64 CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OF SMALL GASWORKS. 



joint on a cast-iron pipe J-inch thick. If preferred, saddle 

 pieces may be used at the junction of main and service, 

 and they certainly afford support at a weak place. 



My experience has been confined to lead joints for cast, 

 and lead and screwed for wrought. I have never used 

 turned and bored, or cement joints, and, therefore, cannot 

 say anything as to their advantages. For wrought or steel 

 pipe, I prefer lead wool to cast lead. It wants more setting 

 up than the run joint to make a sound job, but it gets all 

 the way home. The advantage of cold lead in wet weather 

 is obvious, as lead wool can be set up even under water. 

 It also has the advantage of doing away with the main- 

 layer's fire basket, which is a great annoyance to inhabitants 

 or passers by in windy weather, when the smoke and dust 

 blow about. I also buy up all old roofing lead that is 

 available, as it is much better quality for mainlaying than 

 new pig lead. Wrought-iron or steel pipes offer the advan- 

 tage that the whole of the jointing work can be done above 

 ground. No jointing holes are required, and the work can 

 be done in comfort and is subject to easy inspection before 

 being lowered into place. 



In the old days, the gas company practically had sole 

 possession of the subsoil, but now the smallest towns have 

 their water and sewerage systems, and the mainlayer is 

 lucky if he can set out his run without coming dead on to 

 an inspection chamber or elevator. A strong point in 

 favour of wrought-iron is that it can be diverted a foot or 

 more to one side or the other without the use of special 

 castings. The use of such castings not only adds to the 

 cost in the first place, but to the risk of complaint or 

 stoppages afterwards. Suppose that the mainlayer has to 

 get round an inspection chamber 4 feet square in plan. 

 This will mean, if cast-iron is being used, four sweeps, two 



