The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-19
FIND BROKEN MAIN
WORSE THAN WAS
SUPPOSED
Examination of Pipes Under
Wabasha Street Bridge by
Officials Shows That About
25 Out Of 1903 Are Cracked
and Split-Cause Not
Known. a


and split for about one=fourth Of its
entire length, the city out a money less
little short of $4,000, and the entire
West Side facing a water famine that
may become a reality at any moment,
was what confronted City Engineer
Rundlett, George E. Edmonstone, city
bridge engineer, and Secretary Caul-
field and Supt. Lindquist, of the water
department, yesterday afternoon after
a tour of investigation Of the big cast
iron water main that hangs beneath
the WabaSha street bridge,
The examination was on the report
of a bridge foreman made Tuesday
that one of the sections had burst, but
the delegation yesterday found that Of
the 108 tWelve-foot sections compes-
ing the main nearly twenty-five were
split and cracked. Even a number Of
the bands surrounding the sections
were broken. The others appeared in
tact from tests made, but doubts as
to their holding qualities were enter
tanned by some of the committee.
Cause Not Assigned.
The property of the water depart
ment. being originally laid under the
direction of City Engineer Rundlett
and nOminally under the care Of Supt
Lindquist, haste was made by those
concerned to advance a theory for the
bursting of the big main. but the mem
bers of the investigating committee
were not a unit in the propositions Of
fered.
City Engineer Rundlett was inclined
to think that dead water in the pipe
was responsible, but Supt Lindouist
was positive that he shut off and
drained the main before the winter
began. This was borne out in the eX-
animation, which showed the drain at
oi,,y fI,o =
end both open and the cutoffs closed
tight. but some doubt was expressed
even in the face of this.
The main, which runs the entire
length of the Wabasha street bridge,
was put in during the fall Of 1900. and
was designed as an auxiliary to a sim
liar sized main which crosses the river
at point opposite Broadway. 1t is
composed of los 12-foot lengths Of cast
iron pipe, each Of which is rs of an
inch in thickness and weighs 1.20O
pounds. The main was put in at a
cost Of nearly $4,000. A line of costly
trestle work holds it perfectly rigid
beneath the flooring Of the bridge.
The main is an emergency one, and
this fact is probably the worst fea-
ture of the uneXplainable break, for
If the present turbulent state of the
Mississippi river was to disturb the
rests on the bed of the river, the entire
West side would be jeopardized. Weeks
must elapse before the break can be
repaired, and in the meantime depend
ence must be had solely on the other
main.
Vibration Not Responsible
Because of the fill made near the
Union depot yards and the wash Gre
ated at that point by reason of the
narrowing Of the channel, the board
has long feared for the Broadway main
and it is principally to offset any
calamity in this direction that the main
underneath the Wabasha street bridge
was projected and carried to compile
ton. The hanging of the big pipe was
done under the direction of the engi-
neering department, and the one theory
offered was that vibration was re-
sponsible for the break, but this Mr.
Rundlett disputes. 1t has stood two
winters without showing any defects,
he says.
One plausible theory offered is that the
drain may have become cIogged and the
pipe allowed to fill up with dead water
and another that poor pipe may have
been put in by the contractors. When the
main was decided upon, wrought iron
pipe was advised, but it was rejected In
favor, of the cheaper material, the wa
ter department. contending that it was
'" ~ as s9ou ~ On VI ullidIye purposes.
10 repair the break. much of the floor
Ing of the bridge will have to be taken
up. All the sections broken will then
be removed and new ones substituted
This will require heavy outlay of mon
ey. and II the substitution of the entire
main with some better material is decid-
ed upon the cost will be greater.
The water board Is now waiting upon
a report from City Engineer Rundlett
as to the probable cause Of the break
and until that is received nothing will
be DONE
Some one Is undoubtedly to blame for
the wreck. and until it Is explained
there will be considerable anxiety among
those concerned. Either of three things
alone IS Observation-Disclosures drainage
defective pipe or careless inspection