The following extract is from the description of the sanitary-arrangements in the residence of Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt, New York, in the seventh volume of the Sanitary Engineer:

The kitchen in this house contains a large amount of plumbing-work. In it, or connected with it, are some features peculiar to this place, or at least such as we have not before described.

The sketch, Figure 130, shows the arrangement of the greater part of the work. One of the most striking peculiarities seen in it is the location of the range. Instead of being placed against the wall between brick piers, under the chimney or very near it, it stands out in the room two feet or more from the wall behind, and at a considerable further distance from the chimney, which is on the right hand beyond the end of the range.

Another novel feature is the method of supporting the horizontal boilers. They are usually suspended from the ceiling, but here they are supported from the floor, resting in nickel-plated iron frames of an ornamental pattern. The boilers - one for street and one for tank pressure service - are of heavy copper, with riveted heads. Each is connected with two water-backs, so arranged that both boilers may be heated from either of two fire-boxes, or either boiler alone heated from either fire-box. The upper boiler is supplied from the street-pressure, and furnishes hot water for all the baths, basins, and sinks below the third floor. The lower boiler is supplied from the tank, and furnishes hot water for fixtures above the third floor. Those on that floor may be supplied from either. The supply-pipe to the street-pressure boiler is connected with that to the tank-boiler by a pipe having in it a valve opening toward the latter, so that if the tank-supply should fail the tank-boiler will fill from the street-pressure; or, by a stop-cock on this connecting pipe, the tank-boiler may be shut off entirely and the street-supply only used. Vacuum-pipes are connected with the hot supplies from each boiler to prevent any danger of collapse in case the supply fails. These join and enter the sediment-pipe below the stop-cock on it, thus furnishing an air-inlet if there should ever be need of one. A valve on each pipe above their junction, opening inward, prevents loss of water from either under normal conditions.

Figure 130.

The following is an explanation of the lettering on the sketch: a, the street-pressure boiler; b, the tank-pressure boiler, each about 150 gallons capacity; c, the supply to the street-pressure boiler, 1 1/4-inch, passing around through the outer divisions of three sink grease-traps before entering the boiler; d (1-inch), from the boiler a to a water-back in the right-hand fire-box; e (1 1/4-inch), return from the range to the boiler; / (1 1/4-inch), hot supply from the street-pressure boiler, passing both to the upper floors and to the cellar; g (3/4-inch), return circulation to this boiler; h (1-inch), the cold-water connection from the same boiler with a water-back in the left-hand fire-box; and i (1 1/4-inch), the hot-water return to the boiler. The (1 1/4-inch) pipe k is the supply to the tank-boiler b; l (1-inch) is the cold-water connection of this boiler with the other water-back in the left-hand re-box; m (1 1/4-inch), the hot-water return; n (1 1/4-inch), the supply from the tank-boiler going direct to the division-cock on the third floor, and o (3/4-inch), the return circulation. The other water-back in the right-hand fire-box is connected with the same boiler by the pipes p (1-inch) and q (1 1/4-inch). The vacuum-pipes r r (3/4-inch) join and enter the sediment-pipes below their junction. The latter are behind the range and not seen; there is one for each boiler, being a 3/4-inch branch from one of the two pipes leading from each boiler to the range. The combined sediment and vacuum pipe terminates over a sink in the cellar. The connection between the street and tank supplies, spoken of above, is marked s, and is 1-inch.

The remaining letters apply to the pipes under the enameled-iron sink at the left of the range: t is the entrance of the cold-water pipe (supplying boiler a) to the outer part of the grease-trap u, and v its exit; w w is the waste (2-inch), forming a deep trap, and x the air-pipe to prevent syphoning; y is the hot water-supply to the sink, and z the cold, both 1/2-inch.

In a corner of the room, in front of the range, is a deep pot-sink, of tinned and planished copper (not seen in the sketch). This has the same kind of grease-trap on the waste. This sink is so deep, and the bottom consequently so near the floor, that there was not room to put the grease-trap above it. Accordingly, a hole was made large enough for it through the brick and concrete floor, and lined with an iron casing or box. The boiler-supply water is passed around the grease-trap in this way: The main line runs along beneath the floor (suspended from the ceiling of the cellar) past the location of the trap above. Directly opposite the trap a stop-cock is placed on the main line, and a branch, taken off on one side, passes through the trap and comes back into the main line on the other side of the stop-cock when the latter is closed. If it is open and those on the branches closed it flows straight past. It may be well to explain here, for the benefit of those who have not seen this grease-trap or a description of it, that the water is thus made to circulate around it (through an annular space entirely separated from the interior), for the purpose of cooling the collected grease and causing it to solidify. The supply to the boiler is chosen to effect this object, because not only is there no objection to thus slightly warming the water, but it is actually so much saving of heat.

All the pipes, with their frames, supports, and fasteners, are nickel-plated. The brass pipes are frequently bent in long curves, like lead, and sharp turns with elbows avoided as much as possible. The piping is all put together with frequent unions, so that it can be easily taken apart. It was all fitted in position while unplated, then taken down and put back after being plated.

Over the range is a very large copper hood for arresting and removing the odors and hot air. As this would have hidden much of the piping if shown in the sketch, it is only indicated in dotted lines. The outline is not strictly correct; the width is considerably greater, projecting in front of the range a foot or two. It is hung from the iron floor-beams overhead. The hot air and odors from cooking are carried off through an opening in one end of the hood into a rectangular duct surrounding the smoke-pipe.

A plate-warmer on the back of the range was left out entirely to avoid confusion in the sketch. Attached to that are several gas-burners to light the range. The gas-pipe comes up through the range into one of the rods supporting the shelves of the plate-warmer, and thence along behind the turned-down front edge of the upper shelf, and is thus entirely hidden.

The architect under whose direction this work was done was Mr. George B. Post; the plumbers were Messrs. Robert Ennever & Son.