Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/39

 ~ house, and then through the other cesspools on soil _ and waste-pipes, this isa curious occurrence, and could only happen in rare cases, and where the plumber has not done his work properly. Why no outlet for this gas should exist either through the rain-water conductors or up some ventilating pipe I cannot understand, unless, indeed, the plumber has been some great donkey; besides, the architect, if there was one, ought to have given some attention to this little, but if judged by its results, very important matter. In some cases, however, the plumber is not to blame, for the proprietor sometimes refuses to allow a ventilating pipe to be put in on account of the expense of it, even although that may not be large. In fact, the other day a proprietor wished us to put up some jawboxes without cesspools at all, and gave as his reason that the tenants were poor. We didnot desire the work or these terms, nor hope ever to fall so low as to do it. The following is a ' simple sketch of the plan of drain and soil pipes of a house, where, even supposing the gas from common sewer did force its way through the water in cesspool A, it would have three outlets to roof without interfering with the other cesspools inside house :—A is a9in. tile cesspool, with cleansing eye, put in just outside wall of property; Bis 9in. glazed tile pipes for drain; C is a 3 or 3}in. rainwaterconductor from roof; D is a 44in. or Sin. lead or iron soil- pipe, which is also car- ried up to roof; E is the cesspool say of kit- ehen jawbox; F and G are cesspools of water- closets; H is cesspool, say of a washing basin, and I ventilating pipe from waste pipe out to near ridge of roof. There may also be bath and pantry branches, &c. L is cleansing eye for main cesspool. In this case, therefore, if all the connections are properly made no foul air can escape into house, and any getting in by main force at A, or generating in the pipes or drains, has three outlets to roof. There is one thing I may mention that is of great service in preventing the action of a large quantity of water running through the pipes affecting the branch cesspools, and that is, to have the pipes in all cases large enough. To give fair play, no lead or iron soil-pipes, which, as in houses, have both water-closets and paths, &e., branching into them, should be less than tin. internal diameter, and as much more as you like. In some cases they are only 4in., and that but nominally, for if measured they would probably only stand 34in. inside, when sometimes, even although a ventilating pipe were in, the emptying of a bath in top flat might affect the cesspools branched in below. Then if the pipes are lead, they require to be properly fixed, and it hardly gives fair play to them to put in 4Ib. or 4b. sheet lead where it ought to be 6, or 5lb. where it ought to be 7. There are many other things which I might point to, but I fear I am intruding too much upon your space as it is—I am, «c., PLUMBER. SANITARY. Sir,—Permit me to state, for the benefit of my fellow readers, that I have adopted the following method for the preyention of any foul gas passing from the water-closet into the interior of the house, and have found it to answer admirably :— By inserting an air-pipe of sufficient diameter into the bowl of closet underneath the valve or pan, and above the $ or D syphon or trap, it not only carries off any gas which may pass the syphon or generate from the deposit which is often left in the syphon, but also provides fresh, air where much needed, and prevents the d reeable smell from passing into the house when the handle is raised and the water rushes down ; it is better also to ventilate the soil-pipe beneath the syphon, but even that is not sufficient unless the above method be adopted JouN LATON. Malpas, Cheshire. — Tue ArriricrAL Propucrion oF Rars.—Edward Powers, a civil engineer of Chicago, has petitioned Congress for aid to enable him to test his method for the artificial production of rain. He wants to be furnished with 300 cannon of not less than 24 pounds calibre each, and 30,000 pounds of powder to fire in them, together with an electrical battery and other appliances, to enable him to discharge all the pieces simultaneously, In support of his theory that rain ean be produced by the firing of artillery, he gives a jong list of battles, including nearly every important engagement during the rebellion, each of which was followed, he alleges, by a heavy rain-storm: THE BUILDING NEWS. Antercommunication. i QUESTIONS. [2414.]—Percentage.—Is an architect justified in charging percentage upon material provided by the proprietor, the cost of which is not included in the contract amount, although the material is converted under the architect’s supervision? If so, is it not also justifiable to charge a full percentage for taking out quantities under like circumstances ?