# Fountains before electricity

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-before-electricity/417110>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 27, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-before-electricity/417110 "2007-08-27T16:42:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-before-electricity/417110/1 "2007-08-27T16:42:38Z")

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Watching “Becoming Jane” yesterday, I was struck, in one scene, by the water circulating in a decorative fountain. These days this would be done with an electric pump – how did they achieve this in the Good Old Days?

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**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-before-electricity/417110/2 "2007-08-27T16:49:55Z")

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Aside from just refilling an elevated resevoir daily by hand, a[hydralic ram](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_ram) is one method. They depend on redirecting upward the momentum of an already-flowing water source (e.g. a nearby stream). I’ve seen these in operation in parts of England for ornamental applications (though they were sometimes rather noisy as the valve opened and closed every second or so).

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-before-electricity/417110/3 "2007-08-27T16:59:07Z")

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Per your link (for which, thanks, BTW): Montgolfier, who invented an early version of this, is the same guy who did hot air balloons with his brother. 🆒

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-before-electricity/417110/4 "2007-08-27T17:09:24Z")

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As an aside, hydraulic rams are still used in areas with lots of water and a good “head”, to pump water up into a holding tank.

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**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-before-electricity/417110/5 "2007-08-27T17:13:20Z")

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[Cecil knows all](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_170a.html)

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-before-electricity/417110/6 "2007-08-27T17:19:04Z")

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[QUOTE=matt\_mcl]  
[Cecil knows all](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_170a.html)  
[/QUOTE]

Damn. Should have checked. Thanks!