The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-18
DON'T BELIEVE IN ELEcrRoLYsIs
city officials Who Do Not Think 1t
Affects Water Mains.

City OHicials Who Do Not Think 1t
Affects Water Mains.
Electrolysis, the new water pipe dis
ease, is worrying the water works engi-
neers all over the country. Dispatches
recently sent out from Atlanta state that
the water works system of that city is
threatened with destruction through the
corroding effect of heavy underground
electric currents on the water mains.
Examination of the water pipes in many
places shows them to be honeycombed and
perforated, with the water wasted in large
quantities. Tests made show that the
trouble is caused by currents flowing from
the trolley tracks, which produce on the
pipes what is known as electrolysis, or
the eating away of the metal.
civil engineer made a test at his own
house and found enough current flowing
to the pipes to light twenty incandescent
lamps. The first lines built made no pro-
vision for this. The city's trolley SYSTEM
the first one to do business on a large
scale, placed its dependence upon the
tracks and the earth, and soon bitter COM
plants from several portions of the city
and particularly near the power stations
were made of destroyed water and gas
pipes.
Current sent out from a station must all
find its way back to the station 1t passes
from the trolley wire through the car mo-
tors to the iron track. The track, if con-
tinuous and connected at the joints of the
rails with copper wires of sufficient size
will carry a large proportion of the cur
rent back to the station. Much of it, how
ever, will pass into the earth, and, the
iron pipes being better conductors of cleo
triclty than the earth, the current passes
to the pipes and follows them to the sta
ton.
The general law of the flow of electric
currents is that conductors carry in pro-
portion to their capacity. Their capacity
is measured by the resistance they offer to
the passage of the current. Copper offers
less resistance than iron, and a copper wire
will carry more than an iron wire of the
same size. Iron offers less resistance than
earth, and moist earth less than dry earth
The current divides itself up between all
the various routes offered in proportion to
the relative carrying capacities of each
Unless the track is we'll bonded" that
is, we'll connected at every joint, 1t loses
its capacity for conducting the current
which will, therefore, go in greater pro-
portion to other conductors. Any one who
VIII take notice of the new track that is
now being laid by the street railway COM
pany on Bay street will see that the rails
are all connected at the joints by a heavy
copper wire, which is securely fastened
to each rail. This is to make the connec-
ton perfect and insure the easy return of
the current to the power house. 1t Is to
the interest of the railway company, as
well as that of the public, fortunately, 10
see that the current is afforded an easy
and safe return to the power house, as
the more difficulty the current has in re-
turning the greater the pressure that it
is necessary to maintain at the power
house.
Any iron pipe will attract the current
where the track connection is poor, but
the water pipes being the largest under
ground pipes, naturally afford the greatest
attraction, and electricity has been known
to seek a water pipe from considerable
distance. In fact, the current is likely to
be attracted by any wet place caused by
an underground spring or stream, and to
follow this along until ii strikes a pipe
or other conductor, which will give it
free journey in the direction of the power
house.
The harm to the pipes comes not from
their use by the current for this pur-
pose, but from the effect upon the iron
at the points of entrance and departure
of the current, The effect is to disinte-
crate and honeycomb the pipe. 1t re-
quires several years for the current to
get in it's work, but it goes surely on just
the same, and in some cities the damage
Supt Lotion of the water works de-
partment is of the opinion that Savan-
nah's sandy SOIL with its underlying strata
of moisture, furnishes Savannah a sort
of providential protection from the eff
fects Of electrolysis.
81 have made a number of examina-
tons" he said, when spoken to about
the matter yesterday, land have never
never been able to discover any pipe
which showed the effect of electrolysis.
l do not doubt that the action of the
current is as stated and / was agreeably
surprised to find that we have not suf-
fered from it. This question formed one
. of the leading topics of discussion at the
last convention of water works engineers
The number of water pipes which will
be encountered in the excavation for the
new house drainage system will afford a
splendid opportunity for examination into
the condition of the pipes, both with a
view to ascertaining the effects of cleo
trolysls, If any, and any other defects
which may exist in the pipes.
Alderman Davis, chairman of the streets
and lanes committee, when spoken to
about the matter, however, expressed his
disbelief in the existence of any such wa
ter pipe ailment as electrolysis.
1.-THE water pipes are all corroded from
the outside" he said. How can you tell
whether the corrosion is caused by water
or electricity, or what causes it?''
Alderman Davis expressed his doubts of
any evil effect upon the water pipes by the
electric current
Doubtless there are many others who
have never investigated the subject who
would take the same view of the matter
at first thought. AS a matter Of fact.
however, the existence of electrolysis Is
as well established as that of any disease
of the human system and any frst-class
electrician can detect its presence on a
very short examination. In fact, tests
have already been made here by electri-
clans. who found that very large guam
tlty Of electricity was escaping from its
proper channel, and making its way by
other routes, enough to keep two street
cars in constant operation, one Of the in
Yestigators stated,