Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1875-02-16
SECOND EDITION.


MANY FaNfIIlrs ENTIRELY CUT oFF-rRozEN PIPES
AND HyppAsrs-A sUBJEor WORTHY OF INSTANT
ATTENTION.
The long continuance of the severe cold
weather is being inconvenlently felt in many
ways, but in none with greater effect or more
calculated to excite serious apprehension than
in the matter Of our water supply. Throughout
the whole extent of the city there are families
who are unable to obtain drop of water from
their hydrants, and in some instances there are
several together who are similarly situated. As
may be supposed the Inconvenience in such
cases is very great. as necessity requires that
sometimes the pals of water must be brought
considerable distance. Such instances these
however, are rare, as in most cases supply can
he obtained from the next door neiBhbor-an
inconvenience of itself sufficiently vexatious to
most families. The fire. plugs have also been
frozen go that water could not be Immediately
drawn from them, and delays are experienced
at all fires where the fire-pugH have not pre-
| yiously been thawed.
| In probably the most of these instances the
distractions from freezing are in the hydrants,
| but we understand that this is not so IN ALL
| There are instances, we are told. where the
| pipes which lead to the hydrants are also frozen
| under the ground-a result which NAV have ori-
| einated from the neglect to thaw out the hy-
| dranis when their frozen condition was detected
1t is stated that there are such instances in Tat
| nal, Sixth, King and other streets, and fear is
expressed lest these pipes may not thaw out un-
| til the weather fnoderateB considerably more
than at present. Tatnal street in the vicinity OF
the Avenue is supplied from the Rodney
street basin by a main which terminate!
below Ninth street, and an impression
prevails that the end Of this
main, where the water is still, s freezing and
gradually extending the ice up the main, thus
cutting off the supply. such cases as this have
occurred in Philadelphia and New York this win
ter and private letters from the latter city bring
the information that fires are kindled in the
streets to thaw out and prevent the freezing of
the water mains. One instance is reported
where coal fire is kept up constantly over an
underground pipe to admit free flow Of water.
| Lest such state of things should obtain in
this city, would it not be wellto give some atten-
| ton to the condition of the underground pipes,
especially the smaller ones which rise to the sur
face Families should make liberal applications
of hot water and steamng cloths to hydrants
and all exposed pipes, as in this way ordinary
| cases of freezing may be obriated. When these
fail, the Water Department should take the mat
ter in hand and ascertaining remedy it should
be made known to the people of the city gener-
ally that they may apply it themselves. The fire
plugs should all be opened Immediately, for since
Saturday nights experience |. cannot be known
how soon or where an application may be made
for water. Already several of the plugs have
been tiiawed out, but the work should not cease
until they will all admit free passage OF water.