We now describe the new waterworks lately erected for supplying the town
of Cougleton, Cheshire. The population is about 12,000, and the place is
a seat of the silk manufacture. After various expensive plans had been
suggested, in the year 1879 a complete scheme for the supply of the town
with water was devised by the then borough surveyor, Mr. Wm. Blackshaw,
now borough surveyor of Stafford. These we now illustrate above by a
general drawing, and a separate drawing of the tower. With respect
to the mechanical arrangements, the Corporation called in Mr. W. H.
Thornbery, of Birmingham, consulting engineer, to decide on the best
design of those submitted, and this, with modifications made by him, was
carried out under his inspection. The water, for the supply by pumping,
is obtained from springs situated at the foot of Crossledge Hill, about
a mile from the town. It does not at present require filtering, but
space enough has been allowed for the construction of duplicate
filtering beds without in any way interfering with the present
appliances. These filter beds are shown in our perspective illustration,
but they are not yet built or required.
[Illustration: WATER SUPPLY OF SMALL TOWNS--CONGLETON WATERWORKS.]
The waterworks are situated very near the springs, from which they are
only separated by a road, under which the collecting pipes run. There
are two circular collecting tanks of brickwork, two pumping wells,
engine-house, boiler-house, chimney stack, and engine-driver's
dwelling-house, all inclosed by a wall. On the top of Crossledge Hill is
erected a circular brick water tower 35 ft. high to the underside of the
service tank, which is of cast iron 30 ft. internal diameter, supported
on rolled girders. The tank is capable of containing 50,000 gallons
of water, and it is provided with the usual rising and service mains,
overflow and washout pipes. There is an arrangement for pumping direct
into the mains in case the tank should require cleaning or repairing.
The pumping machinery is in duplicate, and each set consists of a
horizontal condensing engine, with cylinder 18 in. diameter, stroke 30
in., fitted with Meyer's expansion gear, governor, fly-wheel 12 ft.
diameter, weighing 4 tons, jet condenser with a single acting vertical
air pump, situated below the engine room floor, and between the end
of the cylinder and the main pump. Each main pump is 10 in. diameter,
horizontal, double-acting, worked by a prolongation backward of the
piston-rod. The valves and seats are of gun metal, 8½ in. diameter. The
capacity is 350 gallons per minute, raised 206 ft. The air vessel is 21
in. internal diameter and 6 ft. high, and is fitted with a hand pump for
renewing the supply of air if necessary. The rising main from the air
vessel to the service tank is 9 in. diameter, and 307 yards long, laid
up the steep slope of the hill on which the water tower is built. The
boilers, two in number, are of the ordinary Cornish single-flued type, 5
ft. diameter by 18 ft. long, with flue 2 ft. 9 in. diameter, with three
Galloway tubes. They were made by Messrs. Hill & Co., of Manchester. The
engines and pumps were made by Mr. Albert Scragg, of Congleton, and the
brick, stone, and builder's work was executed by Mr. Thomas Kirk. The
waterworks were opened in the autumn of 1881, and since then have
constantly afforded an abundant supply of water. There is also an
independent gravitation system, also arranged by Mr. Blackshaw, for
supplying an outlying part of the town. The cost of the works was
exceedingly moderate, being not more than £12,000, including the water
mains for distribution.