The Detroit times. [volume], March 27, 1912, LAST EDITION, Page Page Seven, Image 7

About The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
■WATfB BOARD WILL ENGAGE
. EXPERT TO INVESTIGATE
BURSTING Os THE MAINS
Commissioners Are Aroused
Over Chemical Analysis Show
ing Defects in Manufacture
»
ENGINEER MAKES REPORT
He Suggests Twenty Possible
Causes of Breaks, But Ad
, mits He’s No Chemist
The chemical analysis of the
iron in the broken water inuins us
obtained oy The Times and later con
firmed by similar analysis authorized
by the board of water commissioners
caused the board, Tuesday afternoon.
» to decide to employ the services of
au expert consulting engineer on the
subject. In his report to the board,
Gorgo H. Kenkell, the board’s engi
liner, specified 20 possible causes for
'he numerous breakages of water
mains, but lie did uot consider the
icau'.ts of the chemical analysis.
* “That Is something with which I
am not entirely familiar,’’ said Mr.
Fenkell to The Times, referring to
chemical analysis. “Our specifica
tions no not call for a chemical an
nlysis, although I believe it would be a
good plan hereafter to insist on one.
It is true that too much phosphorus
a and silicon In the iron w ould make
It brittle and in that case any one
o' the causes I enumerate in my re
port would he more applicable. I have
assumed in outlining the possible
ranees of the breakages that the pipe
was of standard quality. The pipes
are tested for strength in the trenches
butts they are made of an inferior
;rndo of iron they would not have
the resistance of standard pipe to
•overcome the strain to which they
:>re subjected, i 4ul not have the
report of the chemical analysis from
tlie Detroit testing laboratory when
I prepared my report, having received
it but a half hour before the meeting
of the board.”
“1 first learned of the result of the
(hemical analysis from The Times
und that led me to bring up the sub
ject in the meeting of the board.”
.ild Commissioner Gillespie, after the
meeting. “There is no question but
that we should have provided in the
specifications for the proper chem
ical composition of the pipe. What,
we have learned in thlß report will
undoubtedly lead the board to insißt
on a thorough chemical analysis of
all water pipe in the future before it
s placed in the streets The Amer
ican Car & Foundry Cos., from which
we purchase a large proportion of
our pipe. I am told, lias no analytical
chemist. The pipe is made up much
us a woman makes bread. She knows
labout what Bhould go into the bread
and the manufacturers of the pipe
know about what should go into the
pipe. We should not guess at a thing
af this kind. The '.est made by the
water board employes is all right,
hut the specifications should go fur
lu*r and call fqr the prober chemical
of the pipe.
people who laid the pipe many
vearc ago should have considered that
Jde of the question. But now that
we have learned by exerience we can
provide safeguards against breakage
of water mains in the future.
“I do not believe so-called water
hammer has caused the breaks, as
Engineer Fenkell’s report shows that
.safety rclie[ valves and air chambers
have been used to protect the pipes
>:n that respect.”
After the report of Engineer Fen
hell was read in the board meeting
Tuesday afternoon. Commissioner Oil
lespie said:
“There has been some criticism
that the pipe is defective in contain
ing too mudi phosphorus and silicon,
making it unusually brittle. Can you
enlighten the beard on that?"
“Tncre may be something to that,'
replied P H. Sullivan, assistant diß
’trlct manager of the American Car
At Foundry company, to whom the
cuestion was addressed. "The board
has no chemical specifications, you
know. We comply with the specifica
tions as required by the board.”
Commissioner Pound, who had been
reading the results of the chemical
Vi nary STS ns ob tat Tied' TTy The board,
tailed attention to the high percent
age of phosphorus in tho Pipe as
shown by three separate analyses.
“If only ought to have 1-2 of
one per cent phosphorus In the metal
you have fom times too much,” ho
remarked to Mr. Sullivan.
% “I admit tiiat that percentage of
phosphorus in the metal would gen
erally be considered too high.” re
plied Mr. Sullivan, reiterating that the
board had provided no chemical spec
ifications.
4 "I understand very little attention
has been paid to this phase of the
matter,” Raid Commissioner Dane.
