The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-11-23
Long Session Held Last
Night: Another for
Tonight.
FINE SERVICE IN
CITY COMMENDED
Double Overhead Return Current
System Declared to Be Less
Effective Than the
Bonded Rail Sys-
tenn Now in
Use.

Tie Council Committees on Water and
Electricity met jointly last night by
agreement 10 hear expert testimony iu-
upaHred by the Virginia Passenger and
power Company on tlc subject ~ cleo
tf". frlc eorrcllns ot wat-- ard gas
mains. tho best means ~ preventing
OF minimizing such injury. and The ex-
ieElence pf other cities with the double
overhead or return current systems.
Poe committees sat until 1870 A. n.
lsi'nins q" questions hy counsel and by
N'-h' lIn1en, and answers hv the expert
Witnesses only three witnesses de-
posed bot these were an men ~ eminent
standing in tleir professions. and their
treatment of the subject was uluminat-
lhS and ~ unusual interest Necessarily
th- evidence Was largely ~ - technical
ana scientitc nature hut u was made a.
cifar as possible to the iay mind. with
ont coucl ldiug tle hearing the joint
comm ttee adjourned ou SIR Dabney
motion until 7-s' This evening. when the
hearing az tle company experts viii
Be- concluded.
Those Present.
There were present last night Aiessrs
Atkinson. Cary. Ferguson. Dabney. W
J.. White. ID. 81 White. Green. Richard
snn. SlttcrArId. Grust Barber. seag.
Min'r. Richards Don Leavv. Reynolds.
Huber Gates. Douoloe. Phillips Peters.
Irrpin. NeasIe. Mann ANA Moncur..
members of tine Common Council or
Board of Aldermen. Mayor NcCarth,-
Clty Attoru.r Pollard. Clty Engineer cut
ftaw. Superintendent ~ Water Depart
Went Boiling. Heaita oflcer Levy ana
81 banney IT. Naury expert ora behalf
OF ;lr city.
fo rtn. fasseur,r anc Power Company.
~" aHso. leteI trust onrnnnniae and wa
o.
ft N Anderson who conducted the er-
animation in chief. Mr. WRndnam Z
Meredith. Mr. Eppa Hunton. Mr. 4 b.
PliEon and Mes~rs William j. I.-ake and
IaIK CHRISTIAN. r'rrssenting the
~ tfpi 'iitn Trust Company. General
Manager vs. f. HOG ~ the Passenger
ana Power Company. Mr William Norfl-
frr- one ~ the receivers ~ The F-e1.rsl
N.'tis Natlhe charge of tle operation
~ tNe trolley properties. Experts Water
man and Sever. who testified last nfght-
Aiessr~. Herrirk ard Hurrneu. efecrri.,l
h"tuorites. Who will lepose tonight. and
various other persons. Besides alb these
Itfu-7 90 the hearing o large number
uf tzens were present
Tho three witnesses vgar. a,.,,,f.,.s t.
Mr.. Henry ". Anderson with yr..+ st,tii
@na ability Questions We're int@rforted
~ city Attorney Pollard. SUPERINTENDENT
h'i'ine and hy various Counclneu Ste
I'+i"rAefs representing tho city and the
en- I.'ny' made record OF the pro-
Mr.. Huff Testifies.
Mr.. Hlff. general manager of the rroo-
'l''eS since thelr acquisition hy Mr Gould
was th- first witness. and after stating
h.s occupation. where be was educated and
the usual Introductory replies. recifaa
tie experience of the management win,
"lectroiysis and thc determined effort for
its prevention or for minimizing If T4o
reviewed The weli-remembered effort OF
The company 70 so bond the rails as to
minimize escape or leakage % the cleo
tric current and secure the largest nra--
tcfthie return of that current to the now
o. house. Mr.. Gould had employed the
best experts he could secure Nessrs
SfiilWcl and Waterman. and had autho~-
lied them % investigate and apply the
most effective remedy. regardless OF cost
some portions of the working Of bonding
we've uncomp'eted when the properties
were placed in receivership. and though
the materials FOR completion had been
~ hand ever since. the court had never
authorized further cxpnditure or effort
Frequent tests were made 0f the bad
joints and records kept In the Judgment
of Mr.. Huff the remedy applied is sue
cess Mt Huff stated that the estimated
cost OF conversion ~ tine present svsten,
into the double overhead return current
system would De prohibitorv. even II IL
We're beneficial which ne denied would
be- the case The copper wire alone that
would hc required for conversion would
cost 5000 and the entire work in Rich
mond alone would cost about sg75.ooo
Praises Service.
Mr F.. n Waterman. consulting cleo
trical and mechanical engineer who di-
rectod the work Of bonding the wires
reviewed his experience IN that work
md narrated the conditions found here
Fe declared emphaticaly that after an
exhaustive study Of elcctrOlvtic cur
rents and the most effective remedy.
mat tho system installed here Of bond
ing the wires and using copper conduits
u curves and turns was the most ef-
Yective known in the reduction OF cleo
trolytic corrosion Of pipes. He declared
hat this method will enecually prevent
fiectrolysis and that records kept by
him since the installation Of the system
fonvinced him that 81 had reduced cleo
irolvtic action to minimum. This city
le said. had one OF the best electric
Frouu sion lines ia the country: gave
9Nccllent service. and was superior In its
equipment against electrolysis to any
sther lne he knew.
lie declared that the almost insuperable
operative and maintenance difficulties
made the double overhead system i'm
practicable. while its cost was prohibit
bve. Such a system he emphatically
DESERTED. would result in much greater
samage to pipes than the present sys-
lem. Ite stated that he had examined
1he pipe taken from the Laurel Street
break. and that Il was impossible for Il
10 have been caused by electrolytic ac-
0;Antlaued on Eighth Page)