Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-10
LOSS BY ELECTROLYSIs.
French Discover Serious Leakage to
Underground Conduits.

Consul Chapman Coleman writing from
Roubaix, says that important works Of
excavation just begun in the busiest part
of that city have attracted much public
attention. He writes:
Some two years ago the state admins
tration of the post office and telegraphs
caused extensive excavations, attended
with great disturbance Of traffic in impor-
tant thoroughfares, to be made in the
streets of Roubaix. with view to the
replacement of its then existing aerial nv
subterranean telephone system. The re-
suit of this labor, it now appears, is the
unpleaSlng prospect of the work having tn
De Done all over again. At the bottom of
the deep trenches, which have now heep
eXcavated in order to ascertain the nature
OF the disturbance in telephone communi-
cation recently observed, the discovery ha 8
been made that the two long lines Of leaden
piping, buried there in the confident ex-
pectation that for the next fifty years or
more there would be no need of renewal
have. as affirmed by scientists, become
practically unserviceable
The disillusion appears to be complete
The reckoning had been made without con-
sideration of what pernicious vagrant cleo
tric currents might accomplish These it
seems, descending from the trolleys of
the tramways to the rails, WERE by a pro-
cess of infiltration of the soil beneath.
gradually exercising an Injurious effect
through the mysterious operation of cleo
tioiy upon the CODQuitS 1Or water and
gas. 1t further appeared that the neigh
boring telephone cables, of 224 strands in
closed in leaSien tubes, were, in their turn.
being destroyed by these vagrant currents
This process of destruction had for some
time past been indicated by certain dis
quieting observations, and now the opening
trenches have established the nature and
revealed the extent of the damage effected
The leaden tubing and the metallic cables
have suffered irremediably, and are fit only
for the waste heap. But for the excep-
tional dryness of the past summer cleo
troiysis would have been precipitated by
humidity, and certain quarters of the city
would doubt before this have been
wholly deprived of telephone communica-
ton. Such condition. at least, will have
been averted by these timely discoveries
While 1t Is claimed that this lamenta BILE
condition applies only to certain quarters
it would appear, from present indications,
that the entire lines, running from the
central bureau of the misunderstanding
and de LOmmelet. have suffered severely
from electrolyss, and the declaration from
certain sources that other lines are un-
affected should be received with skepticsm
In any case, the two lines in question will
have to be replaced, and 1t is for this rea-
son that new cables are now being laid
But this time. profiting by hard experience
precautions are being taken The two ieaden
pipes containing. the cables are now in
closed in large tubes of cast iron, resem-
bling the conduits for gas. and while the
warrant currents are combating the cast
iron covering neither lead nor cables will
be exposed to their ravag6.
The new work will, of course, require
great expenditure. and the question arises
upon whom 1t will fall The administration
of posts and telegraphs will. no doubt en-
deavor to impose 1t on the tramway com
pany. declared by divers expert opinions to
be the author of all the trouble. But the
latter administration asserts anterior rights,
in view of it's installation having been made
prior to that of the telephone.