The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-09-11

= iiianchise az represented BY the capitalist
Nuh Ok me net revenue.
EFFECT OF ELEcrRoLYsIs
This IA serious form Of corrosion caused
ny return currents from single trolley cleo
trio railways.
Inc return currents arc supposed 70 pass
through the rails, but those, not being IN
sulated part u It passes through the eareh
10 water pipes ana gas pipes and otner
conductors X present
Ihis current then flows along the pipe
until II reaches place where the rails arc
~ lower potential tnan the pipe, tnls place
house
Naen this current leaves the pipe 1t
causes eleetroiyiic action
AuAloi ities diner IA opinion whether at
sAe point wneU the curIents enter the pipe
tetltolFuc action takes pace or not.
compete metallic circdlt entirely in
suluted ZION The earth Is The only real
Ielheag II has been tfied and been found
I success, either OVERHEAD 0r underground
N Cincinnati, New York ana Washington.
~ determine whether electtolytic action Is
liking place II Is necessary 10 make an elec-
iiical surrey. This Is done by determining
INC diherenee In potential between rails
ana hyurants or water pie. and IS the
work II an electrician. II lound, the dif-
iePehees IN potential are often due to lEOEen
ana crossings.
A. Knudson, electrical engineer In a
report 70 the New England Water Works
Hhspcialcn. calls attention to the fact that
Guy ordinances designed for the purpose az
Woteclhg the water mains arc often liable
II care IS not used to place a municipality
IL an unfortunate position In this respect
rom the fact that they NAV Se led 10 nc
tept some scr NE Intended as a cure or
partial cure for elcctrolysis The effect OF
such ordinances may be to relieve the rail-
Wy couEahy from liability for future daul.
rye qi.u 10 throw the responsibility VI the
itSclf
Damage suits by water companies against
eiSciIle railway COMPANIES are now pending
IN Ronding Pa. Norfolk Va, Dayton,
Chic, Peoria, Ill, and other places. varl.
trs Ways nave been used TO obviate the
cnuae. supplementary wires carried IN the
center ~ the track have been tried, but
were nitcn found to be badly eaten 5y cur
reut escaping from the wires to the earth
hnuds IN cites cases whore nothing was
left Of The wire but q streak Of verdi lis
Mherc the current leateS the metal II fakes
II away or eats 1t up whether it Is cope"
10 on ar Iced hence IL Is plain that lead
services are affected as well as mains In
NaiihE n.t vS"minaticL of water works
system to determine whether electrolyuc
action has me any damage already, as
Stated hcicton re, requires q survey which,
hcai3cJ differences li potential, shows
whctb u certain district is positive or
a territory whore the general tendency Of
the electric rvrrcnt Is 10 leave the mains.
II IS there wAIc the harl Is done. Mega
tive districts arc territory where the gem
oral tendency is to eHtce the water mains.
II we and IN he positive districts that the
rcaeht2s are it'rly higI, IL is a pretty sure
sign that the water pipes are seriously
uuulaBtd already, IN sueh cases II Is neces
saIy 30 mako excavations TO uncover the
pipes and find tie acute places or points
Of clC .trolytic damage.
Tails eiectralvtic VOrros'on sometimes Is
30 rapid than pipes arc practically cateu
through in three or -four years, and some
" the worst cases have occurred where
rhe pressure wDs hut ila volts. On March
80, 1894. the Peoria standppe collapsed
caused hy eiectrolytic action. killing one
u, fsou and irjuring hfteen.
An act Of congress covering the co2nstruc
tior 81 irctir Wv lfHyt I'm tAe District
OF Colambis. section 3, says: The mot
systUm Is used, a return wire of equal ca
pacity 10 the feed wire and similarly In
srlatcd must be provided. and each car
SHALL be equipped With double trolley.
No portion Of the electrical circuit snail,
under amy circumstances be allowed to
pass through the earth. and neither pole
OF any dynamo furnishing power TO the
hne shall be grounded