New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-07-28
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
CROTON WATER-TIN PIPE.
70 The Editor Of TAsN.Y Tribune.

/ 10 The Editor Of TAsNY Tribune
Srs: Having, AS | think established conclusiyely in
nv former letters the fact that CrotOn water is con
stapty contaminated with lead poison derived from the
seryce pipes through which it passes, or in ~hicn 1t
allow Cd to rest aud having shown by medical testimony
of too biz authority to be impued that there Is pre-
ysig AL org u, j large AID rtng amount Oi disease
fairly Iac@sble of suc water thu question sri
ses - 10 what shall be the Teney IL Is obvious th@t
due regard fr safety requires lie Introduction oil s)ne
oh.r rial than al for convey ng INTO our houses me
Cotton wafer or al leat port Of il 70 he
useo m toe If cooking "r DRINKING this mtsra
shonl5 he t uoh hat no -Ica con between
il aDc n should br capable o' Introducing into the
lsti.r A1J deeeroGs substance Shaiever Ihs Is tie
first great s'derson IL = rpre"v+r desirape
a should have sufficient sreogth when Manufactured
iao I,es a. moderate tbcsn.Ss 'nl weight 10 resist mo
,,c pressure :, h,h VII b. subject IN use that
II should tr dur ,le little liable g. injury from external
sceif-: erd lastly, that il sh0ult h- ctr19.
Win - rroce.G 10 show T. a. iese properties are com
biueo ~ eminent degree ia purs rock re-. bocs tn Is
the name given VA commerce ao7 Ia The the pure
y ets t. disiug uish il from that tcb nee which IS P)pa
larry and -ousy cal d uu which occurs IA tam
sheets and poy cd for the 0s ,i houses
and is lsrg, consumed the nutt iure II mAuy of our
conmoB dum-'tc ui-nsi-. Ii' substance u NJ pure
tin but sheet II, u, les tcky co>ted Win nat
metal The purr or BLOCK I'm Is "pt"ntd oy sn"t ng
process from which Is Lot vcry g-nertiy dstOu
tee over the earth j. found IN Immense quantities IN
limited nun bsr localities These deposits have been
known and wrought from very rem Ute sntq iy. Ins
PbGBicsus imported he metal obtained from il om SpVa
and Great Hr. aiu and II % have been WY aJu1
dan ia tie tim4 % Noses. The mountains between sax
ersl centuries and VI continue very productive Ine tin
mil e. Il Cornwall IL Wales. yicdts annIaly, in
oressng uoplos of the metal tui rhaPs ire IN ~
pOrznt seugces of tia the m IA tue pen,uit col
Mslacca d. luda Viii h God 10 bs under thu
contro ~ n company Of Dat'h mefehapts At RIuerdln,
who mouot ~ the immense produces. tbs tia from
this sourc brought into ia state ~ absolute
purity. Mines 81 In MT likewise exist In Chill, in NIX
leo aid la Peru. L. vn vi .-iy extended comfy,
unorten ,t,y, considerable 0slts o. tin ore have
vet be- discovered
Pure " block lin is brilliant white metal which retsns
lis Iustre indefinitely under atm herc influences iis
very mall able btpg capable Of extension into sheets sss
than one thOus moth 81" inch IA thickness In hArdls,
it is int, rmeoiate between leto and gold lis principal
uses have been ia the pi, ptra>n of timed
iron referred above 10 thu !iug of copper vossss
int,u culinary 20 the manufacture Of IT, fol-
and Of cot solder which Is an ay oi tn and lead Such
the sources, the properties and tie principal uses 90
the metal which pr pose a, uosate Tor lead - ine
material or pges. LIT Us whether Il pos
sesses the essential rtqli'i'es for Oh application
In the pao tN IL use D. l 0.f rIt ~ i@D4rt no
etrilas ggaiifos Z, the Eotr lsef fsr0H-fU ~ rais
question perhaps De regarded saith irutly answered
by thu iail hst this metal enpl ed
rs niru 10 copper Yh-r posO1Ons metals
INTENDED Tor cUlnsTy purposes i1n"Xous Is H. that Tor
many years pat has prescb-c either in tne for n
hlugr 81 hue powutr VtTniag5 ~ children,
dosts FROM dr,cam hOat any inil
nous effect Us medicinal ehcen eenilg T. be eunC-lY
due ~ Ms nechsnioAi action have. how thOas Il
proper with View 70 The object VA md 10 submit II 70
the omeot soon OF ths CrotoG water, aud observe the
suits For this purpose quaint " OF the water was pro
cured from the lower reservoir sod placed m bl ck TN
pipe There IL has renamed TO- 40 At siXty days. OIce
or twice ID each week portions have drs OF for
t1amiuai but up 20 the Pre,-a TINS have not bs-n
All 10 olfsiu hy tue mos, decs It's the slightest ev
dence Of metallic impegnatnn the Inference tA-n, ms
10 be- Nitahis that far The Cotton concerned tin
nine usv BE- used vrh 0tsClHfe softfy
In tn second place, u IL stt IA q ia Yll Nhca u
sqoccrate knsss A 70 cRe- ~ - resist tc AZ 'rO
static frssure 81 tae Crotos 'stf rhs pressure, De
ueve icwlere IN the CITY exceeds that If coGmn %
vsfr s.vsrfy feet in Plight which IS equivalent L about
thirty pour DE- each sqcsre iuth Fur the parpose Of
ds.rri. the power o.: hi. metal 20 resist pessars 40
sou'ty ~ se As relatively to tbs; Of lead caused to
be maj coils Of pipe Of The two metals o. pre-
cisey the same dHensOn. Thy inside by hy0ragio
nr,srure Nth the machine The metals being urged
through TIL die and passed over th- same IN trGr
The interior diameter of these ppss i've ghhs oi 40
inch tie exterior sevsntighths. their thickness AS Of
course ore eighth OF an inch. by the Kindness OF my
frspd w Craven, Esq, Chief Engineer Of the cro'on
Water Department Was favored ~ih the use o. enc Of
the hydraulic proving pumps, employed r testing TIE
strength Of the iron street and - likewise ade oisd
10 him tor his assistance in 'he experiments
The lead pipe tined fret pres ure OF hsy pounds
to the SQUARE inch applied without any senso.e effect
The pressure was now gradually increased, and ~1sa Il
had rs To some where Don't go los 70 the inch n
began 10 swell uniformly. Continuing toincreS'e iae pres
sure The dsfaon increased like wise until having r. ma
force Of 391 lbs 10 the inch. snF OF '*N'
appeared 81 point where the m IA r2pdy tuh |
and n length parted with longitudinal nss7re h~vins
sharp eds The daia,sn in the rest OF the Pipe lad ia
creased its diameter from / of 81 inch 20 u.
The tn pipe was next put under ttisl Inc iniu% pres
sure here vas that ~ which the I'D pipe hsd gSea
VIE 5s3 10 10 the inch On Increasing the press ire SP
ly. dIsiSon not observed until the forcs employed
was somewhere between and 10 TO the inoh le
pipe burst 81 the pressure Of 2l2 10 the inch presenting
At the point OF rupture precisely the appessace as
the diameter from eighths an ZACH precisely
inch These experiments cOnclusyely tht
the sSezgn Of TN pip 70 rssf fsteraal pressure
tA0a nteyold tAsf Of lead
In fha -