The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-09-18
Rirhmann 9!spatrt.
TUESDAY MORNING SEPT. +, 1860
The Great Crotou Pipe.

A the new main over the High Bridge rs one
of the most interesting and important public
works now In progress, and presents itself ana
in its manufacture many features of novelty,
w. have taken some pains TO gather the follow
ing fac Is in relation thereto. The tube is msde
OF Baltimore charcoal pig iron, the plates LOT
which are prepared at Horace Abbott sons
Canton Rolling Mills, Baltimore urn
which has made the widest iron in the werlo,
sheets no inches wide by half an inch thick
having been manufactured by them. lhe pigs
OF iron weigh about 100 pounds each Several
pigs having been broken mp into three or fonr
pieces each as many as required are thrown
In to the pudding furnaces, with an allowance
of So per cent. for loss of weight in manufac-
ture. The mass soon becomes OF the conststen-
CIV of dough. when II Is stirred up with slice
bars, or pudding irons, very much as woman
would stir up the material for q loaf OF bread
After the lapse Of about an honr II Is worked
up into what is called puddie-oaii, IN tnis
case about 81 inches in diameter, ana ihet4 oy
aid of tougs and a crane is placed beheaih
large Nesmith hammer, and aiier treuuth-
dous pounding, il comes out in the FORM on
slab ~ feet long by Is inches " ide ana ihcneS
thick After t,lng allowed 10 gradually COOL
OF, this slab is put into reheaung furnace,
where It remains a few minutes, ana Is theA
taken out and rolled TO the requires thickness,
and the ragged edges trimmed on by means OF
large shears The sheets prepared Tor this pipe
are feet wide by long, and half an inch
thick The iron used Is required 10 stand a
strain Of 10000 pounds per square inch. The
railest man, therefore, would not Craze his
hat IN passing through II. twill be made into
sections of - feet. There will tie liz OF these
sections, requiring 635 sheets, each OF which
contains Is square feet and weighs 900 pounds,
or 2h 20 the square foot.
The irst thing done at the shop of Sgeden
Il Rowland, thecontractors. is 10 lay the sheets
out perfectly square, and make the edges fair
and smooth. Going then to the punchin ma
chine, each sheet is punched near the edges
with 300 holes, 1916 OF an inch In diameter
The sheets are then put under drilling ma
chine and each hole is counterSunk so That The
riyets may be driven flush. and having the
pine perfectly smooth on the inside. Indeed.
u rs atirnied that II Will be very difficult 10
distinguish them. Next the sheets are sent TO
the rolling machine, and rolled TO the required
curve or radius, three sheets butted together
forming the pipe. In order 10 make his butt
Joint, n strap of iron nine inches wide and haif
an inch thick; mployed, which runs the whole
length of all the seams. These straps are made
OF fiaEgs iron, which is required TO stand n
strain So per cent. greater than that used Tor
the shepts The heads OF the riVets are out
side OF the straps. which again, OF course, are
outside of the pipe. The rlVets are made by
Burden, at the Troy Iron Nail Works, and are
three fourths OF an inch IL diameter and =
inches long the head OF the rlNet Is rs inches
ia diameter La each IL foot section there are
Just l,2UO rivets. The weight OF the plates are
6is, QUO pounds of the straps, i5,l-5, OF the
rivets, $1,000, making IN all total of about
$4,000 pounds. The contract OF y Ahott
Son. tor furnishing the pla les and So s'@, was
81. $50 81. Sneden & Rowland to d. ae re-
nander of the work and supply ii.e other
materials for e26 81 per lineal foot, amounting
10 SI9,26U5O. Total, So, 81. Exclusive Of
this there is u large job OF mason work in
raising the parapsts OF the bridge an addition
al seven feet and an iron roof is to De- paced
over The whole for protection.
Each section Will be complete IN itself when
sent from the shop. They Will be transported
the whole distance by water, IN lighters. At
the High Bridge they will require TO be hoIsted
> faar for yCh u nj "A
derrick Will be used, TO De operated by Il steam
engine of 9U-horse power. The derrick and
engine will be On the top Of the bridge. Upon
the copings of The bridge a track VIII be laid,
OIL W hich Il car will be run for the purpose %
carrying each section OF the pipe 10 Is proper
place.
The new main will be placed Il couple of
feet above the TWO pi pes now In use, and made
OF cast iron. 1t is calculated that the
pipe will conduct volume OF water about
three and one fourth times greater than the
TWO old pipes ogeher, which, If we recollact
rightly, discharge iU,OUU,O 900 gallons daily. The
new pipe VIII rest on about 10 cast iron staA-
dards, or saddles, which are placed eight feet
apart ard weigh about 900 pounos each 1t
Will be protected inwardly and outWardiy by
coalings OF Princes metallic paint.
The estimated difference IN the length of the
pipe in summer and winter is four inches; and
10 provide for this expansion and contraction
there Will be Il slip Joint at either end, which
will be made Of east iron, with the slipping
surface lined with brass, 10 prevent their be-
coming fixed by oxydation. For this 600 lbs.
of brass will be required. There will be four
man holes, at intervals, on the top, each 10 by
l. inches, for the purpose OF getting into the
pipe 10 clean or paint it. The ripei mounted
on rollers, otherwise this same contractiveand
expansive power would prove destructive to
ali surroundings. In regard 10 the strength
OF the pipe, il Is claimed that, II supported al
its extremities, with $50 feet intervening be-
tween the supports, ii would sustain itself
when filed with water BY wise IoretEought,
~
can ut any time be brought into TequlsitiOn in
case of accident 10 the new one. The whole ar
Tangement reflects great credit upon Mr.. era
Ven, The chief engineer.-N. T. Tribune.