The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-17
ON ELECIROLYSIS.
CITY ENGINEER KELSEY FIN
ISHES HIS INVESTIGATION.
Makes Report to the City Council of
the Result-The Cause and the
Remedy.

City Engineer Kelsey last night sub
mitted to the city council a report of
his Investigations in connection with
the discovery of electrolysis in the
water mains in the city. The engineer
notes that the first case on record was
discovered in 1898; the second break.
due from the same cause, occurred in
1895 in six-inch main on Second
South between Fifth and Sixth West
streets. This pipe was laid in 1891.
On Feb. 10 last a second break oc-
CURED in the same line about so feet
west of the first one. Examination
showed that there was a flow of cleo
trio current all through these pipes
and he said there was no doubt that
/ the corroSion of the pipes was caused
by the return currents of the electric
railways. The city engineer then says
the results in brief of the investigation
made by electrical engineers to deter
mine the cause and remedy for electro
lysis are:
That on all single trolley railways
where the current leaves the rails for
the ground it will flow to and along
the underground pipes and whenever it
leaves their corr0siOn is sure to result.
That ample metallic return conductors
provided by thoroughly bonding the
rails and connecting them every two
OF three hundred feet with overhead
or underground cables extending to the
power house will. reduce the action to
a great extent but will not entirely
prevent. The present condition of the
street railways in this city rs regards
return conductors are as follows:
UfTY RAILWAY.
II am informed by Superintendent
Read that the rails within the paved
district are we'll hsnded on in addition
supplemental bare copper wire is laid
between the rails and connected with !
the bonds every 200 feet. Outside the |
paved district the only return conduc-
tor proves this beside the rails is an
insulated wire on Second South street, /
extending from the power house and |
having one connection each with the |
tracks where it crosses them on Sec |
ond. Third and Fifth South streets.
Outside the paved district the rails |
are bonded with No. copper wire |
fastened to- the flange of the rail with
riVetS.
RAPID TRANSIT.
J. S. Cameron of the Rapid Transit
writes that the only return conductor
system outside the rails provided for
their system is an overhead No. 5000
wire extending from the power house
to the intersection of State and Sew
enth South streets. At this point il
connects with two No. 0 wires. one
running north on State street to the
of First South street, the
other following the Calder's Park line
to the intersection of Ninth East and
Tenth South streets. These conductors
are connected with the rails at inter-
walls of from 200 to 400 feet. Inside
the paved district the rails are bonded
with No. 0 bare copper wires fastened
to the rails with one-quarter-inch
rivets. Outside of this district the
rails are bonded with two strands of
No. II, or three strands of No. 16 bare
copper wires north to the flange of the
rail. When the lines were constructed
were made at several
points on each line between the rails
and the fire hydrants and also con-
lection was made with the water pipe j
n front of the power house.
The city engineer then says:
These statements show that the
street railways in this city are not
provided with ample return conduc-
ors. The rails outside of the paved
district are not sufficiently we'll bonded
md the return wires are a protection |
o the pipes only in the district which [
hey cover"
RECOMMENDATION
Mr.. Kelsey's recommends tons con- i
erning the matter closes his report as {
ollows:
Before making any recommended 7
ions as to the plan for protecting the t
'ipes l respectfully ask that 1 be
authorized TO purchase a low reading ! r
-olt meter and make a complete cleo '
rical survey of the pipe system to de- +
ermine the location and extent of the +
:pes that are in danger. If, however,
ou decide not to authorize the survey
would recommend that the pipe on
ach side of where the breaks occurred
II Second South street, be uncovered :
s far as there is any indication of r
orrosion, carefully examined and g
there badly corroded so that there is t
anger of bursting, that the pipe be {
emoved. For the protection of this /
ipe in the future an overhead return y
onductor of sufficient size should be y
ut in extending from the power house s
} and along Second South street to the i.
itersection of Eighth South street and
at the power house with Y
ne rails of the Lake Breeze line. This v
onductor should be connected with the a
ais on Second South street every 200 D
set. If, after this is done, the pipe at a
ais point is still positive to the d
round, an insulated conductor should
e laid along the pipe that is in dan b
er, connecting with it every 100 feet a
nd extending 20 and connecting with G
lie overhead return CONDUCTOR W
Accompanying the report were pho il
'sraphs of the pipe destroyed and a a
lmmary of the results of investiga- II
ons and tests made by electrical en- {
neers to determine the location and
ethods OF preventing electrolysis.
Hobart's Appointments.
Washington, March 16-Vice- Presf- :,
ent Hobart has appointed Fred Il