The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-10

Industrial PrOblem That PsssI~s the
Emttrc Eagtae~vtng World.

kkC f.EcTROLYSIS constitutes one of
- the very greatest industrial prob
lens of the present. day" said Guy
NJ. Gest. OF Philadelphia. the conduit ex-
pert. who suporintended large part OF the
recent work In New Orleans Il refer 10
It's action on underground piping. particu-
larry water mains. II In threatening scores
Of water systems through the country with
total destruction and II causing the grav-
est apprehension among the large Are in
surance companies. The worst Of it In that
In spite OF the efforts 81 some 81 the most
eminent electricians OF the world no rem
edy has ms yet been discovered" This
statement Will be- a surprise 20 the aver
age reader who has only vague idea ~
what ciectroiysB really IL. Roughly cx-
planned the term IL applied 90 the dksolv-
ing or erosive effect Of electric currents un-
der certain conditions. For example. n
current Jumps from q trolley car track
20 n water pipe. a, the point where IL en-
ters the piping curious process OF disin-
teRtation usually sets In. II " almost ex-
aetly like the action Of "a powerful acid.
In n short time tho metal becomes honey
combed with minute pores, which grow
larger and larger until tho spot affected
gives way Ike piece OF rotten wood.
some ~ the large mains taken out I'm dif-
ferert ci,ies present n most remarkable APP
pearance. They look like SECTIONS OF pefri-
fed sponge and can be pounded into pow
der with a tack hammer. The rapidity OF
tho destruction varies according @ laws
not thoroughly understood Sometimes 81
In very slow and the mischief IN the work
or years. again. under a current Of pre-
cisoly the same power n solid main three
inches thick Will be eaten through and
through IN a few months. Mr.. 6est cited
an Instance 81 a service pipe NJ his home
Office which he was obliss1 ~ renew six
times year.
Ths currents that cause the srSuDis cone.
nearly always. from trolley lines. Theoret-
icaliy, the electricity drawn down from the
overhead wires ana used In propelnng cars
IL supposed 10 return 90 the power house
through the rails. Hut electricity, Ike ev-
erythin9 el~n in this world. moves IN lines
OF tho ieas, resistance. and sometimes the
rails become overloaded In such ca.e
the current IL apt 20 Jump to any better
conductor near nj hand ana continue on
It's JOURNEY. and usually that conductor Il a
water pipe Win the customary lngratl.
tudc ot nature II repays the service by de-
stroylng the borrowed right-of- 1ay The
route OF sofne return currents. az traced
by the DISASTROUS tran az eleciroyss. IL
frequently very curious They will travel
for q block or two on water main. then
jump 20 n gas main. then back again a.
some cross section of water pipe. and
finally return 10 tho rail. always healing
for the power house. like a homlnx pigeon
IA all ihs goes on beneath the surface 81
the ground. the frat inilmatl1n 90 the pub.
lc IL generally hy the bursting ~ a main
which alni0si always occurs when extra
water pressure 10 pat on for FIRE Hence
the imminent danger Great conragFAtians
have occurred IN ~verai large cities dur.
iug the past year because rotten pluee
burst AZ critical momen. ana the are.
men were suddenly left without water. IN
such places the work q patching is con
ilnual. but there Il never any tsllIns when
The trouble viii break 0ui IN q nss SPOT
New orleans Tlmes-pemocrat.