Full text: Vitruvius: The architecture of Marcus Vitruvius Pollio in ten books

198 
let it be laid according to the slope of the hill, and when 
it arrives at the bottom, let it be carried level by means 
of à low substruction as great a distance as possible; 
this is the part called the venter, by the Greeks «oa; 
when it arrives at the opposite acclivity, the water therein 
being but slightly swelled on account of the length of 
the venter, it may be directed upwards. If the venter 
were not made use of in valleys, nor the level substruc¬ 
tion, but instead of that the aqueduct were brought to 
an elbow, the water would burst and destroy the joints 
of the pipes. Over the venter long stand pipes should 
be placed, by means of which, the violence of the air 
may escape. Thus, those who have to conduct water 
through leaden pipes, may by these rules, excellently 
régulate its descent, its circuit, the venter, and the com 
pression of the air. It will moreover be expedient, when 
the level of the fall from the spring is obtained, to build 
reservoirs at distances of twenty thousand feet from each 
other, because if damage occur to any part, it will not 
then be necessary to take the whole work to pieces, and 
the defective places will be more easily found. These 
reservoirs, however, are not to be made on a descent. 
nor on the venter, nor on a rise, nor, generally speak- 
ing, in valleys, but only on plains. But if the water 
must be conveyed more economically, the following means 
may be adopted. Thick earthen tubes are to be pro- 
vided, not less than two inches in thickness, and tongued 
at one end, so that they may fit into one another. The 
joints are then to be coated with a mixture of quick lime 
and oil, and in the elbows made by the level part of the 
venter, instead of the pipe, must be placed a block of 
red stone, which is to be perforated, so that the last 
length of inclined pipe, as well as the first length of 
the level part may be received into it. Then, on the op 
posite side, where the acclivity begins, the block of red 
stone receives the last length of the venter, and the 
first length of the rising pipe. Thus adjusting the 
direction of the tubes, both in the descents and acclivi-
	        
Waiting...

Note to user

Dear user,

In response to current developments in the web technology used by the Goobi viewer, the software no longer supports your browser.

Please use one of the following browsers to display this page correctly.

Thank you.

powered by Goobi viewer