The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-01
SPR|NKL|hG THE STREETS
America Can Learn Much About the
Subject by Following Cities
Across the Water.
In Some Places Watering tho
Streets Is Done Directly
From the Hydrante.
Tho Carts, However, Are About tho Same
As Those Used In the Country-The
Amount OF Water Required.

In New York, and, for that matter, i
most American cities, the important Worl
of sprinkling the streets In summer is don
in a half hearted and spasmodic sort O
way. Paroxysmal efforts of this sort d,
not result in the greatest good to the great
est number, in street aprinkling more thai
in any other kind Of work, as may bs easil,
seen by the most casual observer. In thi
matter much oan be learned from European
cities. In Hamburg, Zurich, Brussels AN
Paris. for instance, whore there are waite,
mains as with us, the sprinkling necessary
to cool tho air and lay the dust may be don,
from hydrants. Since ordinary rubber hose
however, soon comes to grief from beng
dragged over stone pavements, flexible
metal pipes are used to accomplish this
work. They are usually in lengths of not
more than six feet, are mounted on little
two-wheeled trucks which roll easily in any
required direction.
Another clever contrivance has also been
devised. This consists of a reel. on which
an ordinary hose is coilsd in such a manner
that the portion not required to reach from
the hydrant to the place where the sprink-
ling is being lone remains on the reel. The
only objections to this method are the OBJ
stacles to traffic due to tho lines of hose or
pipe, the unequal distribution of water, and
the injury that a powerful stream Of water
may cause to macadamized roadways. On
the other hand it is urged that asphalt pave
msnts are best cleaned in this way. and
grass plots are easily watered by the same
means.
A two-horse watering cart that is largely
used in European cities consists of a oylin-
dricsl metal body holding from 200 to 800
gallons Of water. There is a manhole
through which the water is supplied. a
sprinkling pips from 6 to Ga feet long and
lating the sprinkling which may extend
over a width of thirteen feet. This machine
is similar in every essential particular to
those used on our own roadways. Other
p~atentees supply carts with wooden bodies
holding 400 gallons, and occasionally with
q special sprinkling pipe. leaving the work
to be done by a laborer who walks behind
the cart and Directs the water from a short
piece Of hose to any point on the surface
that seems proper. Other carts are pro-
vided with n species of turbine wheel which
projects tho water over the surface. Be
sides all these are hand carts drawn by two
men.
The quantity of water used by these
street sprinkling machines varies consid-
ersbly. Calculated in gallons per 100
square yards, Paris requires eleven gallons.
The average of many German cities is
gagged at twelve gallons, Berlin 1875 gal
Ions, Hamburg and London 15h gallons,
American cities something over 2619 gal
Ions. Usually the streets in European
cities are spinkled twice on regularly ap-
pointed DAYS, although sometimes but
once, especially where there are asphalt
pavements. On the other hand, the busy
streets Of many large cities will often be
watered three or four times a day, and IN
the case of macadsmized roadways as often
Berlin there are 1G0 days of spinkling in the
year, against 100 in London. Each cart
can be filled from thirty to fifty times
daily. In Berlin the entire cost OF labor is
about two-thirds of a cent per square yard
annually, and the entire cost of sprinkllng,
including the water tax. is only about one
and two-thirds cents per square yard.
The expense of hose s%prlnkling is gener-
ally somewhat less than that done by carts,
especially where water is plenty and labor
high. Where tho use of salt water is prac-
ticable the regular rates are capable of
much reduction, as has been proved by sat
isfactory experiments in English and other
cities. This thin deposit of salt retains dust
and moisture and consequently reduces the
amount of work to be o In England
special pumps and drains for distributing
salt water are used, much pains being taken
to prevent injurious chemical results.
Apropos of the use of salt water for street
sprinkling. a very interesting paper was
read recently before the Civil and Mechani-
cal Engineers society of England. In
quiries had been sent abroad to the en-
gineers of man coast towns that had used
salt water for s%prinkling the streets.
The replies showed that in some cases the
brine destroyed all kinds of road material
except wood. Many towns advocated its
use for flushing the sewers; while Others
declared that noxious gases were produced
by the contact of the salt water with the
sewage, and so the doctors disagreed
about 1t rs usual.
On roads of flint and gravel the applica-
ton Of sea water is doubtless advantageous.
One large town in England recommends
it highly for that purpose, as it was found
that one cart Of sea water was equivalent
to two of fresh water when used to lay the
dust.
Another English engineer found salt wa
ter especially adapted for use on macada-
mixed roads, on the theory that it made the
immediate surface more compact. 1t was
found by actual experiment that the surface
held moisture almost three times az long
with salt as with fresh water.
The Ages of Negroes.
A negro said to be 116 years old was bur
led in New York last week. His wife laiI