The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-19
NJVJS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ '''! ~ ~ JNJV
TO KEEP A LOOKOUT.
supt. Lotion TO Examine the City's
Water Mains.

Water Mains.
The attention of Superintendent Lotion
Of the water works, was called to the ar
tcle on electrolyss in yesterdays Morn
ing News.
Il read the article with a great deal of
interest" said Mr.. Lotion. 1T is a very
clear statement of the subject. 1 am keep
ing a sharp lookout for any damage from
this cause to the water pipes, but have
discovered none so far. There is no doubt
that a great deal Of electricity escapes
from the street railway lines, and that
good part of 1t must find its way to the
water pipes. I have been surprised at
not discovering such damage. l am in
cllned to think that Savannah is favored
in this regard by the character of the
soil underlying the city. 1t may be that
the soil is lacking in the salts which
when released by the action of the cleo
trfcity, do such damage to the water
pipes. only hazard this as a SUPPOSE
ton, but 1t may be possible that our light
sandy soil does not contain the same
quantity of salts as the clay subsoils I'M
DERIVING most cities, especially in the in
terror"
A pamphlet was recently issued by Hec-
trIclan Merrill of the national board of
fire underwriters, covering the question of
electrolytic deterioration of water pipes
An abstract from his report will enable
persons to understand the question of
electrolysis
Underground water mains have broken
down because of faults unquestionably
due to electrolytic action" he saws. land
smaller service pipes have been weakened
to such an extent as to break at critical
moments when excess pressure is put
upon them at intervals during a fire
Measurements show that conditions I'M
questionably exist in nearly every dis
IN ha TT,,N4o 4
| trolley road, which are favorable for de-
| structive action on the subterranean metal
work in the vicinity, and pipes taken up
in many of these districts show unmistak-
able signs Of harmful effects. The general
nature of this action and the causes
which bring it about are too often seen
TO need elaborate description. Briefly, it
may be compared to the action which
takes place in an electro-plating bath
THE current which enters the bath
through the nickel or silver suspended
therein, flowing through the bath and
out through the object to be plated, ulti-
mately brings about the destruction of
the suspended piece of metal. Similarly,
the current from grounded trolley sys-
tenn flowing through the earth in it's
course from the cars back to the gener-
ating station, selects the path of least re-
| sistance. which is generally for the whole
or part of the way the underground
water mains, and at points where it leaves
the pipes to reach the station the iron of
the pipe wastes away until at points the
walls become too thin to withstand the
pressure of the water and a breakdown
ensues. The difference of potential nee
essary to bring about this action is very
small-a fraction of a volt-and conse-
quently, in all districts where potential
differences are found between water pipes
and the surrounding earth, such action
a MIA
dampness and the salts necessary to pro-
duce electrolysis are present in all COM
mon soils.
whenever. then, a reading is shown
by an ordinary portable votmeter regis
| tering tenths of a volt with the positive
binding post in electrical connection with
water pipe or hydrant. and the negative
binding post in electrical connection with
an adjacent lamp post, car tracks or met
al rod driven in the earth, electroIytic ac-
ton will be found upon examination to be
taking place at that point which will ul-
timately result in the destruction of the
water pipe.
The only certain remedies for this
| evil are obviously to keep the current
| from using the pipes as a conductor or
| to keep II from flowing from the pipes
| through the surrounding SOIL The first
remedy nccessitates a complete metallic
| circuit for the railway, and the second
joining of pipes by wires wherever po-
| tential differences are found. Trolley
! roads having absolutely no ground con-
nections will not be installed as long as
the present trend of practice prevails, and
consequently, an absolutely complete met
allie circuit for such roads cannot be
| secured. Bonding all underground pipes
| together with wires of sufficient carrying
| capacity to prevent current flow through
| the earth would be obviously impossible
BY Judicious employment of part of
each remedy, however, II has been dem
onstrated that the evil can be so largely
reduced as to be practically negligible, and
it Is to securing these Improvements in
the numerous trolley districts of the coun-
I try that the energies OF every one inter
ested should be devoted "