, 1877-12-07

two companies only In the United States.
In its issue Of October 2ith, the San Fran. |
cisco Journal Of Commerce, in a very lengthy |
article, upon the subject Of Water Pipes, has
the following: In March last an organiza.
tion styled the American Pipe Company, with
a capital OF $25O00O, was established In this
city for the purpose of manufacturing this
people OF this coast and the territories. The
officers Of this company are Robert &. Byx.
bee, OF the firm OF II. b. Tichenor Il Co.,
President; John f. Chaliant formerly of the
Mendocino Lumber Co.. Vice President;
John f. Byxbee, OF the Duncan Mills Lum.
ber Co.. Secretary and Treasurer; Calvert
Meade, Auditor; Col. Cook Talcott, of thirty
years experience as civil and hydraulic en-.
gineer, Chief Engineer; p. I. Dickinson, who
has been for the last twenty years connected
with the manufacture OF this pipe, General
Manager. On the organization of the CON-
pany mill was started at Olympia, Puget
Sound, w. T., where the lumber is prepared,
when it is brought to this city and taken to
the factory of the company, on Channel street
near Fourth, where it is finished ready for
use. Some fifty or sixty men are employed
al both places. The manner of making this
pipe Is peculiar 1t is made in sections Of
eight feet long. 1t is first bored, and then
turned In a lathe to a uniform thickness of
shell, removing all of the sap, and steamed
thoroughly to avoid any possibility OF check.
ing, or tasting the water. One end OF each
piece has u tenon OF about So inches, and
the other is mortised to it 1t closely. The
swelling of this tenon, when driven home,
makes perfectly tight joint. The pipe is
now ready for banding. This is done by
winding the iron spirally around 1t, OF thick.
ness and at intervals required by the pres.
sure to be sustained by the pipe, and then
the entire pipe and iron are thickly coated
with asphaltum, producing a condition best
calculated to resist decay in any form. The
water pipe is coated on the outside only, as
1t is q well known scientific fact that water,
either salt, alkali, or sulphur, does not affect
wood, and In this city this pipe is used ut the
Mint to carry of waste acids.
The gas pipe manufactured by this company
is made the same as the water pipe except that
it is coated inside and is not bound as heavily
with iron; and one great feature of the gas
pipe Is, that it prevents condensation.
From the San Francisco Daily Examiner of
October 10Th we quote as follows regarding
test Of this combination pipe:
On Friday we were invited to witness
test OF this water pipe, at the establishment
of A. j. Smith, Esq, on Fremont street, where
three OF Mr.. Smiths powerful atwood &
Bodwell" pumps had been arranged for the
test. There were present several gentlemen
interested in the water supply, among them
being Mr. Schussler, Chief Engineer OF the
Spring Valley Water Company. Three
lengths of the ordinary eight inch Gnside d.
ameter) pipe were placed in position. The
first pipe was designed to stand fifty foot
pressure. The pumps were set at work, and
soon pressure of 100 pounds, equal to fall |
of nearly 400 feet, and yet the pipe was ap.
parently as firm as ever. Apressure was then
put on equal to head OF $50 feet, when a |
small seam opened in the wood, and small |
spray of water escaped. The pressure was
reduced by the escape OF the water and the |
seam at once closed and the pipe at 450 feet |
started, and q pressure of $50 feet registered, |
when the packing under the temporary
washer on the first mentioned pipe |
blew out, The pipe, however, did not show |
the least weakness, even the joints being
perfectly dry and the wood showing that not
drop ofwater had escaped.
The pipe was then disconnected from this
one and the interest concentrated in the
other test, whereby it was expected that the
iron section would give away The wood
pipe had been prepared to resist pressure
of 200 feet. The pumps were started and the
indicator on the gauge registered ! ,250 feet
when the bar OF iron running through the
pipe separated with the tremendous
force Of the water, and further testing was
useless. An idea OF the force may be had
from the fact that the bar was an inch and a
quarter in thickness, and 1t drew apart like q
thread.
The tests yesterday were satisfactory in
every particular to the company present,
and the next one will be watched with in
terest.
The following are among the most promi-
nent places and companies on the Pacific
Coast using this pipe for the last three to
eleven years: Alameda Water Co., CAL;
Santa Cruz Water CO., Cal; Claus Spreckels
Esq, Aptos, Cal; Portland Water Co., Ore.
pia Water Works, w. t.; Port Gamble, w.
T.; Southern and Central Pacific Railroad
Companies, large amount; United States
Mint; Camp Mcdowell, Arizona.
A very fine endorsement Of this pipe Is
made by E. NJ. Morgan, ChiefGngin and
Superintendent Of the Santa Cruz Water
pressure was perfectly tight. The second
pipe was made for head Of 100 feet. This
stood pressure of 270 pounds to the square
inch, equal to a fall Of nearly 600 feet. The
third pipe, made for a 200 feet head, stood
pressure Of 400 pounds to the square inch,
equal to head OF 800 feet. The test was evil
IDENTIFY satisfactory to the scientific gentle
men present, and Mr.. Schussler expressed
himself highly pleased with the test. He
said no pipe in actual service would be called
upon TO stand such test, for in cities 1t was
impossible to close all the hydrants at the
same time, and even II 1t were possible to do
so, the peculiar elasticity of this pipe rem
dered it superior to any pipe he knew OF.
From his own observation and what he had
learned, he expressed himself highly pleased
with the pipe.
This pipe has been used in the East for the
last eighteen years, and nearly one thousand
miles OF it has been thoroughly tested. 1t
has been brought into immediate competl-
tion with the best iron pipe, and not in
single instance has it failed to prove itself
the best, and when taken up to lay larger
pipe it has been found perfectly sound and
every foot relaid.
From the Alta California and San Francis
co Morning Call of November lst:
party OF scientific gentlemen, including
Supervisor Gibbs, Chief Engineer Scannell,
Of the San Francisco Fire Department, and
several city officials, were present to witness
a test OF the strength of the combination pipe,
which was of an exceedingly interesting ma
ture Col. Dickinson had had prepared two
tests, one OF the ordinary six.inch pipes with
thrnn ininko manufactured Withstand n