(Published In 1894 )

The new house of Mr. Elbridge T. Gerry at Fifth Avenue and Sixty-first Street, New York City, is a large and costly building designed by Richard M. Hunt, architect, of New York, and equipped with an ample provision of hot and cold water supply and abundant fixtures for the comforts and necessities of the domestic and toilet requirements. The pipe lines are all screw-connected and pressure-tested. The water supply is received through two 2-inch connections with different street mains and is all filtered through a battery of four pressure filters, whence it is pumped by electricity to an attic tank which is intended to provide a day's storage and furnish uniform pressure. There are complete systems of trap and local ventilation and an abundant supply of hot water from several separate interchangeable sources. The installation, which was executed by James Muir, Sons & Co., of New York City, comprises nine bathrooms, a butler's pantry, kitchen, scullery, and two laundries, together with metering, filtering, pumping and storing and heating apparatus, with its necessary machinery. There are in the house four water-closets, 10 washbowls, three slopsinks, one urinal, one sitz bath, two butler's sinks, a kitchen sink with special marble table, two sets of five earthenware wash trays, and two iron sinks for washing, drips, etc. Most of the bathrooms have white tiled floor and walls and oak cabinet-work, but the boudoir bathroom is finished with rose-colored tiles, mosaic floor, and rosewood cabinet-work, the metal-work being of ornamental design, silver-plated, and the porcelain decorated in white. The bathtubs are of porcelain and enameled iron.

Figure 1 shows the arrangement and connection of the Continental filters in the basement. A and B are 2-inch supplies from different street mains which deliver to the filters through the independent branches D D. Filtered water is delivered through valves I and pipes, here omitted to avoid confusion, to the pump suction tank and basement distribution lines. The valves G and H of each filter are connected and operated by a link arrangement commanded by handle M (omitted in the general view, but shown in a detached detail) which operates both together, so that when turned into one position the filter is in service, delivering into the house system, and when reversed washes out the interior under tank pressure and delivers the water into funnels QQ of a waste pipe which empties freely into an adjacent trapped sink S. Filters E E are intended to be used for the supply to the kitchen and butler's pantry, and filters F F for the general house supply.

Figure 2 shows the hot-water boiler, about 3x8 feet, for supplying the kitchen and bathrooms. Cold-water supply is received through pipe B and check valve V, which closes away from the boiler to prevent back flow. The coldest water in the boiler circulates through pipe C to the Hitchings greenhouse heater No. 3, A, and returns to the boiler at a higher temperature through pipe H. The boiler delivers hot water through pipe E to the basement and first-floor distribution lines and through pipe D to the upper floors. F is the return circulation and I the emptying pipe. S S, etc. is a pipe frame supporting the boiler. The cold-water supply to the hot-water boiler passes through five Tucker grease traps from sinks in the basement before supplying the boiler.

If steam forms in the heater A it is immediately carried over into the drum N, and separating from the hot water that is delivered through pipe H, its pressure is transmitted through pipe Q to a diaphragm at O, which actuates a lever M and operates the chain L commanding the dampers. The illustration shows the draft on, but if the water becomes too hot the lever M will move in the direction T, closing draft damper P and simultaneously opening check damper K. When the temperature of the water falls sufficiently and the steam pressure is relieved, the lever M will return to its former position and the dampers will be reversed. R is a support for diaphragm case O.

Figure 2 shows the connections to the attic tank, which is made of riveted steel angles and plates, and is about 5'x8'x6' deep. It rests on three rolled 12-inch beams AAA that distribute its weight upon the transverse beams B B B, beneath which are supported on the iron ceiling girders of the upper floor. C is the 1½ inch delivery from the pump. D is the 1½ inch general house supply, down-vented by the ¾ pipe E, which promotes its emptying, and is fitted with a ball cock to close when the tank is full and prevent discharge through it. F is a 1½ inch riser from the city mains under street pressure. It has a check valve opening with a delivery from the tank, so as to serve as a supply from the tank to the city pressure pipes when the adjacent gate valve is open, and it delivers into the tank through pipe G and ball cock H. I is the emptying and J is the overflow pipes discharging into the open sink in the cellar, and V V V are hot-water expansion pipes carried 10 feet above the tank to the highest point under the peak of the roof. R is a copper float which, with its accompanying counterweight L, is attached to the chain P which operates the spring lever O that makes and breaks the electric circuit between wires M and N, and sounds a high and low water alarm bell near the pump in the basement. Q is a canvas covered asbestos conduit through which the main pipe lines are run underneath the roof above the chamber ceilings.

Figure 4 is a sketch plan showing the arrangement of the connected adjacent laundry-rooms. Figure 5 is a view from A, Fig. 4, showing the pipe connections to one of the double ranges. Its 60-gallon boiler A is supplied through the 1-inch street pressure pipe B, and its circulation from the rear water-back is through the two pipes C C. It delivers hot water through pipe D, and E is its vent pipe, carried down and under the floor across to the riser shaft. The circulation pipes of the front water-back are connected directly to the flow and return pipes F and R that serve the radiator coil in the laundry dry-room. The water consumed in this system is replaced by an automatic feed-water regulator G, furnished by the Duparquet, Moneuse & Huot Company, that is supplied under street pressure through pipe H. When the inclosed float falls below a certain level X X it opens an interior valve and delivers water through I to pipe F. J is a gauge glass, and K K' are key valves that are ordinarily open. If it is desired to feed the coil by hand, valves K and N are closed and valves M and L are opened. O is a vent pipe, P is an overflow pipe, and Q is an emptying pipe.

Figure 6 is a diagram of the piping for one set of five laundry tubs. Ordinarily valve A. is closed and the hot water is supplied from the range boiler, but by opening valve A supply may also be taken from pipe E from the basement general boiler, Fig. 2. W W, etc. are waste pipes, and O O O, etc. are overflow connections.

Figure 7 shows one of several switchboards located in different bathrooms to control the supply of hot and cold water to the different fixtures in the room. Valve A commands the flush tanks, B the hot and C the cold supply. Offsets, intersections, and changes of direction are made by curving the plated brass pipe, which is so skillfully done as to present a notably handsome and elegant appearance. Special examples are at D, where the flush pipe is carried around a register handle, and at E, where the bathtub pipes are carried around the water-closet bowl. P is a panel extending to the ceiling, on which the tile are secured, and which is removable throughout its entire length, together with the pipe on its face, to give access to the riser lines in the recess behind it.

Figure 8 shows the arrangement for inserting circulation for local vent pipes. The box A is set in the attic wall, and inside it are burned two gas flames, visible through the glass door. These tend to exhaust the air from the vent-pipe branches and discharge the lighter warmed air through conduit B above the roof.

Figure 9 shows the method of flashing the soil and trap vent pipes. A copper plate S is laid under the slates and the copper thimble T soldered to it, inclosing the wrought-iron pipe up to its first joint, or to the top, where in either case a coupling C, chamfered out and beveled on the lower edge, is screwed down over the sleeve and holds it firmly and caps it.