The History of the Hope Distribution Reservoir and Hope Pumping Station
Providence, Rhode Island
Whalen Ingham, Providence Water Supply Board
The Hope Distribution Reservoir, placed in service in 1875, was originally intended to supplement the Sockanosset Reservoir and to provide a supply of water near the center of the city which could be called upon if for any reason the supply from Pettaconsett should fail or become interrupted, and to act as a regulator in conjunction with Sockanosset Reservoir. This reservoir, located in Providence on a tract of land extending from Brown Street easterly to Hope Street, and now occupied by the Hope High School and Athletic Field, was constructed by George Lobdell of Mattapoisett, Mass. and John W. and James J. Newman of Brooklyn, N.Y. The reservoir was irregular in shape, approximately 950 feet long and 840 feet wide, and contained 75.68 million gallons when at its flow line elevation of 162.50. The sides of the reservoir were formed of earth embankments similar to those of Sockanosset Reservoir, and with the exception of an area where ledge was encountered, the top of the embankments, at elevation 166.50, were 24.5 feet above the floor of the reservoir basin. The inner slopes of the embankments were paved with granite blocks laid on 6-inches of broken stone. The embankments measured 2,933 feet along their center lines. The floor, with the exception of the rock surface which was covered with concrete, was paved with compacted broken stone. The area covered by the reservoir and its embankments totaled 15.6 acres, the area of the floor was 10.6 acres, and at its flow line 12.6 acres. The reservoir was connected to a 24-inch main in Olney Street, the water entering and leaving the reservoir near the center of the basin. Pressure observations in 1877 indicated that an increase of about eight pounds per square inch could be maintained in the distribution system by drawing the supply entirely from Sockanosset Reservoir, and the original plan to use the reservoir as a regulator in conjunction with Sockanosset Reservoir was abandoned. The reservoir was then employed to supply the Hope Pumping Station constructed in 1873 at the corner of Olney and Brown Streets. During 1885 it became apparent that the reservoir was not as watertight as was anticipated, and test wells were driven at various locations surrounding the reservoir and from time to time the flow in the wells was observed. On several occasions when the flow increased in volume, the reservoir was drained and portions of the embankments were reconstructed, but the leakage continued to some extent until the reservoir was abandoned in 1928, the property being acquired by the school department.
5 Steam Cylinders, Radial, 20″x30″
5 Pump Cylinders, Radial, 12″x30
The Hope Pumping Station can be seen at the upper right corner of the reservoir.
The Hope Pumping Station, placed in operation on October 4, 1873 and abandoned on July 28, 1928, was designed to accommodate two steam driven pumping engines to supply the areas of the city that could not be served by gravity from either Sockanosset or Hope Reservoirs. It was originally intended that the Worthington pumping engine installed at Pettaconsett in 1870 would be transferred to the Hope Station, but as the engine did not possess the range of automatic regulation required for the variable demand at the Hope Station, the plan was abandoned. Because of their decision not to use the Worthington Engine, the Water Commissioners in January 1872 advertised for a pumping engine to be furnished and installed at the Hope Station. The proposals were received on February 6, 1872 but were rejected, and two days later a contract was negotiated with George H. Corliss for a pumping engine of his own design that he claimed would be capable of raising 5 million gallons of water per day to a height of 285 feet above mean high water of Providence Harbor, and under a possible varying suction head of 40 feet, to work smoothly, steadily and easily when delivering only one million gallons per day.
Mr. Corliss agreed to have a committee of three persons determine the value of his engine with that of the Worthington engine at Pettaconsett, the valuation to be made under ordinary normal working conditions while delivering 2 million gallons per day, and to include the determination of the engine’s duty, the cost of attendance and supplies, durability, immunity from accidents and need of repairs, adaptability to the particular service required, and under such other conditions as might affect the practical value of the engine for the service intended. The contract price was $34,000 with the provision that if it should appear from the committee’s report that the engine was of greater practical value than the Worthington engine, a further sum equal to the estimated annual savings over a ten year period with deductions for interest would be paid Mr. Corliss, but in no case would a sum greater than $55,000 be paid for the engine however greater its value might be as determined by the committee. If it appeared from the report that the engine was inferior in value, then Mr. Corliss would allow the engine to remain in operation for a period not exceeding nine months to allow sufficient time for the substitution of another engine, after which Mr. Corliss would be required to remove his engine at his own expense and without any claim for compensation for the work he had done or for any expense he had incurred.
