Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-06-29
WILL EMPLOY DIVER
TO FIX RIVER MAINS
Water Bd. Takes
Steps to Stop
Leakage.
JUNK IS SOLD

To Immediately repair the twenty
four and sixteen-inch mains under
the Raritan river, from which about
100000 gallons of the citys water.
supply are daily escaping, a diver
will be engaged today by the Board
of Water Commissioners to begin
work. If possible, before the week
end Action toward having the
mains repaired was taken at a spec
ial meeting of the water board last
night, called especially for that pur-
pose.
City Engineer Mason, Superinten-
dent Crowell and the commissioners
discussed the leakage and the coin
cident danger of water famine for
over q half-hour. 1t is the conten-
ton of the city engineer that one of
the piles driven last winter to pro-
test the county bridge from ice foes
is responsible for the principal leak.
The break was discovered by Super
intendent Crowell few days ago.
1t is in the twenty-four-inch main,
which is submerged in three feet of
mud at the western end of the
bridge.
1t was decided that an air test be
applied to the mains to ascertain
just where the leaks are. The test
consists of replacing the water in
the mains by compressed air, which
will bubble to the surface through
the leaks. superintendent Crowell
suggested inspecting and repairing
the smaller main first so that 1t
might be used while the principal
main is being repaired. His idea CO.
incided with that Of the engineer
and 1t was decided to have opera
tions begun on the sixteen-inch
main.
Last winter when number of ex-
ira piles were sunk to protect the
bridge from the huge blocks of Ice
floating down the river, one of them
struck and crushed the main. While
the break was repaired, It Is be-
Heved that the present loss of water
| is escaping through the same hole,
To prevent similar occurrences the
superintendent recommended that a
sign be erected at the westerly end
| of the draw pier, denoting the loca-
tion of the main.
The present leak, Superintendent
Crowell says, has decreased the
water pressure from forty pounds at
city hall, the normal pressure, to
about twenty-five or thirty pounds.
During the briquetting works fire
| last week, he says, the pressure
dropped to ten, although at Runyon
an extra pressure of ten pounds was
applied.
formed as to the daily pressure,
Commissioner Haney moved that the
superintendent notify them each day
by post card. The matter of secur-
L ing divers services was placed in
the hands of President Fraser and
Engineer Mason. They will confer
today.
Patrick White & Sons were last
night awarded the contract for re-
moving the fifty odd tons of scrap
iron and the 1000 pounds, more or
less. of brass, from the plant at
Runyon. Their bid was $11 per ton
for the iron and ten and one-half
cents per pound for the brass. John
H. Gregory, the only other bidder,
offered $40 per ton for the iron and
nine cents per pound for the brass.
The scrap was sold at the request OF
the Water Board by City Comptrol-
Ter James A. Rhodes.
New Pump to be Shipped.
A representative of the Wisconsin
Engine Company was present at the
meeting last night and informed
the board that the new 100000
gallon pump to be used at Runyon
is completed. 1t will be shipped
here as soon as the Water Board is
granted permission by Madison town
ship to have railroad siding laid
from the tracks of the Pennsylvania
railroad. across a public road to the
plant. so that the pump may be un-
loaded within a few feet Of the spot
where it is to be installed. The
board last night received a commu-
nication from the State Railroad
Commission, stating that 1t would be
necessary for Madison township to
hold a public hearing before grant
ing permission to run tracks across
the road.
Some OF the news OF. your Tmme
unau ha found In