Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-02-24
Council Committees WrestIed
With Conduit PROBLEM
Last Night.
WANT $4,000 FOR EXTRAS
Engineer Dorcmus Thinks the Pro-
posed Expenditure is unwarrant-
ed--iSelscy Defended Moran


conduit for extras was considered for
about three hours last night by the
council committees on engineering and
sewerage, and at the end Of that time
II was decided TO hold another meeting
this afternoon at o'clock for the fur
Their consideration Of the matter
on last Monday night city Engineer
Kelsey recommended to the council the
expenditure OF tiI5l9.59 for plastering
the conduit. s2i.ls6 for covering the
conduit It's entire distance with dirt,
and 500 1893 for increasing the thickness
Of the walls from six to eight inches.
DOREMTs NOT IN FAVOR OF 1T.
Engineer A. II. DOrcmus who was
consulting engineer on the conduit dur-
ing the last administration, was pres
ent at the committee meeting last night,
and gave a very exhaustive talk In re-
latjon to the matter, during which he
said that in his judgment the only ex-
pendlture recommended by Engineer
Kelsey which would be warranted al all
was covering the conduit with earth
and even that might be considered TOO
expensive especially where the conduit
crosses rayines on tresties'
KELSEY WANTS THE MONEY.
city Engineer Kelsey was the first
speaker before the committee. lie tod
the members what was desired In the
way of betterments for the conduit and
stated that a test had been made OF
ZOO feet Of the conduit which is COM
pleted and that Il leaked badly, and the
loss OF water on that account would
amount to 100000 gallons per day. lie
said that the leakage could be remedied
bv plastering the inside OF the conduit
and that IL would be necessary to cover
II with dirt in order to protect II from
the weather and thus have better water
As TO making the walls thicker, he ar
gued that that was necessary In order
that they might Withstand all pres
sure from within and without. Mr.
Kelsey stated that Mr.. Moran. the con-
tractor, was doing even better JOB than
the Specifications and his contract
called for.
Councilman Wells stated that the
recommendations of Engineer Kelsey
We're sever arraignment OF the engi-
neers who made out the plans for the
conduit and approved all n the speci-
fications for the same. Mr.. Doremus
was then asked to give HIS opinion as
to the necessity of the extras proposed
by the city engineer.
QUESTION OF LOCATION.
He stated that he had not fixed the
location OF the conduit at all but that
he had agreed with the other engineers
as to the general principles upon which
II should be located. In his Judgment
the conduit should have been located
entirely IN the side OF the mountain IN
stead Of being partly exposed. He
conourred with MIR, Kelsey In regard 10
covering the conduit with dirt al
though there were some portions of II
which would be practically impossible
to cover and at any rate II would be
decidedly expensive. Although he had
borne the title OF consulting engineer
he stated that he had been nothing
more than an assistant engineer on the
construction OF the conduit.
Mr. Doremus did not agree with the
city engineer In regard to increasing
the thickness OF the walls and he arr
gued that the same result would be OBJ
tanned at much less expense by putting
IN more steel reinforcement bars where
il was deemed necessary TO strengthen
the walls of the conduit. In regard TO
that matter he said further;
Mr.. kelsey's proposition to Increase
the thickness two inches leaves us In
exactly the same dilemma as when we
started. Six inches probably Is not
thick enough In all places In many
places six inches would be ample. II
We are to have n uniform thickness
why eight inches any more than six?
Who is TO determine how thick the
walls should be, and how is Il 10 be de.
termned2 II may be that at some
places the walls should be twelve
inches thick, You ought to have a
man on the ground constantly to de-
tcnnine that question"
ALL LEAK MORE OR LESS.
AS TO the leakage in the conduit En-
glneer DOremus declared that every
conduit ever constructed leaked more
or less and In his opinion plasterlng
the conduit would not stop the leakage
entirely. He called attention TO the
fact that there Is a heavy leakage In
he water mains Of the city and stated
That The leakage from that source is
greater than II would be from the con-
quit whether plastered or not. AS tc
the leakage he said:
There never was q conduit OF any
description that wouldn't leak come
but concerto, properly proportional and
skilfully laid, should convey waite,
without any considerable loss. Tho
tendency OF porous concrete ~ To close
up with Use, Especially is this tru,
where It conveys water fun OF minera
substances and silt such as our Utah
water The conduit is bound to leal
more when Il Is new. II will Away,
leak some, even II YOU plaster the IN
side OF Il. II comsc down, therefore. I,
financial question. rs to whether yoj
want to plaster A.
MY Observa tion Of the conduit Il
that II leaks only I'm spots We vii
say that one square foot In ten leaks
Now, II nine feet can be So laid tina
they VIII not leak TO any considerable
degree, there isn't any reason why tn
tenth foot can't be laid that way |
depends ON who does the work.
OPINIONS WITHOUT FACTS.
He was asked by Councilman Blac
70 he though Il would be advisable {
plaster the conduit Il by so doing tn
city could save 1,00OQ00 gallons Of wa
ter per day, In reply to that he state
that that would depend upon whethe
or not plasterug would be the best an
cheapest way TO obtain that savins
IN his Judgment Il would not. lie ad
Inonlshod the members Of the commit
Zee against taking hasty action I'm tn
matter ana stated that II should q
more than merely get opinions frOr
some one In regard to the propose
work Opinions without being backe
by facts were not worth anything I
his estimation. lie said that the Pai
ley's canyon conduit was plastcred o
the inside. yet It leaked. and he though
that q thorough test OF the work on tn
conduit should be made before dehnit
action Is taken
George Rodin. one Of the Inspector
employed BY the city on the condu
made few remarks in which he r,
commended that the conduit be plal
tered. At the conclusion OF his :,