As the design of the engine developed, a wide difference of opinion arose between Mr. Corliss and Mr. Shedd, the Commissioners Chief Engineer, regarding an apparatus that Mr. Corliss intended to substitute for a standpipe. Mr. Shedd suggested an air chamber while Mr. Corliss was of the opinion that neither the standpipe or the air chamber was necessary for the successful operation of his engine. He reserved the right however to install a standpipe if it should appear necessary for the proper operation of the engine. Mr. Corliss prevailed in the argument. After numerous delays, mainly in the erection of the engine house, the installation of the engine began in July 1873, was completed in September 1873, and on October 4, 1873 began pumping into a closed high service distribution system, no equalizing distribution storage being provided for the high service system until 1889.
Frederick Graff representing the Commissioners, George H. Reynolds representing Mr. Corliss, and Erastus W. Smith chosen by Mr. Graff and Mr. Reynolds, comprised the committee to evaluate the engine. The first test to determine the engine’s adaptation to the particular service requirements began on January 8, 1874 and continued for a period of 48 hours and 30 minutes. Additional tests were made to test the operation of the automatic appliance designed for the particular service, to prove its capacity of 5 million gallons daily, and a duty trial when pumping at a rate of 175,000 gallons daily, the average rate of high service consumption for the period October 4, 1873 through January 7, 1874. The committee reported that the engine worked well but with considerable noise, and when running at its highest speed the noise was disagreeable and excessive. A visible expansion and contraction of the surfaces of the pumps at each stroke of the pump pistons was observed, and the shock produced by the pumps was distinctly felt and counted upon fire hydrants and gate valves at a considerable distance from the station. The committee was satisfied that the engine had sufficient capacity to pump 5 million gallons daily, but because of the peculiar work it was called upon to perform, labored under a disadvantage particularly in respects to the question of economy in the consumption of coal. According to the committee, the engine was a remarkable fine specimen of workmanship, and with the exception of the pumps, a very liberal amount of material of good quality and finish had been furnished. The committee agreed that Mr. Corliss was entitled to receive the sum of $34,000 as stated in the contract but disagreed as to the extra compensation. Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Smith were of the opinion that because of the exacting operating conditions demanded of the engine, which was required to pump at a rate of two million gallons per day or less and then within a period of a few minutes supply water at a rate of 5 million gallons per day, that the engine possessed special merit, and recommended that Mr. Corliss be awarded $21,000 as extra compensation. Mr. Graff, representing the Water Commissioners did not agree to any award for extra compensation, believing that Mr. Corliss did not accomplish anything that he did not bind himself to do under the terms of the contract, and that an annual savings in any particular had not been shown.
The Commissioners were not satisfied with the committee’s report and expressed their belief that they had not fulfilled their duties, and requested them to submit an amended report. In the meantime Mr. Corliss became impatient at the delay and after persistent prodding, the Commissioners advised him that it was apparent that the committee did not intend to amend their report and proposed that a new committee be chosen, or submit the matter to referees for a decision. Mr. Corliss then filed a claim with the joint committee on claims who recommended that he be paid $55,000 in accordance with the valuation and award made by the majority of the evaluation committee, plus eleven dollars seventy and two-thirds cents per day from October 4, 1873 for labor and supplies in running the engine, and an additional sum of $125.00 for lumber, nails and labor used in the process of erecting the engine, deducting however one-half the $6,967.98 charged by the valuation committee for their services. Over the objection of Mayor Doyle, the City Council directed the commissioners to accept the engine and pay Mr. Corliss in accordance with the recommendation of the committee on claims. The total paid Mr. Corliss amounted to $54,008.16. This engine, the only pumping unit for the high service system until 1876, was replaced in 1896 by a Gaskill horizontal pumping engine manufactured by the Holly Manufacturing Company of Lockport, N.Y.