—F. [2415.]—The Best Form of Urinal.—Would any reader of the BurnprnG News oblige by stating his experience as to the best form of urinal to be used for, say, a club-house of a superior class? Six or seven are wanted, and especial room is proyided for them. All that the querist has hitherto seen, both in public and private establishments, have seemed to him more or lesss objectionable —CLus. [2416.]—How to Destroy Red Ants.—Can any correspondent inform me of a remedy for destroying the small red ant or emmet? Ihave a house infested with them.—J. C. [2417.]—Rolled Girders Riveted.—Can any reader give a formula for calculation of the strain upon two rolled girders riveted together by a plate on the top side, as sketch — ALPHA. (2418.]—Brick Arch.—Haying a brick arch to construct over a vault, and as you are now haying a series of ‘‘Notes on Brickwork” in your yaluable paper, I would kindly solicit from you, Sir, or some of your correspondents, advice as to the best form of arch to be employed, as we are limited to 2ft. Sin. in the rise of the arch, which must be nearly self-supporting, as there is no covering on the crown. The span in the clear is 14ft. 6in.—J. P. [2419.]—Deal Standards.—Could any subscriber inform me if there is a book to be had containing all the different deal standards, and rules for making up all calculations necessary for the retail timber and slate trade? Also, a description of all the different wood goods generally sold in the above trade.—X. I’. Y. [2420./—Cause of Crystal Palace Fire.—Was the fire at the Crystal Palace occasioned by over-heated hot-water pipes? Can they, by hot water, be over- heated 2—W. Yh Y yi Yuli TL REPLIES. [2384.)—Hot-Water Pipes and Woodwork.— The answers, taken together, are neither conclusive nor satisfactory. The question was the result of a refusal by an agent of fire-oflice to insure an important building because hot-water pipes (low-pressure system) were in contact with timber.—W. (2404.] Land Surveying.—Try No. 60 of Weale’s Rudimentary Series, ‘‘ Land and Engineering Suryeying,” by T. Baker.—F, (2405.]—Projection of Shadows.—The subject is briefly treated in Wood's ‘‘ Manual of Perspective,” Whittaker & Co., London.—F. [2410.]—Rule for Workman.—A simple method of drawing a square line across a parallel board is to apply a two-foot rule (as shown in sketch), holding one arm of the rule fast, and turning other arm to position shown by dotted lines. A line drawn from A to B will be a square line,—CurP. (2411.]—Lay Dilapidations.—I reply, with plea- sure, as your correspondent “ Z.”’ wishes. The answer to both questions is ‘* Yes.” But, as the simple answer will not be satisfactory to many of your readers unless the reason is given, I give the latter. Legally, it is not of the slightest consequence whether a dilapidation can be seen or not. Therefore, if the floor-joists are rotten, they must be renewed. Again, as to the roof, if the timbers are, as ‘*Z.”’ proposes in his question, thoroughly worm-eaten, they must be reinstated. Let me illustrate this from one case in‘my own practice. A large crack in a staircase wall, I found, had been papered over. Now, to all appearances, the wall was all right, and might probably not haye been noticed ; but, by putting my hand against the wall, of course it was found out. Well, I required the removal of the paper, the making good of the wall ina proper manner, and the repapering with paper of the same pattern. Can I bring a better case to illustrate that, in law, no cognisance is taken whether a dilapidation is hidden or not? ‘To make the answer full, I would mention the usual practice. This is to walk over a floor, and if it appeared sound to pass it, and not to take up a board, and this generally is quite a sufficient test. The same witha roof: if no indication of decay can be seen, it is usual and proper to conclude the timbers are sound, as they perform their duty.—{I should be glad to answer any questions through the ‘ Intercommuni- cation’ department of the BurnpING News, as I con- sider such a mode of interchange of thought and knowledge very valuable.)—B. F. 23 LEGAL INTELLIGENCE, FALconer v. Mackrytosu.