water pled d.ricts from a comparatively small ground area. and 90,000,000 foot pounds per 100 pounds coal under is taken in the air cylinder to supply the hot well, by But the position of these wells in relation to each ordinary workiug conditions. that means securing a higher temperature of .water other would of course vary with the needs of the own­ The pumping engines are provided with automatic to feed the boilers than would be obtained by the ers, and a systematic distribution would be impossible. cut-off valve gear of the most approved type, using usual design of air pump. But if we think of these wells as being arranged in steam pressure of 90 pounds per square inch. '],he As shown by the engraving, the exhaust steam from regular order, at certain distances apart along a line stearn cylinders are arranged on the cross compound each engine passes through an overhead heater, and extending at right angles to t.he flow of the under­ plan-that is to say, in each engine, the high pressure enters the condensers and air pump shown in the cen­ ground streams, each one being connected with a cylinder works one water pump and the low pressure tel' of the room. The ad vantage of the independent large collecting pipe leading to a powerful pump, cylinder works the other. The pump cylinders are air pump is that a vacuum can be readily secured for we shall have an accurate conception of the Andrews directly connected with the back ends of the stearn the engines before they are started. system as now in operation in Brooklyn. In an early cylinders. The stearn, after having been used in the The heater, steam pipes, and steam cylinders are issue of the SCIENTIF¥, AMERICAN we shall describe high pressure cylinder, is carried over to the low handsomely lagged with black walnut, bound with this system more in detail. pressure cylinder, where it is used a second time be- polished brass bands. The valve seats, piston rods, At the Clear Stream pumping station there are 152 fore going to the condenser. An intermediate re- and water piston are made of gun metal composition, driven wells, 2 inches in diameter, arranged in pairs ceiver is placed on the pipe between the high and thereby insuring great durability. The cylinders are 18 feet apart. This makes two lines of wells, parallel the low pressure cylinder. also lined with composition. with and between which is the collecting main, 16 The water cylinders have inside packed pistons. This is the fourth compound pumping outfit sup- inches in diameter. The top of each well tube is con­ The valve area is exceptionally large, so as to admit plied for the city of Brooklyn by the Knowles Stearn nected with the main by a 3 inch pipe; and in each of a very great quantity of water being pumped with Pump Works, making in all eight compound pumping connecting pipe is a valve by which any of the wells minimum amount of friction. The suction valves are engines, with their boilers and connections complete. can be shut off. Located at the center of the collect­ placed below the pump barrel· and the discharge The water works authorities are so well pleased with ing main, which is 1,368 feet long, is the engine house, valves above, thereby giving the mo�t direct course the performance of these engines that they have spe­ the interior of which is shown below. to the water as it passes through the pumps from the cified the same class of engine for a proposed further It is apparent that, in the establishment of any such wells to the aqueduct. The suction and discharge extension of the water supply. KNOWLES' IMPROVED COMPOUND CONDENSING PUMPIN� ENGINES AT THE BROOKLYN WATER WORKS. © 1886 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC J titufifit jmtritau. rAPRIL 10, 1886. • THE TEHUANTEPEC SHIP RAILWAY. persons who have authority to' speak in its interest. Seldom has any public enterprise received such We do not believe that these gentlemen have need of gross misrepresentation at the hands of the press as such methods, were they willing to employ them, nor ESTABLISHED 1845. has been the portion of Captain Eads' proposed ship do we believe that the committee who have charge of railway across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Every the bill are open to the persuasiveness of such argu­ KUNN & CO., Editors and Proprietors. effort to make what is, in itself, an honorable propo­ ments. sition seem odious appears to have been made. The PUBLISHED WEEKLY AT enterprise is one which is open to thorough inspec­ LICENSES FOR SMALL STEAMBOATS. No. BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 361 tion, and therefore an ignorance of the subject is the The yachting season is now pretty well upon us, and more unpardonable in those who assume the position the number of inquiries which we have already receiv· O. A. BEACH D. MUNN. E. of critics. In many of the statements made there is ed in regard to the laws regulating steam yachts indi­ such an evident absence of truthfulness that one is cates that it will be one of considerable activity. It TERllIS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC AllIERICAN. forced to believe the error is not unintentional. It may therefore be of interest to our readers to know One copy,one year, postage Included........... ........................ 83 �o . 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