The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-19

the establishment of the division of
tests. For this work, a well-appointed
chemical and a testing laboratory was
provided. The largest single under
taking is that of testing cement. In
the last year and a half, 1900 brio
QUOTES have been made, and as many
of them as have become due, have
been broken. These bricquettes have
been made UP neat and with various
amounts of standard and common
sand.
In addition to the mechanical tests
complete chemical analyses have been
made of many samples of the cement
These analyses are especially valuable
IN finding the under burned or diluted
cements.
Besides the examination of cements
the inspection of brick pipe and coal is
also included in the work of this divi-
sion. The testing of oil will also be
included during the coming year.
THE RAIN RECORDS.
In July, 1895, a Ferguson automatic
recording gauge was placed at the pu-
rification works. This record has
prov&l a valuable supplement to the
gauges of the water department, one
situated at Leicester and the other at
Holden. AS all the local records are
tabulated in terms of total rainfall per
day. it has seemed desirable to in
crease this information by a more de-
tailed tabulation of the records of the
automatic gauge. This gauge almost
invariably shows a smaller annual pre-
cipitation than is reported from the
other gauges mentioned. This is due
to the fact that many showers pass
over The northern and western water
shed which do not reach the centre of
the city, and even fewer of them reach
the publication works
1t is interesting to note that usually
there are several storms annually, in
which there is a maximum intensity Of
from one inch to one and onS-haIf
inches per hour for at least one 20
minute period; that there are a few
periods in which the intensity runs be-
tween one and one-half inches and two
inches, and that there were two periods
IN the four and one-half years when an
intensity Of 225 inches vas r0Sched.
OTHER TESTS.
In addition to the various tests and
studies made for this department, nu-
merous analyses have been made for
other departments. Most noteworthy
among these are the analyses of sam
pies of water frequently undertaken at
the instance of the water department
1t has been the policy since the be-
ginning of the more difficult and COM
pncated constructions, necessitated by
the building of the separating system
to keep a Photographic record of the
most noteworthy features of the work
A few OF these views are presented
with this report.
All of the work accomplished in the
testing division has been under the d.
rection of the chemist, Edward L.
smith, to whom especial credit is due
Tor the large amount of valuable in
formation furnished by his depart
ment.
DOUBLE SEWER CONSTRUCTION.
An unusually large amount of work
has been done in the department of
sewer construction consisting of the
building of SO miles of sewer.
The adoption of the separate system
OF sewers made necessary, in future
construction, the building of two sew
ersNin every street; one for sewage and
the other for surface water With the
combined system one large pipe re-
ceived both sewage and natural drain
age. To meet the needs of the new
system the experiment has been tried
of laying both pipes in the same trench,
one enough higher than the other to
admit the laying of house connections
under it.
By this method the two pipes are laid
at a slightly greater cost for excavat-
ing than one pipe should be. The
trench being sufficiently wide is carried
along with one set Of sheathing and
bracing when second set would be
necessary if two trenches were dug.
one under drain suffices for both sew
ers, and the street is torn up but once
in only one place. The only doubtful
factor in this method is the power of
the upper pipe to stand the UNEQUAL
pressure due to settlement of the loose
material over the lower pipe. The
trench is dug at full width until it is
nearly Geep enough for the upper pipe
Then narrow trench is dug on
one side of the main trench to the
grade of the lower pipe. This pipe is
laid as usual, and the back filing very
carefully tamped up to six inches or a
foot above the upper pipe. From this
point 10 the trench is filled and tamped
or puddled in the ordinary manner.
WINTHROP STREET.
A large territory has been accommo-
dated by the construction of sewers in
Winthrop street Granite street, Wa
bash avenue, and South Stowell street
The sewering of this section of the CITY
has been agitated for nearly ten years.
GREENDALE STREET.
An important move has been made
toward the sewering of GreendaIe bv
the construction of the sewer in Grove
street and West Boylston street a dis
lance oil about 5000 feet.
The development Of building sites in
the vicinity Of Pleasant street beyond
Newton square has made the sewering
of this locality a necessity. Although
this is newly improved district. there
are many residences along the line
which can be connected.
CRoMPToN AND BRUSSELS