SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] SATURDAY AUGUST 18, 1894. WOODEN WATER MAINS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4803, 18 August 1894, Page 2

SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] SATURDAY AUGUST 18, 1894. WOODEN WATER MAINS.

As amm: recently published in the "Scientific American" allows tlie practicability d using wood instead of iron in the construction of water mains. We give below the text of it because wo are of the opinion that the subject is one of special local interest in this district: A recent paper read beforo the American Society of Civil Engineers by James D. Schuyler, member of the American Society of Civil Engineers on " The Water Works of Denver, Col." contained some very intcrestingobsorvations and figures relating to this subject. Ho states that sixteen miles of thirty inch wooden conduit were constructed in that] work, in addition to a considcrablelcngth of forty-four inch pipe. The timber used was California redwood, and the thirty inch conduit was constructed to stand under a head of 185 feet, We understand from tho paper named that the total average cost of thirty inch pipe was §1,36 per lineal foot, of which about forty-eight cents constituted the cost of trenching and back filling. A gang of eight to sixteen men laid from 160 to 300 feet of tlto same size conduit per day. These mains were composeclof staves dressed vcrv smooth to cylindrical sides and radial edges, and' wcw held to tho cylindrical form by mild steel bauds placed at a distance apart depending upon the head, but never exceeding oeyjnteen inches. Tho pores of tho wood are filled with water uDdev pressure, so that it oozes through to a slight extent, thus realising the c-o.wji-tiou for pormancnt preservation. Tho pipe is framed iu the trench, aud all handling in full-sized sections isavoidedj at the same time the interior finish is so smooth that tlw most advantageous conditions of flow are seeped, Mr Schuyler estimates that.% use of thesp wooden conduits effected a saving of over §1,000,000 jn this particular work. In iliis district ivo venture to suggest that toto .timber woujd be ennneutjy .suitable for tlw construction of 'jv&tey mains and thai jj; would last in the giiound foi'ft lifetime. Why should; not the cost of bringing a high pressure water supply from the Waingawa to Masterton be materially reduced by the use ot a wooden water main ? This is a Ipstipn )vliicli local eugiuws wight

bo perfectly competent to answe 1 '" but one on which we could not yer¥ well express a definite opinion. I the substitution of ,'.a wooden water main, would reduce ; the estimate of Mr John 'King for a Maste'ytori water supply, by one third or one half, the project,, would be of immense value to us. An upcountry settler tells us that lie has decided to construct a small water main on his own property, and for hisown'privateuse, on the plan advocatedin the " ScientificAnioi-'ican," and if it will answer thepurpose of. private settlers to adopt an innovation of this kind, it would be likoly to be profitable to a municipal corporation, The question.is one which we should be very glad to get an oxpert opinion, as if wooden" water mains are practicable and cheap, the district would profit by theni not only by securing a comparatively inexpensive waterworks but also by establishing an important local industry, It is obvious that with a cheap and effective home-made conduit, irrigation enterprise would be stimulated generally, and that country as well as town settlers would be benefitted,