The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-23
RID CITY OF
LECTROLYSIS
Expert D. H. ,Maury's Report
Made Public.
MAINS HAVE DEPRECATED
Estimated at Over $4,000, or 22 2-Io
Per Cent, Though Actual Damage
Cannot Be Expressed in Figures.
Arbitration In Sight.
MAINS HAVE DEPRECATED

The Committee on Water held a. spe-
clal meeting at 6 o'clock yesterday even
ing, received the report Of the sub-con,-
mittee. having charge Of the electrolysis
matter, along with that Of Expert D. IL.
Maury, Jr., who has recently made an IN
vestigation into the subject on behalf OF
the city. and postponed action upon
them until the next regular meeting, when
the body will hear proposition for ar
bitration from the Virginia Passenger and
Power Company.
The subcommittee made two recommen-
dations, botn of which were laid upon
the table until the next meeting.
They were that resolution be sent to
the Council, instructing the City Attor-
ney to take legal steps to compel the
company to reimburse the city for what
ever damage may have been done to It's
water pipes by electrolysis and the other
that the company be required to- put IN a
double overhead trolley system or an
underground conduit system IN order
to cure the evil Of electrolysls
Mr.. Maury's report estimates the de-
probation in value of the city water
pipes at about $4,000 or % 2-10 per cent
Of their original cost, but says the actual
damage from electrolysis goes far pc
yond this and cannot be stated In fig-
ures correctly.
THE COMPANY'S SIDE.
Manager S. ". Fluff and Mr.. Charles
r. winston were on hand in the inter-
ests of the Passenger and Power Com
many. They pleaded for arbitration and
finally submitted a proposition on this
line This was not drawn to suit the
committee and when they had been fur
nished with "a copy of Mr.. Alaury.s re-
port, the committee adopted q. resolution
deferring further action until another
proposition, looking to arbitration should
come from the committee. Arbitratlon
will undoubtedly be the final result and
then the question of preventing cleo
trolysis In future will be considered
Either the underground system or the
double overhead system will be adopt
ed and chances now seem to favor the
latter.
Mr.. Huff declared several times that
his company was ready and willing to pay
the city fair damages when they should
be properly ascertained, and 1t looks now
as If there will be no legal proceedings
necessary in order to reach a satisfactory
settlement.
s MIR. fMAURY'S REPORT.
Mr. Fluff contended that electrolysis
had been practically cured by the work
We're prepared to prove 1t.
The report of Mr.. Mnury Is volumi-
nous document, and goes into the sub
ject in great detail.
1t declares that examinations of rails
were made at sixty different points. and
that fifty excavations were made for the
examination of water mains 1t praises
the efforts of the street railwa ycompany
to eradicate the evil of electrolysls. but
contends that while it has been reduced 1t
& is still a serious matter to the city
All the pipes examined We're found to
be conveying electric current to greater
or less extent The damage is said 1n
the report to be rarely slight, often Sc
rious and still going on.
HEAVY DAMAGE,
The estimated cost of the pipes Is placed
at s766 900, and the estimated depreciation
In value sl7O.2i4, or a2 e-lo per cent.
This does not include incidental damage
and risks such as breakage OF pipes In
case OF fire, etc, and the report contends
that the actual damage Is incapable or
being expressed in figures 1t Is held to be
largely in excess Of the $l7O,224 however.
The report closes with a7recital from the
report of the Electrolysls Committee or
the American Water Works Association In
1901, In which the single overhead trolley
system Is criticised, and the double system
and tho conduit system praised, tho
double overhead system being preferred
because less expensive.
AS proof of MI Maury's contention
that electrolysls conditions still prevail In
Richmond he points out that eight inch
pines laid six weeks ago We're already
damDped