—This was an appeal to the Court of Session from the Sheriff Court of Inverness-shire, in an action raised by Mr. J. B. Falconer, ironfounder, Inverness, against Mr. G. B. Mackintosh, carpenter and contractor, Nairn, for the price of certain iron pillars supplied by Falconer for the erection of a goods shed at the railway station at Inverness. It appeared that Mackintosh had been an offerer for the entire contract for the erection of the shed, and in that view had obtained from Faleoner an estimate for the iron pillars in question. He did not get the contract, which was got by Mr. Hendrie, another offerer, but he obtained from Hendrie a sub-contract for the carpenter work, which was ad- mitted to include a good deal of ironwork and iron- mongery, but it was a question between him and Hendrie whether it included the iron pillars now in question. Thereafter, the railway company’s engineer, assuming for some reason that Falconer was to do the ironwork of the contract, wrote, pressing the latter to get on with it, and he, assuming that Mackintosh had got a contract or sub-contract, in- cluding the ironwork, proceeded to get it made, and thereafter it was taken to the goods shed by his and Mackintosh’s workmen, and fitted up in its place. Falconer also supplied to Mackintosh, on the latter's direct order, the remaining ironwork included in the contract, and so matters stood till a settlement came to be made, when it was found that Falconer claimed payment for the pillars from Mackintosh, while Mackintosh, on the other hand, alleged that he had never ordered them; that they formed no part of his contract; and that though his men had assisted in removing them to the shed, that was by way of assistance to Hendrie, of whose contract they formed part, and with the view of getting on with the car- penter’s work, which was retarded by the want of the iron columns. The Sheriff-Substitute found that the pursuer’s claim was limited to the ‘amount of ironwork for goods shed, £60,” and found in regard to the said item that the pursuer had not proved that there was any contract originally be- tween him and the defender for the execution of the work. This decision was affirmed by the Sheriff- Principal, but was now unanimously altered by the Court, it being held that the pillars had been in fact supplied on the defender’s credit. THE WATER COMPANIES AND T'HETR RATES.—A few days ago a complaint was made to the magis- trate of the Worship-street Police-court against the East London Waterworks Companys when Mr. Han- nay suggested that the secretary of the company should attend before him, so as to hear the com- plaint, and then make any answer he desired. In that manner the complaint would not be ea parte. The secretary accordingly attended on Monday morning, and the applicant re-stated the nature of his complaint against the company. He was a builder, having house property in the neighbour- hood of Stratford, and some time ago one of his tenants left, being at the time three quarters in debt for water rates to the company in question. In consequence of this the supply was cut off. Recently he (applicant) had re-let the house, but the new tenant was not supplied with water, although he had paid a quarter's rate in advance as security. They demanded now a further sum of 5s. for turning on the water, which would take them about five minutes. The Secretary said that in new houses waterworks companies were constantly being de- frauded of their rates by the tenants decamping. Mr. Hannay said that the complaint was made under the 48th section of the Act, which made it obligatory upon a company to supply an incoming tenant, not- withstanding arrears for water by an outgoing tenant. The allegation was that they demanded five shillings for turning on the water. The Secre- tary said that this was not so. When the supply was cut off on the disappearance of the tenant, the pipes were disconnected, and the 5s. was for the expense of opening the ground, and making the recommunication. (Ihe secretary called the attention of the magistrate to the private Act of the company embodying this provision.) He further pointed out that another section of the Act provided that persons might get the work of recommunica- tion done at their own expense, by giving three days’ notice as to the opening of the ground. The applicant wished to know what was the custom of the company as to supplying new houses. The secretary replied that they ys charged for lay- ing the pipes. Applicant said that recently he had had new houses supplied without charge. Mr. Hannay remarked that he had in that imstance much to be thankful for. It was impossible for him to help the applicant, he said, for it appeared to him that the company were entitled to demand what they did for making the recommunication, Applicant said that the communication was in existence, and had never been destroyed. Mr. Hannay said that, other than as an application, the matter was not before him. If applicant chose to take out a sum- mons and prove his case, ‘he could do so. He had thought to save him trouble and expense by get- ting the secretary to attend. At the same time he had guarded hin inst expressing an opinion upon the matter, ie knew companies generally had private acts providing for every contingency. as