HOLLY'S NEW PUMPING ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC PRESSURE REGULATOR.

Southland Times, Issue 3294, 10 January 1879, Page 3

HOLLY'S NEW PUMPING ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC PRESSURE REGULATOR.

(Scientific Amat ienn.) Mr Holly's first woiks were established in the city of Lockport. New York, for fire protection alone, and proved eminently satisfactory. Three years later works on the Holly plan, combining "daily supply wiih fire protection, were built in the city of Auburn, N.Y. The machinery first used ia the Lockport works consisted only of a i otary pump. rt turbine wheel, and a hydrostatic, regulator. Improvements have been made in the mechanism until ihe compound pumping engine, said to be equal to any olhci in style, finish, and duty, was piorluccd. This engine was first introduced at the Roches! or, N.Y., water works in 187;?. • The engine consists of four steam c\ linders, having four corresponding loeiproeating pumps attached by diiect connections, uud erected on a heavy arched' double frame of iron, set at an angle of OOdeg., one steam cylinder and its pump beiug placed ai each of the four corners. The frame suppoUs at its top a shaft with an overhanging crank on either end, to which the four engines are connected by ordinary connecting rods. Tbe cylinders and pumps are detached at pleasure, and may be run' singly, in pairs, or all together, l according to the demands for water supply. The engine is provided with the usual air pump and jet or suiface'condenser, and by a peculiar ariangement of pipes and valves may be run on either the high, low, or - compound si earn pressure principle, and may be changed from one to another at any moment by the engineer. This arrangement is -necessary to secure economical daily pumping for domestic supply, which is done by compounding siearn, and prompt increase of power for efficient lire protection, which is amply secured by converting the machine into a high pressme engine. When compounding, the steam is taken directly from the boilers into one of the cylindeis and exhausted into the remaining thiee.; and when running high pressure, steam is taken directly into all of'the cylinders, the latter opeiation increasing the power of. N the whole, four to eight times. To supply this increase reserve boilers are provided, and to guard against a failure in the water supply duplicate engines are added when the demands of the consumers equal one-half the capacity of the engines first erected. ihe water is pumped directly into tbe main and by means of ingenious contrivances invented by Mr Holly, the pressure of the water in the main is made to control ibe operation of the engines, and in fact to perform faithfnlly the duty of an engineer. These contrivances are a successful substitute for the costly and cumbersome reservoir. They provide for varying pressure, according to varying requirements of communitie?. whether it be for moderate daily supply or added fire pressure. The varying draughts of water from street mains will add to or diminish piessure in distributing pipes. This variation in pressure in these mains will act upon ihe regulator placed by the side- of the pumping engine, and it, in turn, quickens or slows the engine to supply just what water is needed. This method of- Mr Holly is new. Starling with the idea of providing a better and more effectual method of fire suppression than is afforded by movable fire engines, multiplied arid costly experiments enabled him' to combine with it daily supply without the intermediate agency of the reservoir or stand pipe. This system will jiot only supply, cities with water for ordinary purposes" 1" at. any desired elevation, but it will also furnish the means of extinguishing fires at several points at the same time if necessary, without the use of movable engines for that purpose. The Holly engine has shown a. duty of 76,250? 000 f t. lbs. per 100 lbs. of coal This prijvos that the/ Holly pumping' engine, as now manufactured, will compare with the best on the.score of economy."■_;■.'-• . It is claimed that the .director Holly plan commends itself as preferable .to the; reservoir plan, because the original ex-; pense: will be less ; the annual cost (including interest on debt) will-be reduced ; the; supply will be more regular and reli«ible throughout the town, including the highest ground; it will not be subjected to as much danger of being cut off by casualties, it will make every hydrant a powerful fire engine, which can be used to put but fii-es more successfully than by the movable engines which must be used in connection with gravitation works. 1 * Under the Holly system. there are; increased barriers against large conflagrations, and protection against large and fearful losses. / We are informed that underwriters recognize the introduction of this improved methpd of fire suppression as a reason for reduction in insurance rates'/;'. ; The validity of Mr Holly's claims has been; disputed byimitators ; but the, courts-have; recently, after a long and sharply contested: suit, rendered a decision in Mr Holly's favor,; sustaining the broad claim, of a new and im-. proved method* of supplying' cities with water. ....-■ ;-•. :-; <-:->x.;-.', ; The; Holly system of water supply and fire protection is in use in 69 of the principal cities and villages in the Uaited States. . For further information address the Holly Manufacturing Co., Lockport, N.Y.