The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-07-27

LID f4kNGEA<GS
nest Of older pipes and conduits hardly
/, so per cent will stand the test of in
creased pressure necessarily made by
the demands of an increased coneump.
| ton.
The investigations made by this Of
| flee in uncovering the street mains al
various places also disclosed the fact
F., that the above quoted 4345 feet of S-inch
pipe In the Arroyo Seco main and about
5000 feet additional lengths of the same
pipe, although carried on their maps,
have heretofore been abandoned, being
old, rusty and worthless in addition 20
which, as specified hereafter, a certain
number of other pipes were not found in
the ground, and some were found to be
either worthless or partly deteriorated.
In order to ascertain the condition of
the pipes and their availability for mu-
nieipal use, 31S pipes were scrutinized at
various parts of the city, and the infor-
nation thus obtained will give a very
good general idea as regards their con-
dition. The pipes uncovered and inves-
tigated by this office were taken at ran
dom, care being taken to investigate all
sections of the city and portions of all
the different sizes of pipes, as we'll as
pipes made of different pipe metal.
Considering the fact that there are
nearly 300 miles of pipes embraced and,
as it soon appeared, that in various Sec
tons of the city the different geological
formations of the soil affected the pipes
(Which latter are unfortunately made
from a variety of metaD more or less
in a deteriorating manner it became
necessary to trace such destructive ac-
ton on the pipes more closely in some
sections than in others, and thereby &C.
cupied more time than was anticipated.
PIPE MATERIAL
A summary of the pipe investigations
discloses the fact that by far the ma
jority of pipes (nearly 6S per cent? are
made from wrought iron and sheet iron,
while about 80 per cent of all mains are
made from cast iron. Neither wrought
iron nor sheet iron, except in isolated
cases, has shown itself to be the proper
material best suited for this purpose.
All cast-iron pipes in the ground, except
such as were found to be subject to the
action of electrolysis (as will be eX-
planned hereafter, are in good and
serviceable condition. Although in
number of instances the appearance of
rust has made itself observable on the
exterior of the cast-iron pipes. still such
rust has not deteriorated such pipes to
any extent. nor is any serious deteriora-
ton caused, by salts or chemicals with
in the soil to be anticipated in the cast
iron pipes now in the ground The first
cast-iron pipes laid. in Los Angeles in
1869 were uncovered and found to be IN
perfect state of preservation, the as
phalt covering alone having entirely
disappeared The asphaltum covering
in all cases, and on all pipes whether
cast iron or wrought iron, is poor, and
seems to succumb to the action OF the
soil in a comparatively short time. In
sandy or loan soil the bare metal re-
mains unaffected, while in the hard
adobe soil a slight incrustation of rust
is observable, without, however, harmful
effects on the cast iron. The probable
life of the present cast-iron pipes is not
less than forty years from date.
The wrought iron pipes, mostly of two
or three inch size, are, with the exception
of newly laid pipes, incrusted with rust
Quite a number of badly rusted two inch
wrought iron pipes were found as noteo
below and a certain deduction of the
quantity above tabulated will have TO
be made as specified later on, for the rea-
son that in some instances these pipes
have been abandoned, and were not de-
Quoted from the schedule list of the
water company, and in other instances
the probable life and usefulness of some
Of these two inch pipes still in use is so
limited, and will give rise shortly to con-
siderable repairs, SO that their value is
materially diminished. Aside from this
fact the insufficient size of the two inch
and three inch pipes to supply water FOR
domestic purposes, and the necessity OF
having TO parallel these pipes with lar
ger mains, in the event that fire hydrants
should be placed on streets now provided
with two or three inch pipes, is to be
taken under consideration.
MUST BE REPLACED
All of the wrought iron pipes will have
to be replaced by cast iron mains of not
less than four-inch and mostly six-inch
in diameter There is a total of over
1902, 42O feet of wrought iron mains equal
TO bu per cent Ol the 6lLil ( plPS SS slCiii.
The sheet iron pipes which form part
of the pipe system were found to be in
various conditions. In certain sections
of the city, favored by local conditions
Of the soil and under light pressure,
these sheet iron pipes were found to be
in perfect state, while in other sections,
comparatively new pipes wer found to
be badly deteriorated; in some cases
utterly ruined by rust.
The use of these pipes in connection
with a projected efficient water works
service for Los Angeles must undoubt-
eddy be abandoned. Some of these mains
probably will do duty yet for from five
to ten years A smaller number will have
to be replaced at once, while the entire
class of sheet iron and sheet steel pipes,
with the exception of the forty-four and
forty-eight inch conduits, will, at the
end of less than ten years, probably be
in such a condition that every one of
them will need a substitution or replace
ment by cast iron pipes.
There are now approximately 114,S40
feet of sheet iron pipes in use, varying
from six inches to forty-four inches in
diameter, or about per cent of the en-
fire nine system In addition to the cast