Mi. Sullivan in reply to further
questioning by Mr. Gllleaple said that
the pipe as made for the Detroit water
board was substantially the same as
that made for other cities, some in
and that no complaints had
been received from those rities. The
board then consulted Engineer Fen
kell on the subject*
“If the pipe is too brittle and not
adapted to withstand shocks, it might
still resist heavy, but steady pres
sure and remain in service until sub
jected to shock, when the break
would occur.” he said,
“It is my belief we need the ser-
Omega
Oil
for Pains in
the Back
A simple rubbing with this won
derful Oil gives quick relief. It pene
trates through the pores of the skin
to the place that hurts and stops tlte
pain Trial bottle ioc.; all druggists.
Right ! 11-Health Diet
ip
*
:
DR. WILEY WRITING HIS ARTICLES FOR THE DETROIT TIMES.
By DR. HARVEY W. WILEY.
Chief Chemist U. S. Department of
Agriculture, and Noted Food Expert.
, In case ot ill-health, diet must be
j carefully supervised in order that the
i digestive- system, already weakened
i by disease, may not be entirely over-
I come by too much exertion. As soon
as the food increases the discomfort
|of the patient, fills his stomach with
I indigestible and fermentable materials
and irritates the walls of the intes
i final canal, it becomes harmful in
■ stoau of helpful.
It is useless t o describe a pnrticu
-1 l-ir diet for general use, either in
’health or in sickness, but common
Jse:i3o ami experience help a great
deal. The average person knows
! vory well there are many things ot
which lie cannot eat too freely for if
1 he does he will suffer serious conae
•q’lmrrs, Mince pi** and plum pud
ding are delicacies and not necessities
of life, and unfortunately in addition
to litis they are usually eaten after
the stomach has already been treated
to all it can tolerate.
Great stress has been laid In
modern times on nutrition in case or
tuberculosis. This treatment consists
! largely of easily digested materials;
I milk, soft boiled eggs and freshly
cooked meats are recommended as a
j dietary in generous quantities for the
tuberculosis patient.
) While some physiologists ami men
of experience still maintain that a
small quantity of well made and well
ripened alcoholic beverage is an aid
to health, there are many who think
vices of an expert engineer to con
sider all sides of this question,” said
Mr. Pound. "We want a man in
whom wo can put implicit couiiuence
to make a thorough ami exhaustive
examination anti tell us Just what is
j the trouble.”
The board acted on Mr. Pound’s ad
vice and will immediately get in touch
with experts. It is planned to em
ploy one from outside the city, hav
ing no connection with local inter
ests, who will go at the problem from
an entirely unbiased standpoint. Sev
eral engineers were on hand and of
fered hearty co-operation. R. Colla
i more, president of the Detroit Engi
neering society, proffered the ser
vices of the society, while A. T. Wa
terfall, or the Russell Wheel & Foun
dry Cos., considered one of the best
experts on the manufacture of iron
in the country, spoke to the board
and offered his assistance.
The Detroit Testing laboratory
made tests and analyses of three
specimens of the broken pipe for the.
board. The tests for transverse anu
tensile strength of the tnetal vailed
considerably but Mr. Fenkell gave it
as his opinion that they were within
the specifications of the board, it
wiis in the chemical analysis, how
ever, that the iron fell below stand
' ard. A portion of the 42-inch watet
main which broke in the vicinity ot
Gladwin park. Jan. 31. showed the
■following: Silicon, J. 26 per cent;
phosphorus, 1.103 per cent. The an
| aiysis of the 42-inch pipe broken at
Hurlbut and Kercheval. Feb. 8. show
ed 1.191 per cent phosphorus ami 1.05*
per cent silicon, while analysis of the
30-inch pipe which broke at Elmwood
mrrtr 5, Showed
per cent phosphorus and 1.78 per cent
silicon. A fourth analysts made on a
section of broken pipe by the labora
tory at its own initiative, the loca
tion of the break not being given,
! showed 3.04 per cent silicon and .7t>-»
per cent phosphorus.
In his report to the board, Mr. Fen
kell says, in part:
“The various possible causes for
breaks in mains as far as your civil
engineer has knowledge, may be smn-
I marlzed as follows:
“Poor workmanship when mains
ar£ laid.
“Excessive caiilking of lead joints
when mains are laid.
“Expansion of lead in joints due to
! changes of temperature.
• Settlement of foundations.
“Settlement of ground over tun
nels; and of back-filling in trenches
through which water pipes pass.
“Pressure from overlying earth,
and pressure from surface of ground.
“Excessive water pressure.
“Air in mains.
“Water hammer.
“Vibration from passing cars.
