The Dickinson press., 1891-07-18
LONDON WATER PIPES.
THEY ARE NEAR THE SURFACE AND
THE WATER FREEZES.

freeze, burst, n there colneth Il water
famine.
The Londoners' water pipes freeze not
because the weather is intensely cold, but
because the pipes are insuficiently pro-
tected. Too often they are left exposed
to all the winds that blow.
Entire districts in London, square
miles, districts as large as many good
sized American cities, had their water
supply entirely stopped II winter. Im-
agine the Inconvenience, even the dis
tress and danger, attending such q con-
dition of things! But the fault has been
with the Londoncr, and not with the
weather. l passed through u district
thus afflicted M dismal day, and saw
the workmen digging up the road to get
at the pipes.
In the street where these operations
were going on the supply pipes for all
the houses (tho pipes running in from
the water mains) were all laid within a
foot of the surface of the ground. The
water was frozen in all the pipes. Eight
cen inches below the surface the frost
had not penetrated. But the English
MAJ deliberately puts his supply pipes
within reach of the frost.
A PRIMITIVE SYSTEM.
The pipes would never freeze if they
were put a few feet under ground, for
the frost in London rarely penetrates the
earth more than n foot Or two. But the
Londoner does worse than this-he often
runs the water pipe up the outside wall
of his dwelling, without protection of
any sort. He has another cheerful habit,
which is fast becoming the fashion, and
which is now put i'll practice in all the
better class houses.
The drain pipes, at any rate those from
the sinks and bathtubs, are carrieddown
the outside walls, with a break at every
story, where another inlet or outlet is
made into IL small open trough, from
which another pipe leads down another
story, and so on to the bottom, where
the water flows into u gutter and thence
into the sewer. The system fully ac-
complishes its object-sewer ventilation,
but this could be equally we'll secured by
II less primitive arrangement, and with
o1C ViittU NOllN llOU llCCLC Ill ClO W1AlCk
and cover the side of your houses with
dirty ice.
When l said that the Londoner is not
prepared for the annual freezing of his
water pipes l did not adhere strictly to
the truth. For the good gentleman is
prepared in a certain way, Or perhaps 1
should say that the water companies are
prepared. And the preparation is pecu-
liarly British, as you will see. When
your street freezes up-that is to say,
when it freezes down q dozen inches be-
low the surface and blocks all the supply
pipes, an official from the water COM
pany puts in an appearance, after a day
or two, and has an apparatus fixed into
a little hydrant close by the curbstone.
The apparatus consists either of a
wooden or an iron pipe, as the case may
be, which stands upright above the
ground, and which has an inch faucet
affixed to it. To this fount the entire
neighborhood must come, with pals and
pans and cans and jugs and mugs, and
carry away the precious fluid.
WHY HI BR1ToN BEARS IT.
The water companies keep these prim-
tive plugs in stock, some thousands Of
them, but it never occurs to anybody to
place the supply pipes deeper in the
ground and thus prevent freezing. This,
then, is the way the Londoner, or his
water company, prepares for the annual
visit of Jack Frost. But the preparation
is effective only when the water mains
are laid we'll below the surface. When
they are not there is a water famine
throughout extensive districts, as at
Brixton, at Hampstead and other places
in London town.
Why not lay the water pipes deep
enough?
If you had ever lived among these
droll people you would not ask that ques-
ton. The pipes have never been laid
deep enough, and therefore never will
be-not this side of the millennium.
The water supply of London is bad
enough at its best. At its worst, in the
winter, it is too bad for words. Nobody
but these droll people would submit,
year after year, to the ridiculous system
Of supply and the outrageous charges.
But the Briton is a patient soul. He be-
lieves that whatever he has is the best of
its kind, and he resents any suggestion
to the contrary. A water supply that
was good enough for his grandfather is
good enough for him; moreover, it is
good enough for you. There's the rub
of the argument. cts good enough for
yOu." Why. in the name of iustica
should you, a foreigner, complain? Out
upon you for an ungrateful alien.
Nevertheless, one has to suffer from
this drollery. When he does not suffer
he can smile. But that is the utmost he
a do. You cannot change the habits
of a nation. And you cannot induce
100000 people to put their water pipes
five feet under ground if they think five
inches sufficient, and if they have had
them five inches under ground for gen.
erations. Boston Herald.