On September 7, 1874 a contract was executed with the Providence Steam Engine Company to install a Nagel vertical, double overhead cylinder pumping engine at the Hope Station. Under the terms of the contract the engine was required to raise 5 million gallons per day to a height of about 120 feet above the main floor of the engine house under a varying suction head of 40 feet, and while delivering 350,000 gallons per day into the high service system, to perform a duty of 75 million foot pounds. The engine was to be subjected to a test for duty and capacity by three persons selected by the company from a list of ten persons submitted by the Commissioners. The contract price was $55,000 providing the duty was not less than the 75 million foot pounds specified in the contract. If the engine did not conform to this and other requirements of the contract, the company was to refund all payments made by the city, and remove the engine from the premises at no expense to the city.
A committee consisting of James B. Francis, Charles Hermany and Channing Whitaker conducted a series of tests on the engine beginning on September 20, 1875. A detailed report was submitted by the committee in which they reported that the engine, while pumping at a rate of a little more that 2 million gallons per day made a duty of 84,637,245 foot pounds during a continuous run of fifty-six hours. The engine was accepted and placed in service during the early part of 1876. This engine supplied the greater portion of water required for the high service until 1896 when a Gaskill engine was placed in operation, replacing the Corliss engine. In 1910 the Nagel engine was replaced with a Worthington 10 million gallons per day pumping engine. Both the Corliss and the Nagel engines obtained their suction form a 24-inch main on Olney Street until 1877 when the use of Hope Reservoir was confined wholly to supply the Hope Pumping Station.
The Gaskill pumping engine installed in 1895 to replace the Corliss engine installed in 1873, was a 5 million gallons per day horizontal compound high duty pumping engine installed by the Holly Manufacturing Company of Lockport, N.Y. This engine was placed in operation in 1896 and remained in active service until 1910 when the Nagel engine, installed in 1876 was replaced by the Worthington pumping engine. The Gaskill engine continued in intermittent operation until 1923, and in 1928 was dismantled and removed when the Hope Station was replaced by the Bath Street Pumping Station, constructed in connection with the establishment of the Scituate Supply.
The Worthington engine installed in 1910 was a 10 million gallons per day triple expansion high duty engine with a guaranteed duty of 135 million foot pounds. During its acceptance tests the engine pumped at a rate of 10.85 million gallons per day, developing a duty of 141 million foot pounds, and when pumping at a rate of 7 million gallons per day, developed a duty of 133 million foot pounds. The engine was accepted by the city and placed in operation in October 1910 and continued in service until July 28, 1928. To improve its operation, a 344 horsepower Babcock and Wilcox boiler was installed in 1913 replacing the 200 horsepower boiler originally provided at the station.
In 1920, to provide additional pumping facilities pending the installation of the Neutaconkanut Conduit and the construction of the Bath Street Pumping Station, an 8 million gallons per day DeLaval steam turbine driven pump was installed at the Hope Station. In 1925, to assure an ample supply for the pumps, an 8 million gallons per day motor driven DeLaval pump was installed to maintain an adequate water level in Hope Reservoir. Upon the initial operation of the Bath Street Pumping Station on July 28,1928, the DeLaval motor driven pump was employed as an auxiliary unit to provide an emergency supply to the upper east side area of the city, there being at the time only one source of supply to that area. Upon the transfer of the property occupied by the Hope Reservoir and the pumping station to the School Department in 1936 and the demolition of the engine house, the auxiliary unit until 1938 when an additional supply to the east side high service area was installed and placed in service.
Special thanks go to Bob Kilduff, Chief Engineer & General Manager of Providence Water Supply Board for providing the history of the Hope Distribution Reservoir and Hope Pumping Station.
Related Patents:
17,423 Steam Pumping Apparatus, June 2, 1857
US 177,377 Improvement in Governors for Air-Pump Engines, May 16, 1876