New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-21
WATER BY THE CUBIC FOOT
METERS THE ONLY MEANS OF PRE-
VENTING WASTE.
SEVERAL. DIFFERENT STYLES AND HOW THEY
WORK-OFFICrALs WHO BELIEVE IN
THEM-A LARGE NUMBER

wopK-oFFrcrALs WHO BELIEVE IN
rHEM-A LARGE NUMBER
MADE HERE.
Cbtef Engineer BirdsaIl Of the Croton Aaueduct
recentlv expressed the opinion thar water he'eis
should be used in all the buildings OF 'he Guy anu
said that whenever he was consulted on the suOJeo
hv tho authorities of a city town on the point Oh
Introducing a hubble water system he ADVISED the
rni,,ersal use of meters. There are no" heaiF
% 900 meters in use in this city-more' piooao,S'
than in any other city In the country anu III ~
opinion OF competent judges IL IS not uhhhe'y t'"
the general use OF meters "'' w
many years pass. . -.
II is well Known that large amounts OF water are
wasted every day and the only eHec'ua Iei'euS
appears to lie in the accurate measurement OF tne
quantity OF water used. In the case oil large
| apartment-house it is question "He'"ei !" ~.
arate meter should be provided for each apartment.
- >, a question on this point Mr.. B.rdsall
| said; o.or ~,
"It would be practicable to nave meter az
tached 20 tn, supply -ppe for every apartment o'
| T ,bi,k that would be a matter for the owner 10
! decide: the Public Works Department "ouiu '''
! nothing to do with It. We should simply taNe Tue
! record of water used as shown by the meter at
| .acbed ~ the general supply-ppe for the "ho'e
building and If one family used more thah us io-
| per share the owner would nave 10 put ." -
meters and see that there was an equitable dis'ri
| button" r,.,o..
| sat,. "r do ,ot think il would be worth while for
| rs 70 concern ourselves with such a ma''e''
| meter ought to be attached as nearly az poS,iole
AT the point where the water-pipe enters pu'uae'
~ ,or,her awav Il is the greater the probability
| that an attempt will be made TO carry pipe
round rho Mace where the meter is. As water foi-
| Iows rho lire OF least resistance. and meter
| checks the flow somewhat. It follows that IN such
| O casa water would be used without being account
| ed for ,oou
| authorized by the city authorities The hrst one
| woo aOreed on perhaps twenty years ago. Ohder
the Consolidation Act, the Mayor the Coh'roher
and the chief engineer OF the Croton Aqueduct are
constituted commission TO determine "hat meter
| may be used. ou
| .o-nina and measures the quantity OF water en-
| .ar,e q budding but meters OF the largest size
| arc sometimes employed by water companies III
determining the quantities disposed OF 10 theH GUS
toners; and meters like those for Gauging water
are sometimes used for measuring beer ana o'her
! liqu. :.
ONE GENERAL PRINCIPLE.
rbers are MANY kinds of meters. but all work on
| about the same general principle Some nave d pS-
| ron which the flowing water moves Forward ana
| h,ck. others have a rotating or unduatng DISK;
| one variety operates by what is termed 'nutary'
| or nodding motion. In either case the recordihs
| machinery is set in operation ana the NUMBER OF
| cubic feet OF water passing through the meter Is
registered ordinarily on a series OF dials with
ponters similar TO those OF gas meters Al least
| one stvle of meter however has straight reading
register so that glance shows how many cubic
| feet have been consumed.
Tho smallest water meter allowed by the Public
Works Department is that for a haf-nch pipe. The
cost OF the cheapest style Of meter is $40 But II the
owner of a building thinks he can 90 out ana ouy a
meter have II wrapped up. carry ii home ana then
call on his plumber to attach II to his water-ppe'
! he will soon find out his mistake. Meters are Soiu
only to licensed plumbers, and then only after they
| hava baen tested and sealed by the city After be-
ing tested b" the manufacturer, they are usudIy
sent in quantities to the pipe yard Of the Depart
| ment whore the official test and seal are applied.
! The rule is to allow the owner margin OF per
cent The meters are made with place i4 S Inc i
| which applied over screw. anu thc IL
| terror mechanism cannot be disturbed unless the
seal is broken ..o,.o, -. glass cover Thnv
are read four times a year by inspectors OF me
public Works Department, who ere attached 10 me
| bureau OF the Water Register. There are Twelve
| Of these inspectors. but three or them nave the
duty of making simple repairs to meters sneo as
| The dials etc. This is done without cost 70 the
owners under system introduces 4y WATT W abn
son took charge OF the bureau, there were twenty
Ave inspectors twenty-three Of whom were engaged
! in reading meters Not long afterward he dis
missed the entire number in a single day lie
| found that twenty-hree men read 900 meters IN a
| week The nine men now employed on this work
| inspect more than 800 meters in week.
SENT ALL OVER THE WORLD.
There IS one concern in this city which manufact-
ures several different varieties OF meters. whch
are in use not only in this country, but in all
! other parts of the civilized world. That water
/ re,ers are IN use in Java for instance, will i'm
| press most readers a surprising fact but II Is
| fact according 10 a representative Of the com
| pany who said that a consignment OF some i'm
| nortanca had recently been sent there. one style
Of meter made by this company Is designed 10 Cd,
struct the flow of water az little as possible, ana
ia used I'm cases where large quantities OF water are
| needed suddenly. in the operation or hydraulic
| elevators This meter can be made large enough to
| be attached 4s-inch pipe-the largest size or
! watermain manufactured. Another variety Is
made In different sizes, from one-half inch up 10
twelve inches and Is so acct ratey adjusted that IL
| viii measure the flow Of water from leaky faucet.
Said the representative OF the company:
| them ali over the world, even 10 countries where
| one would not suppose there was any water sup
ply or any need OF meters. In Japan We maintain a
! regular agency. We make meters for all sorts OF
| nurposes In Cuba they are sometimes used for
| messurlng molasses. and In breweries for measur-
| ing beer For the latter purpose We have made a
| cubic feet one meter we manufacture was for
| measuring ammonia. That was delicate and
nnstlv lob and required careful selection Of metal
| TO get something that would Withstand the chemi-
cal erYects OF the ammonia We found that the hes;
thing was cast-iron Brass wouldn't have done at all
| We make meters for both hot and cold water: where
| rubber Is used for the piston OF meter II Will
not stand hot water, and metal has TO be used IN
| Most water meters have a small metal door at the
| TOP directly the glass covering OF the dials
| nonter The first registers cubic foot: the sec
| ond 10 feet: the third. Loo the fourth. 1000; the
NTH 10000 the sixth. 10000 and the seventh .when
| there e. a seventh 100000. The seventh dial II
\ 30 n. Sound oniv on the meters ANY one