Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-28
Points of interest on Natural Gas
Pipe Lines.
TIE Manner in Which the Work is Fer
formed Detailed - Directors
EIected---6as and
Oil Notes,

earned 8 dollar IN year sees lonoiy cher
ished visions of q return to prosperity COCO
wages and comfortable home.
Since it is of so much Importance and
mas a direct bearing on the future welfare
Of Wheeling and vicinity, we think slight
description of the manner In which 1t Is
brou5ht to as might be interesting.
For purposes OF illustration we will take
the Wheeling Com psnys line commencing
with the "hurdy gurdy east OF the ran
Handle railroad track, nearly two miles
north OF the city, and describe the lins to
point near the Ohio landing OF the North
Wheeling ferry boat.
The "6urdy gurdS" as the men Who
know the pipe line business call 1t, 3 q
large drum, something similar to the mud
drum of q steam boiler. 1t is used as q
connection between the main line from the
wells to the lines which cFoss the river. II
is located Just beyond the P. c. l. st. L.
racks, and from it run three eight inch
iues Of screw pipe across the river to
min. near the Laughlip mill, where they
lain mite 70 "burdy gurGy," snd from
there connect with a tSeIVs inch WrougG;
main. These river lines ale %lRsSs sore"
pipe, and can Do laid successfully only 0y
men with considerable experience. Inc
one referred to above was COM
menced on the Ohio side about
three weeks ago and ID not quite compile
led vet. AT FIRST ditch FIVE feet wide and
Elk deep was dug from the bank into the
river, so that st no point outside the me-
iium water mark the pipe would be cover
ed with less than four feet OF earth. The
"huriY gurdy" was first placed in position
and one pipe screwed in. This Was con-
,inued until the river was reached when
the pipe (about fifty lengths at once) was
taken on q boat and ak lengths screwed on
and the boat moved oil and all but about
six lengths allowed to be submerged.
This was continued till the one line was
carried across the river. As each section
was put on it was thoroughly calked
With steel chisels so that even II the
screw failed to do Its work the caulkiug
would come to the rescue as last precau-
ton. Alter the line is dropped at the OPP
posite side of the river, q man in diving
| bell goes down and walks across and
thoroughly examines each joint and places
a cast iron clamp with FIVE bolts on each
! side over each Joint as a final Frecaution
against q break. After this is all done,
/ iron hoops made of two-inch square iron,
are drawn down over the pipe I'LL 1t IS Sc
curely fastened to the iron bed. These
hooks have tang which is driven into the
ground, usually Eve or six feet but owing
/ 70 the nature OF the earth IN the
river bed where the Wheeling COM
panSs line crosses, some of the tsngs
were twenty feet long and driven
home with fifty pound sledge. There are
three of these els ht inch lines now IN the
/ river, and sll connect with one "hurdy
aurdy" and are arranged With valves 80
| that if By any means leak might occur
or pipe be broken, it may be cut out while
/ being repaired, and the supply for the twelve
/ inch street main not be interterred with
/ Ia laying this river line but one accident
| occurred, and that was no small one. The
second pipe had been laid almost across
the river and was still on the hAtboat
when q steamer came along and broke
the pipe aud the line which held the boat
To repair this it was necessary to com
mence at the last Joint and disconnect each
length till the break was reached. Capt
! Ed. HuhIings and Mr.. Joseph Jones, the
contractors for the river lines say they we're
very fortunate, az they have known such a
line to be broken as often as twenty times
and require two months in laying.
The street line joins the "hurdy gurdy"
on the river bank near the Lsughlin mill
in Martins Ferry, and takes direct route
down the Burlington pike, five feet east Of
the centre. This relation to the centre OF
the street is maintained all the way down
60 tar IS the pipe has been laid, and it is
the intention to continue it 80 until Bridge.
port is reached unless il is found imprscti-
cable.
The street line is laid of twelve,inch
wrought pipe, with cast collars and lead
Joints, which lock by means OF rivet so
hat it is utterly impossible for them to
| become separated unless the lead is first
melted and the pipe turned. This turning
is rendered impossible t;om the fact that
the Joints are sll turned the same way and
one can not be removed without loosing
ell the Joints in the line. The lead joints
are made by stretching q rubber band
round the pipe Just in front of the collar
and pouring the lead against a ring Of
oakum, which is placed inside the collar.
10 turn this lead is driven back with
hammer aud peculiarly shaped too, until
it is perfectly tight. A man will put in on
an average an hour in cslking q single
Joint The ditch in which the pips is laid
- dug to q clear depth of FIVE
feet and in some places much deeper.
At the Walnut street sewer, in Martins
Ferry, the ditch was dug nine feet deep
aud the pipe laid under the sewer. A force
of about seventy Eve men 60 ahead and
dig the ditch to the proper depth. Next
another smaller gang follows aud digs the
bell holes" where the joints are put. The
crane gang then puts down the pipe and
two experienced men put it together with
the assistance of young man who keeps
the lead hot and carries it to them: About
quart of molten lead is used on each
Joint, and after the calking process the
lead is sll out of sight under the collar.
At each joint where a branch line is liable
10 be wanted at some future time large
I with valve is put in. On the lines
about Wheeling no surface lines are to be
put in. These surface lines are sort of
imagined protection against ex-
plosious. 1t consists of q two or
three inch line laid parallel and little
shove the main, with large bell over each
joint in the main and loose ballast Of
rocks between the bell and the main joints
Every square or so stand pipe is erected
like lamp post TO burn any gas which
may escape from the mains and be caught |
by the bells. A cast pipe casing an inch
or two larger than the main is laid under
sll railroads aud all properly where spec.
ial risk exists The mains are laid inside |
this Gazing to lessen the danger Of explo- |
sions
Gas and Grease,
THE WHEELING OIL co. ELECTION.
The stockholders of the Wheeling Oil
nn,,,anz 80, -o.3a.1o, ogta.oonn and a. |