New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-18
1 PIPE 1000 FEET LONG.

HOW NORTH BROTHER ISLAND Is TO BIZ SUPPLIED
Win WATER.
The contractors for laying the pipe which will
connect the CrotOn water mains with the State
Hospital for contagious diseases on North Brother
Island are performing an engineering feat of con-
siderable magnitude. The pipe il 200 fcot long ,
and il to be- sunk 10 the bottom Of the East River
nj the foot of -thirtycighth-st. Ii
will connect with the mains on me South BOule-
ward and will enter the earth of the island at
point eight feet below low water, and some fifty
Yards north of the fence nclOsing the United states
lubt-h house. Its direction Will bc somewhat dag
onal The pipe was built in One-hnndrcd and
tLirty-Ciahth-st east of the South Boulevard. At
the waters edge cut had 10 be blasted through
tbc shalr rock Tor about 200 feet down which the
huge p pc is being slowly dragged Is has been
incloscd in a nox of strong white oak plank
ing which has received several coats OF tar,
and this. glistcning in tho sunlight gives to
a distant spectator an idea OF some monstrous
.crpcpt The pipe is in lengths of nineteen feet,
and is made of wrought iron quarter OF an inch
thick. These are, in technical phrase, " threaded
together. which means that the ends are arranged
like the Joints of shing-rOd, and are screwed
together. At these joints there Is IA strengthening
of novel character by couplings made
specially for the purpose, and these are covered
by a sleeve of cast iron, twenty inches long filled
with lead The pipe rcpOses, inside its wooden box,
i'm a bed of Roscndalc cement which was put III
when liquid and has hardened into compact mass.
The total weight is somewhat over 300 tons. The
internal diamccTOf the pipe Is only four inches.
The method Of COaXing tho monster To crawl INTO
thr water has been to build AT intervals OF twenty
two feet along the whole length system of fixed
rollers and of strong wooden guards to keep it in
the way il should 90 without any lateral dcyla-
lions The motive force was furnished by power
ful dredging barge, which with tho brig and the
scow on which the end of the pipe is TO be secured
ia noOrcd ut the foot of the street The chains of
The crane on tho dredges fastened TO the end of
tho pipe 10 raise or lower it as required. Then
congeries of ropes and pnlios were fastened about
100 feet lower down on the body of the plpc and
were in connection with steam inch on tho
dredgcr. Some ten feet of thepipe had been coaxed
on the scOw when the captain Of the tug landed
and informed the contractors that the tide was
going out, and that the scow would ground in ten
minutes. "Tl have To pull out about ten feet or
so,D he said. As the pipe went down into the cut.
and went up to the scow, there was evidently one
point which would be strained pretty badly. Tho
tug gave preparatory snort and started. The head
of the pipe up the tug ropofastened to it parted
like pack thread, and violent crack was heard.
Pipes broken said Mr.. Croft to a TRIBUNE re-
porter. 80 .
mo, It is not" said Mr. McQuado "but the
planking has suffered"
On investigation it was discovered that the bot
tom plank had snapped at the point of greatest
strain but kept in its place by the boiling On
Monday the work will be resumed