St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-02
Ainnesota's Representatives, Civil and Mil
itary, to Be at the Funeral of
Gen, Grant.
July Weather as Observed at the Sig
nal Ofiice---Freaks of the
Lightning.
Teachers Institutes - Deaths Last
Week--Pension Business
Street Sayings.
THE PLUMBING ORDINANCE.
An Attempt to be Made TO Remedy
Its Alleged Defects.

roof and be open at the end. ms feglIa-
ton was of course adopted for the sake OF
ventilating the soil pipe and so preventing
the prevalence of sewer gas in the house.
1t is the invention of DR.. G. b. Waring of
the national board of health and has been
adopted by a number Of cities, including st.
Paul, but the trouble with it seems to be
that in the severe weather of a Minnesota
winter it is liable to let in cold air which
will freeze all the water in the entire sys-
TEN, making it unserviceable. Such IS
claimed to have been the experience of
many, and with the large number of build
ings put up this year there seems to be dan
ger that it will be repeated in an eXag-
gerated form next winter.
1t is claimed by many that both the fresh
air and sewer pipe trap could be abandoned
with safe and beneficial results. These
sewer pipe traps etfectually close the sewer
to all ventilation, the result being that the
pressure of the accommodating gas in the
sewer forces it through the water in the
trap so communicating the atmosphere of
the house. 1t is claimed that by doing away
with the fresh air inlet and the main sewer
pipe traps, fully as efficient ventilation can
be obtained. The soil pipe may run to the
top of the house as formerly, which would
make as many ventilation holes for the
sewer itself as there are house connections.
This would keep the air OF the sewer itself
reasonably fresh. and each connection to
the soil pipes in the house could be tapped,
thus preventing any foul air escaping.
SOME OPINIONS.
Concerning this matter, the Minneapolis
delegation to the national convention of
plumbers at st. Louis, last spring, pre-
scented the following report:
''Ihe only trouble we have had has resulted
from the trapping of the main sewer pipe
and fresh air inlet. IN extreme cold weather
the current of air passing from the fresh air
inlet through the soil pipes and back vents
from fixture traps, freezes the water in the
traps, and it is our opinion that the outside
trap and fresh air inlet should be entirely dis
carded. 1t is also the means in Il great many
instances of increasing the risk of boar
frost accommodating about the openings of
the tops Of soil and Ventilating pipes. In
many cases, since the introduction of this
pernicious system of trapping and so-called
fresh air inletS, we have found soil pipe eX-
tremties entirely closed in winter by hoar
frost. This totally nullihes any results that
might be derived from the trap and fresh air
inlet"
Speaking on this subject yesterday Mr..
W. j. Freaney, a Third street plumber,
stated that the members of his trade in the
city were unanimous in considering this
feature of the law defect, and were going
y
The building ordinance" said Architect
Trehene lis defective in several points,
and among others is the portion prescribing
the fresh air inlet for ventilation. This Or
dinance was drawn in too great hurry. 1t
Is almost exactly like the one now in force
in Boston, and that was framed for warmer
climate than this. There is no doubt that
the pipes freeze by reason of this inlet, and
the question of Il change has been agitated
by the Architects association. II was dis
cussed somewhat at the May meeting and
will receive more at the next meeting in
September. The Plumbers association also
has been objecting to the system, and they
are even more active than the architects in
their opposition, and il was only to-day
that an officer Of that association called at
my Office to consult about it. There is no
doubt that the ordinance ought to be
changed and some different system Of ven
tilatng drainage pipes introduced. l have
nothing TO suggest at present, for have
not considered any new system SO much as
have the objections TO the present one"
HORACE L. STEVENS.
Mr.. Stevens was seen at his residence ON
Ninth street last evening and inquired of in
regard TO some Of the Objectionable features
OF the plumbing ordinance. He said there
We're good many objections that could be
named 10 that ordinance. but as he did not
have it with him, ne could not remember
them all, nor was it important that he
should. inaSmUch as there were one or two
objections so serious rs TO make it neces-
SaIy To al once change the ordinance i'm re-
gard TO them ii We want comfort in our
houses and good health. 1t must be adj
mitted, however, that the matter of plumb
ing and ventilation and the escape of sewer
gases are very serious obstacles to over
come. The clause i'll the ordinance in re-
gard to cold air is failure. If
it works at all it would freeze
everything up. How otherwise
could it be? Does anyone suppose that
when the mercury denotes 10 > below that
stream Of air at that temperature carried
into the house will do anything else but
freeze everything? Aside however. from
the freezing, 1t does not work, and instead
Ol being continuance to remove the gases
from the building, il becomes an instrument
TO Introduce them into it. Mr.. Stevens re-
lated Instances where the washbowl i'm the
second story was flushed. and as soon as
the water was out of the bowl the air came
upthrough the pipe into the room. He re-
CARDS the colu-air pipe as worse than almost
anything. lie would never put one in eX-
c6pt that the ordinance makes it necessary
that he should. In this he would obey the
law. but While he did this he acted against
bis Judgment. This fresh air system was
long ago tried and abandoned in Boston.
Being asked what kind of ventilation
was, in his opinion, the best, he said that
according to his Judgment the best way was
To run tie large soil pipe from the sewer
straight through the house TO the roof. If
this course is pursued all the gases that
enter the pipe VIII be carried right up
through the house and distributed in the
open air.
These gases will, of course, ALWAYS rise
10 the highest point. That is probably one
reason why the manhOles became SO often
sIye on St. Anthony hill. They are so
much higher than any other part OF the
sewerage system that they receive most of
the offensive gas. Sewer pipes running
without traps to the tops of houses would
ObviaJe the difficulty.
TIIE VIEWS or OFFICIALS.
Richard Caenery, the plumbing inspector,
was seen by GLOBE reporter last evening
and expressed himself opposed 10 any
change in the regulations ut the present
time. lie said he had conyersed with
nearly every plumber in ST. Paul on the
subject and found them about equally di-
vided in their opinion about a change. Mr.
CheneTy claims that any trouble that has
arisen is due to imperfect plumbing rather
than defect in the ordinance. In some
instances the sewer pipes last winter We're
allowed to freeze through carelesslesS. and
iii nearly every other case, SO far as he
could learn. the trouble was caused by hav-
ing placed the ventilation OF fresh air pipes
too near the Trap. This air pipe had been
placed within few feet of the trap when,
it ought really TO have been placed from
ten 10 sixteen feet away lie believed,
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