Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-10-20
STREAM OF DESTRUCTION.
Monongahela River Filled with
Sulphur Water.
Boilers are Being Ruined Rise in the
River Brings out the sulphur Meas
ures Taken TO Fight the Invasion
Manufacturing Plants Badly Hands,
capped Down the River.

ures Taken TO Fight the Invasion
Manufacturing Plants Badly Handi-
capped Down the River.
One OF the most costly sulphur flows
in the history of Pittshurg is just now
working destruction to the mills
along the Monongahela river and to
the railroads that are compelled to
use the poisoned water. The percent
age OF sulphur in solution is the high
est ever experienced, and all known
remedies have failed TO prevent the
rapid decay OF engine and locomotive
boilers. Almost every iron and steel
mill has had large crews at work con-
stantly repairing the damage done,
while new boilers are being replaced
daily.
At all seasons sulphur water that
flows from the coal mines pours down
the Monongahela river and into the
Ohio, but during most of the year the
dilution is SO great that mill engi-
neers fail to notice the injurious inn
purities, For some months past
however, one Of the worst drouths in
the history OF Pittsburg has been ex-
perienced. In season and out the
volume of sulphur is unchanged. but
it is during a drouth that it becomes
apparent. 1t colors the water green,
moves slowly hangs in the river as a
heavy sediment, often settles In pools
and at the first slight freshet is car
ried in concentrated form down to
the intluent pipes Of the great mills
along the Monongahela.
RAvAGEs ON THE RAILROADS
The ravages of the sulphur have
been especially felt by the Baltimore
& Ohio railroad locomotive engineers
and by the experts Of Jones & Laugh
lin The Pittsburg 4 Lake Erie
railroad, by watching its engines and
the water closely, has suffered but
little. The Carnegie Steel Company
has lost heavily at its Carrie, Home
stead, Braddock and Duqdesne plants.
Almost every other works on the No
nongahela has suffered more or less.
1t is in the great plants, however,
that the full extent OF the seourge is
appreciated.
Samples Of the M0nongahela river
water are taken every morning by
employees of the Baltimore & Ohio
railroad and sent to the splendid lab
oratories at Mount Clare 1t was
found the other day that the water
was impregnated with 30 grains OF
sulphur to every gallon. This is the
highest amount ever known and mill
engineers declare that 1t is simply i'm
possible to prevent destruction to
their property as long as the drouth
continues.
Thomas Shook, chief engineer of
/ the Southside mills OF Jones & Laugh
Inns, said that six men were constant
ly employed repairing boilers that had
corroded by the sulphuric acid, and
that the whole time of other men,
night and day, was consumed in
throwing into the water soda ash that
acted as neutralizing agent. We're
| it not for this the plants would be
compelled to close down through the
rayages OF the water. Soda ash is
bought by the carload
Engineer Shook tested the water
and the neutralizing agent some time
ago, with startling results. In one
bottle OF water were placed two we'll
emerged wire nails, with drop Of
trisodium phosphate, and in another
bottle, filed with nothing but Mon
ongahela river water, were placed two
nails similar in every respect. In
three months the sulphuric acid in
the unneutralized water had complete
ly destroyed the nails, while those in
the other bottle remained bright and
solid. The water was so saturated
with the destructive acid that it was
eventually destroyed by It's contents.
CONSTANT TESTS ARE NECESSARY.
Mr.. Shook said that tests OF the
water used in the mill were made two
or three times daily, as any sudden
increase in the amount Of sulphur in
the water pumped TO the mill boilers
meant heavier loss To the firm. This
was closely watched He had never
seen the condition Of the river so bad
as IL is now. Mr.. Shook saw no rem
edy, except d liberal use OF soda ash
and lime at this end OF the stream Of
destruction.
L. III. Turner, superintendent Of
motive power of the Pitts burg & Lake
Erie railroad, said last night that the
heavy traffic Of his road had not been
seriously interfered with, but that
iuther roads had had great deal OF
trouble with the water Mr.. Turner
said that the percentage OF acid was
higher than ever before, probably due
to the long continuance of the drouth.
He said that many locomotives were
sent to the shops for repairs because
of leaky boilers, but that the percen-
tage was small, owing to the care ex-
ercised in preventing the use OF bad
water. Each morning the water to
be used is tested with litmus paper
and the percentage of sulphur found.
A proportionate amount of soda ash,
according to formulas worked out dur
I ing previous costly experiences, is
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