"Effect of frost.
“Expansion ami contraction due to
; temperature changes.
I “Strains due to difference in tem
perature between water and earth.
“Freezing of Joints.
“Electrolysis.
“Flaws in pipe.
"Poor iron In pipe.
“Cooling strains in castings.
“Corrosion.
' Extraordinary causes.”
He then proceeds to discuss the
relative importance of each possible
cause and In his conclusion, he says:
“Your civil engineer concludes that
several of the reasons for breaks
which have been discussed could have
played but little if any part In caus
ing the damage. There are other
proposed causes which, although not
sufficient in themselves to . cause
breaks, did probably contribute their
share toward producing extraordinary
stresses in the pipes. Among these
may be mentioned cooling strains in
castings, flaws in pipes, strains due
to difference in temperature between
water and earth, effect of frost, and
settlement of foundations. But wbilo
THE DETROIT TIMES: WEDNESDAY. MARCH 27. 1912.
IT MAY MEAN
THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN LIFE
AND DEATH.
that alcohol is never advisable,
especially to persons who are ill. The
'alter school at the present time
greatly outnumbers the former, and
It is somewhat rare in these dgys to
find a well-trained and experienced
physician advising his patientß in 111*
health to use any kind of an alcoholic
tonic.
There are beverages, however, con
taining easily digested materials
which are advised. Malt extract is
one of the beverages which is often
said to produce good results, but a
malt extract should be what it pur
ports to be. namely, an aqueous ex
tract of pood malt, and not, as it too
often is. a “near” beer, or a beer with
a small percentage of alcohol. An in
fusion of hops with malt extract is
regarded by some as an addition to
its tome properties.
There is no phenomenon more pro
itoum-rd in id-health than idiosyncrasy
in respect ol foods. In other words,
there are as many diets as there are
sick people and each one has Its
merits if applied to the right individ
ual. It is the part of wisdom in all
cases to grant a person in ill-health
the thing no wishes to eat, provided
it ir. wholesome, and the patient can
really eat it without injury, but a
patient who would crave an article
known to be injurious, should be re
fused his wish.
H. W. WIIJCY.
(“The greatest economy in food is
found in that diet for healthy people
which consists chiefly of—Of
what? Dr. Wiley will give the an
swer in tomorrow’s Times.” —Editor.)
these probably contributed their share
toward bringing about the final result,
and while the same combination prob
ably did not exist ia each case, the
deciding influences are believed to
have been water hammer, due to the
high consumption, and expansion, and
✓ The 1 |
* Ebbitt House \
$ WASHINGTON, D. C. y
g No matter what you came to g
y Washington so Q
jf or pleasure—The Ebbitt is jj
* most centrally located to *
f everywhere. Recently re- Sj
£ modeled, refurnished and y
A redecorated throughout A
\f thoroughly modern in every 3j
ft feature. 2
* Rooms, single or en suite, 5
£ with or without bath. y
A RATES« £
/ American Plan—lS to ffl per day.
A Ktirnpenn Plan—f 1.50 to |4 per A
J day. -8
?s%\w\w *\X\ V% V\\%\\v
To have created a vast industry which has saved the world enough labor to build
an empire— ....
To have fixed and established the basic principles on which all typewriters-are
To have created a standard of merit by which all writingmachinesarejudgedJ^R^|4£3H|
To have maintained this standard for more than a generation, at a u|
To have made every recent contribution to typewriter progress—A
prminotqnllHllß
Typewriter
Visible Models 10 and 11
contraction due to temporature
changes.
“In order that water hammer may
be reduced to a minimum, it is recom
mended that two six-inch safety re
lief valves be installed in connection
with each of the six force mains, or
12 in all, In addition to those in ser
vice at present, and that three ad
ditional air chambers, each having a
capacity of at least 1,000 cubic feet,
be constructed and put in service.
These safety appUaneea. will, U la ha
lieved, reduce the number of breaks
to a minimum. It is further recom
mended that the pumpage through a
18-Inch main be Knitted to a maximum
rate of 35,000,000 gallons and a 42-
inch main to 23,000.000 gallons per
day. If pressures are to be main
tained and these rates of flow are not
exceeded, it will be necessary to eith
er reduce the present waste, or build
more mains and pumping equipment.'
