lOS HALIFAX WATKK WORKS. — .lOHNSTUX. 



JiirrHsfafion of J'tpcs. aitd Clcaiiiiiri. 



Tn 1S75 the old ■■5-iiu-li waTcr ])i])cs laid l»y the Ilalifiix 

 Water ('oiii]iaiiy liaviiiii' Ik'coiiu' allll(>^;t clidkcMl up with rust 

 aiid sedinit'ut, thev were olcaue:! niil (hu'iiii;- the sm-coetling 

 year hv a scraper attached to iiM.i rnds and iirdpfdlcd hy hand. 

 The scra]K'r had four arms (ir knives, attached t:) a center 

 and sjtrnna; outwards hy a thick rnhher disc. This nietliod 

 was not practically a])i)lic:d)le to pipC' of a hir2,'er diameter 

 than 12 inches. The cost of cleaning was 14 2-10 cents per lineal 

 foot. Tn 1S80 about a mile of 12-incli pipe was cleaned by a seilf- 

 aeting mechanical scraper, imported from Scotland, aad known 

 as the. ivciinedy scraper. ISS" ^fr. Keating, thi' city engineer, 

 at that time, constructed new -craping machines which differed 

 from the others in having a<lditional spri-ags for the cutters 

 and ])istons. The.-^e scrapers consist of an iron rod to which are 

 attache(l two ])iston> and two sets of cutting tocds, one in trout 

 of the. otlu^r. Tlie cutters are each made u]) <d' four strips of 

 steel 2i inches broad, slo])i'iig liackwards from the rod, and at 

 their <iutward termimition shar]iened like the barbs of an arrow, 

 ihu- they can yi(dd when necessary and vlie cutting diameter can 

 be altei'cd by moving the steel stri])s. The ])ist(!ns are of iron, 

 lead and leather to which are added i-ubber springs. .\\\ the 

 main sup])ly ])i])es were (deaned in that year at an average cost 

 of 2 S-IO cents per lineal font. The immediate results were 

 that the average ])i'essure on twenty-five hydrants on the 

 v;har\-es increased from ;54.2 pounds in February, ISSI, to 

 r)2.4 pound- i.i Febrnary, 1SS2. These were on the l>»w service. 

 On the high service there was a ])ressui-e of 1!) pounds on 

 hydrants wheri^ in tlie ])revious year there had been no water 

 at all. The ])i])es ha\'e been tdeaned ])eriodically since that 

 date ami usually twic<' a year. 



In (deaning the mai.is the water is turned oft' at the gate- 

 house and the exit ojX'ued and ])ipe- emjitied. A section of 

 pi])e, jointed with collars and bolted together, is i-emoved and 



