New-York tribune., 1899-06-09
OLD-FASHIONED HYDRANTs.
ALoNzo s. GEAR SHOWS HOW PART OF THE
WATER SUPPLY RUNS TO WASTE.

OLD-FASHIONED HYDRANTS
At.oNzo s. GEAR SHOWS HOW PART OF THE
WATER SUPPLY RUNS TO WASTE.
Alonzo S. Gear sworn -,
Mr. MossAre you the inventor OF the GeaF Dyd nyd
the OF the number that he mentSnesd a. a. r en
bodying the requirements for proper hydrant ser
vice? Are you the inventor of that patent! A.
o-The proprietor of IT? A-No, not the pro-
Q~Have you a knowledge, practical knoWledged
use Of water in the city? Any position for three
or four years such that II nad iarsey sy,es o w
"n So e hat your familiarity with the problems
Of water supply was sufficient TO nave enao''' ~"
b Vrsr t9s5s cbef d the Department Of Public
W- NE dIr,nS iSa7? AEThe Commissioner at that
time ordered an exhibton-caled upon ,wsrd a. .rg
,beIr contriya9ces and they did come very largely
The only exhibition OF the kind, believe mar EYER eyer
was known and We examined me coh'ilF""'e9 '''0'
they presented there thoroughly . tho Corn-
O'-Was there any special reason lor ths III IN.
missioner mission orsg mpy because New York from
thirty to forty years behind other cities IN SUCH
omDid You ever discuss that matter with Cen
erai Coils yourself? A-Ygs Tsernent that you came
70 with him or that he came 70 with you: .t-t or
oWhy do SEd SSud ify b ihn tines as to Rydrants A.
Because have visited other cites Iron IRON looking
knowledge and from or o,bsI ysnis nisees osnei
O@So thar you have practical as wen Wv as 4 '"e'
retoa knowledse bnsa on warrants that NewYork is
using? A-substantally what was known f0r az Years
old Matthews iSSys bydTan, sy5Tan,, nse"'s' "0O
Q-invented FOR use upon % the t1tv s'"An A-Yes
were then being used In the CITY ~
OTHER CITIES LEAD Us.
. ,re they using different hydrants in other
what cities? Al visited Baltimore, bOTefn. 0Tefty
1,Sti Ielnbia and cities up the SLale anu ,bev
Ph1agIipit.bb t..bbroughout the United States ana thes
are using dinereh hHgicuies with the present city
hydrantsS A-Small waterway area lot th o' bvTrant
to through TO ygPPy n Tf nozzle and the area
of the waterway Il not over '2 III, those two out
Of them not over inches 10 Sup'''
etS 6 So that the outlet Of the hydrant Much SO.
than the water supply wasie cock After hydrant
is shut off the water mus or " Il will freeze The
BARE cocks used in hydrants with ,ng are al
OF they are putting ,ar m they are in use three
months anyway and sometimes We away waste
they become inoperauvss. s in the winter time thsy
are hound TO freeze. ,o,,s consequence when
O.-That is a matter oI SCI
we Frozen hydrants7 Aon Iweht hbtydrants? A
= ~ Ing does IL take to ina" ~. ~? here
10y mo vn6n The circumstances Du' S''''
from Eve to hfGen m Winter time engine comes
go ne nh Ihvdrant and tries 10 COUP saW mat hy-
takes from five to hfte.n ~ serious consequence!
Grd Vu,, INV more so than wheh ny Sa1 go 10 an
dan end nd n9 i 9u hat al out Of repair and Sa 6sn o 20
9thfr St 0hG mira d"o one and find that fTO7e tim"
cured in hi, his city; tscr that. have yOu7 A-Mr Bon
ner was telling me '""' .Drry
ON STYLE FREEZES READlHi
Won heard Mr. Bonner testify AYES yeStefFasS ef SSrk in
bis department naq in anticipation OF having hae 20
use them was that on accu .pr mat was being
oThat has been matter 9i pGO between the
ana pnb,a a Works department and the Yes fe sir.
ment for many years Itent hasH cry from the Fire
SmIhere, hi, for better hydrants ana d,hsbed col
umns? A.--Yes sir. Inc p'''S
unns tIro On me %e are with great city an ~ occur
amount toIong '9Ns to- your staemen we have 1iS mix
antquated hydrants? ~ - are ne few hydrants OF
more m0deFn, 11, ma in as experiments? AYes sir
I'm, ns, ~ osxbibition you have been teihg aoou'
AYf 0Does it remain there yet? aroT6S AThGrs and
US see-there was six putt, III tbeTa are nine al
give tAre they still. in use? AYe' wye Of s'r them have
Q-Ihey, ar ar, rsrehouse They were purchased,
but remained there instead OF being put III ''''
sSunYg were starting to tell us about nyestsat a
ing frozen hydrantS on 1 wo Years in succession
besne located very near there. the hydTants hr oy
tween Avenue ver veap e with the exception Of one
while other Improved hydrants are noi dysnts is
the way in Which they are set into the water
main. isn't It? A.-Yes, sir . IT. ,,5r,,,s
O-fIow is that? Describe II. A-lhe hyuLn
are from ~ 10 In height; there IS no "a
tbc bvdranfs set into a bend down on one enc
tbe, Comes from a branch the main and cauiked
in Now there Is bearing or rest ioI Ins ny
drant except the earth at the top and soInetlines
a little box put around and when Migrant Is
hitched on
ENGINES LOOSEN THEM.
O-An engine? Am engine ! should say. me
sbsklnp OF the engine. will loosen that the Yer.
A-s dine 1; Is In use. because there Is no OeaIHs
up 10 the top. four TO six feet eAeepI, III 'ne WIN
tsr tirne when they frozen laughing -,
70 oEAt the point OF contact the main Is nov
,bIck A-Well they fastened 10 f-ihch
hrsnche- and also G-inoh branches
O-How thick is the pipe ITSELF am nov speakI- pI
ing OF it's diameter but tns thickness Oh 'ho metal
n The ufpe7 About one-half inch -
0-0ne-half inch; so the hydrant IL set INTO TINS
ons-half inch pipe? Alt Is niue thlcksE
than that around the bulb TO form place Tor the
o"And does that occasion leaks? A-fes
0-Ieaks at the point OF coptactI A. -, . sr.
And YOU have in your position In the Depart
mont N public Works seen these leaking ny
drants? A-Yes, sir .,t,. ha,ar,, ,,ouo
O-Aud 10 deal with them actually. naVen you
Al had charge OF all supplies ana uls'riDutxe t,
ali the supplies Of the Department OF Iuonc
Works and since the new charter the department
0o"And YOU remained In that position TIL last
oEso you know what you are talking about
when diecussing these pipes ana hydrants In the
city OF New-York? Ayes; and all the connec-
tons with them