The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-10-07
WIRES VERSUS PIPBS.
Interesting Eleetrolysis Tests
Change Of Currents to
Check Damage.
Special to the JERSEY city Neps

2HsStAt " tdtc 0OS ocy wy teR
NEWARK, Oct. z. 1s96.-Engineer Nor
rs r. Sherrerd, of the Water Depart
ment and Superintendent Adam Bosch,
of the fire alarm telegraph system. yes
'terdaysafternoon made a number of tests
in the vicinity of the River street power
house of the Consolidated Traction Com
pany for the purpose Of demonstrating to
several visitors from Buffalo the advan-
tages of the device designed by Electrical
Expert Harold F. Brown, to prevent the
danger to the water pipe system of the
city by electrolysis. The tests, accord
ing to the statements of members of the
party. were anything but satisfactory, as
the volt meter used in the tests pointed
to decided symptoms of danger, showing
the water pipes charged with a positive
current In degrees varying with the dis
tance from the power station. The
fault lies. the investigators declare, not
with the device suggested by Mr.. Brown,
but rather with the failure of the Trac-
ton Company to follow the directions
laid down by the electrical expert.
The tests yesterday were made in an
unofhcial way. at the request of c.. T.
Sloane, of the National Gas Supply Com
pany of Buffalo, and w. w. Splane, who
Is connected with the Standard Oil Conn
pany.
Both companies In their respective lines
use a vast amount Of underground pipe,
and since the Introduction of electricity
as a motive power for street cars their
systems have been threatened by cleo
frolysis. The two visitors were in New
ark on a tour of inquiry as to the best
means OF warding off the danger. They
engine al the foot of Brill street yester-
Gay AFTERNOON, and later enlisted Messrs.
Sherrerd n Bosch in their mission.
Armed with a volt meter, the party
tested a number of pipes within a radius
of half a dozen blocks Of the River street
power house. At one point, near the gas
works on Front street, the meter regis
tered four-tenths of one volt. As the in
vestigators came nearer to the power sta
ton the meter showed greater voltage,
registering about one and one-half volts
near the corner of Clinton and Mulberry
streets. and three volts at various points
nearer to the station.
Pursuing their inquiry, the party went
to the power house, where they obtained
but little information from the attendants.
From their own observations, however,
the city officials became convinced that
the directions given by Mr.. Brown con-
corning the management of the dyna-
mos had been d~isregarded, and that the
main cause of the trouble was to be found
in that direction.
Superintendent Bosch, when seen by a
conclusively that the cables of the Fire
Department are as yet unaffected Mr..
Bosch declined to say anything about
the results of the tests of the water
pipes.
Mr.. Sherrerd, when seen by the report
er, admitted tina they had found what
he considered positive Indications of dam
ger In the pipes, but was not prepared to
give a Gfafarnant q q M fha o~fdrf Af +ha
damage.
The tests were made unoficially,. said
Mr.. Sherrerd, but we found enough to
n aacssay me ' 1 viii Iu prOeeed iny te maRe fur IS
Their tests, and will open up some of the
streets, uncovering the pipes at the points
where we found the greatest voltage.
Then I shall submit to the board the re-
suit OF my tests"
did you find Mr.. Browns device in
use?' asked a reporter.
"Oh, yes; I guess Mr.. Browns invention
is in use all right" was the engineers
we did not get much satisfaction at
the power house, but we found, from OBJ
Been carried out. As 1 iu Understand da Il. NJ NJ.
Brown advised that one set of dynamos,
those connected with the return current,
should be run at a much higher voltage
the conditions of affairs. by making the
current in the street rails the positive
one, while the pipes would only be touched
by the negative current and the danger of
electroIysis would be minimized.'
Mr.. Sherrerd added that the conditions
under which the dynamos are run are
such that the utmost watchfulness must
be maintained at all times n frequent
tests made In order to be sure that the d.
rections are being carefully lived up to.
Engineer said that he will begin his
official Investigation just as soon as he
can get at it. The volt meter used in
making the tests is a most delicate and
one end of a wire attached to the neg
alive pole of the instrument is placed on
the street car rail, while the end of a wire
fastened to the positive pole Is placed on
the water pipes. A slender finger then
runs over a scale, stopping at the point
hi shows the voltage.
Mr.. Sherrerd stated that so far as
the water mains are concerned, there IS
no danger as yet. as the damage seems
to be confined to the leaden service pipes.
mnHr M uIaHn nnnnr Ann