WORKMEN FLEE AS
TUNNEL CAVES IN
BERLIN, March 27.—The great sub
wav tunnel under the Spree river
ca\\l in today. Eighty laborers
working on the tube extension heard
the roar of the coming water and fled
to the nearest hoists, being whisked
out of the workings Just as they Ailed
with water. The entire underground
system was damaged and part of the
new tunnel caved in. The actual j
amount of damge will exceed $1,000,-
000 and contractors will have a deli- ]
cate engineering problem in replacing I
the tunnel roof under the river.
ARIZONA ELECTS
TWO U. S. SENATORS
PHOENIX. Arls.” March 27.—The
Arizona legislature yesterday elected
Marcus A. Smith and Henry F. As
hurst to represent the new stgt« in
the United States senate.
The election of the two senators
at the same time leaves to the United
States senate to decide who shall
have the long and the short term.
Wife Saw Aviator Fall to Death.
DUBSELDORF. Germany, March 27.
—The German aviator, Kleine, while
making a flight yesterday, fell 300 feet
and was killed. The aviator’s wife
and child witnessed the accident, the
cau/e of which Ib not known.
Children Cry
FOR FLETCHER’S
CASTO R I A
AMUSE ME NTB.
DETROIT SSWiTArt.-.
The dlatlavulahed American Comedian,
WILLIAM H. CRANE
In the Comedy o( Washington life
by Martin Morton.
The Senator Keeps House
Went Week—“ The Fortune Hunter."
WEEK” 6 APRIL I
•BATS SELLING THIRB.
600 Best Stats $1.50?.? Mats
Cohan fc Harris
—Production of—
Wlnchell Bmlth's
LJ"I J Comedy Triumph
With FRED NISLO
and a perfect company, Including
JOSEPHINE COHAN
TITHPI CDally 25e Mata. ■
■ ■ ™“Kvfa.. 250 to -75 e. H
Ihe 1 hmouh nfw»p«prr rurtoonlat, H
WINSOR McCAY I
Creator of “Little Nemo." I
\VM. H. Ml RI’HY, BLANCHE I
\l( HOLM A CO., I)I K City Four: ■
Mark A Walkrri 4 lluntlnnm El
l.uunhlln’a l»on*i “Squat-Inn Ac- I
rnun ta |” fortune Franrla) Moorr- I
oacope Pathe Waakly. I
GARRICK -
Jamea Nuntgomerx'a Brilliant Comedy,
READY MONEY
With WILLIAM COURTENAY
Nest week—French Grand Opera Cos.
PALACE
- MODEL
a BOTH
PHONES
1IS«
Make This Your Laundry
Ilt Is thoroughly modern In all respects.
It bellsvss in pleasant working conditions for every ons of Its em»
It pays high wages for efficient service.
It guarantees prompt deliveries.
Ita service on Men's Linens Is unexcelled.
It specializes in handling the entire family washing.
Down Town Branch —198 Griswold Street
MILES THEATER BUILDING.
YU “It’s Worth J]
While” f
AMUBEMENTS.
M|| CO MATS. DAILY SiMt
I L C J I.OtNI SKATS 10c.
Kv(»., 7tßo toll sSO.
Dan Mason & Cos.
la the I.aoKblDK Sure***, “THE NEW
CHAI'FFKI’R."
Mlyakka Jap«i Bel Caato Trloi I.nta
Broa.| Bert Melbarai Mualcal Browaa.
GINGER CIRLS
With ED. LEE WROTHE.
Ladle* to Matinee* 10 Ceate.
Next Week—HONEY MOON UIRLS.
LAUNDRY
See Big Advertisement in Thursday’s Paper.
Copyrighted 1912
AMUSEMENTS.
LYCEUM
NLUHT Mata, jar-
Denman Thoapioa'a Celebrated IMar,
T£t Old Homestead
A < harming; Story of Simple Life
Next Week—Alla* Jimmy Valentine.
■
atf|r||||P The Home MATINEE
Nfliillllt 0 | Burlesque. DAILY
ATTELL A KILBANE
MOVINO FM.MT PICTURES
with
The Jardin de Paris Girls
NEXT WEEK—“William** Imperial*.**
FIRPT
AND
MICHIOAJf
■EASTER
HOLIDAYS
Canadian Points
One Fare—Round Trip
Sale April 4th t* Bth taelaalT*.
Return limit April 10. City Tleket
Os floe. lIN Woodward-are. Depat
root Rraah-at. Telephone* Mala 80
■ad 5320.
Page Seven