A Flood-proof Sewage Pumping-Station It is generally admitted by competent engineers that electric motors and controlling devices used to operate sewage pumps should never, unless absolutely necessary, be located in underground chambers or vaults where they may be injured by excessive dampness and lack of attention. In some localities, however, because of the inability of the municipality to secure the necessary property adjacent to sewer lines, for the construction of a housing above the surface for electrical equipment, the installation of motors and controllers underground cannot be obviated.

In such cases there is not only the possibility of damage of condensation and lack of ventilation in the vault, but also of complete submergence of the equipment under the flood conditions. With this in mind, Yeomans Brothers Co., 1433 Dayton Street, Chicago, Ill., has developed a flood-proof underground pumping-station designed to prevent the complete filling-up of such an underground chamber under any conditions that are likely to occur.

As shown in the accompanying diagram, the main feature of this station is that, owing to the steel drum which forms the entrance to the chamber and extends down to a point considerably below the level of the electrical equipment, the motors and controllers are located in an air-locked space in the upper part of the chamber and, even with a considerable head of water over the top of the chamber and with the cover removed from the entrance manhole, the water in the chamber will not rise far enough above the bottom of the entrance drum to reach the motor windings or electrical devices or connections.

The power wires for the motor are brought in through the steel wall of the chamber with stuffingboxes, and the ventilating pipes, if any, are carried down to the same level as the entrance drum so that air cannot possibly escape at any point above this level. The pit drain valve which is connected to the suction of the sewage pump is provided with an extension stem running up into the entrance drum, so that after flood conditions have subsided, the water remaining in the chamber can be pumped out even though it may be impossible to gain access to the pit. This flood-proof principle is applicable for use with sewage ejectors and emergency pumps in municipal and other building work to protect controllers and motors driving pumps wherever flood conditions are likely

to occur.

Cast Iron Bureau Changes Name

The name of the Cast Iron Pipe Publicity Bureau, 566 People's Gas Building, Chicago, Ill., has been changed to the Cast Iron Pipe Research Association. This change in name was actuated by the fact that the principal functions of the organization are research and not publicity. Thomas F. Wolfe, who was for some time one of the city engineers in Chicago, and who is now Research Engineer for the Association, devotes most of his time to research and to the collection and distribution of information relative to cast iron pipe for all purposes. One of the objectives of the advertising campaign of the Association is the stimulation of interest in small towns that have no water-works, to show them the importance of having a modern water-works system.

The Association itself has nothing to sell. When community interest reaches the point where action on a water-works system is to be taken, the information is passed along to the different manufacturers of cast iron pipe and the matter is left to the manufacturers' representatives to handle.

Recent Diesel Installations in
New York State

The Busch-Sulzer Bros.-Diesel Engine Co., St. Louis, Mo., through its eastern sales office, 2 Rector Street, New York City, recently sold a 400b.h.p. diesel engine to the village of Greenport, L. I., N. Y., for installation in the existing municipal power-plant. This engine will be installed and will be running about November 1. The Greenport municipal plant is now equipped with steam engine generating units. An addition to the present building is being erected to house the new diesel unit. They expect that the over-all power cost will be reduced from 3 cents to 2 cents per kilowatt-hour after the diesel is running.

The village of Freeport, L. I., recently purchased an 1,150-b.h.p. diesel from the Busch-Sulzer Bros.Diesel Engine Co. They already operate four of this make of diesel engines. When the fifth is installed, they will have a total capacity of 4,165b.h.p. in diesel engines.

P. T. L. Moves Birmingham Office

The Pittsburgh Testing Laboratories, Pittsburgh, Pa., has announced that it has moved its Birmingham, Ala., laboratory and office into a new building where a Riehle testing machine of 400,000

pounds capacity has been installed. This is the largest commercial testing laboratory machine in the South. O. H. Berger is manager of the Birmingham branch of the Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory.

Hall Joins Duplex
Truck Co. Sales
Department

The Duplex Truck Co., Lansing Mich., has announced that C. W. Hall, formerly Manager of the Lansing Distributing Branch of the Olds Motor Works and later with the Reo Motor Car Co., has joined its Sales Department, with headquarters at Lansing.

Blaw-Knox Purchases Milliken Bros.

The Blaw-Knox Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., has announced the purchase of the Milliken Brothers Manufacturing Co., New York. The consolidation of the two companies became effective on September 1. The Blaw-Knox Co. is well-known through its line of steel specialties, including steel forms for concrete construction, steel buildings, open-hearth furnace equipment, air preheaters, hammer-welded products, steel transmission towers, automatic concrete-measuring devices, steel bins, clamshell buckets, etc.

The Milliken Brothers Manufacturing Co. was originally organized as Milliken Brothers, Inc., in 1857. The products of the company are transmission towers, radio towers and standard steel buildings. A considerable amount of the business of the Milliken Brothers Mfg. Co. has been in the export field and the present Milliken organization will continue to function in this field and, in addition, will take over the management of the export business of the Blaw-Knox Company on all of its products.

The Blaw-Knox Co. announces that it will continue with its present organization to handle domestic business and the acquisition of the Milliken company will make no change in this line. Manufacturing for both companies will be concentrated at the Blaw-Knox Co. plants at Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Consultants for Mt. Hope, R. I., Bridge

Robinson and Steinman, consulting engineers, 25 Church St., New York, have been retained to prepare the plans and specifications and supervise the construction of the Mt. Hope Bridge to be built across Mt. Hope Bay between Bristol and Ports mouth, R. I. The bridge will be financed as a tol bridge enterprise by a group of bankers headed by William R. Compton Co. and Peabody, Houghteling & Co. The structure will be a suspension bridge with a main span of 1200 feet. The total cost of the project will be about $3,500,000.

Kuhlman Appointed Heil District
Manager

The Heil Co., Milwaukee, Wis., has announced that George Kuhlman, well known among the truck men of Philadelphia and New York, has been appointed District Manager, covering the eastern territory. Mr. Kuhlman has been associated with the Heil Co. since 1919, going to Philadelphia in 1922 to open the Heil Co. branch in that city. His thorough knowledge of the dump-truck business and familiarity with the eastern territory make him well qualified for his position. Mr. Kuhlman will make his headquarters at the Heil Co. branch, Rawson Street and Queens Boulevard, Long Island City, N. Y.

Tar Products Consolidation

The American Tar Products Co., Inc., announces that the Tar Products Corporation, of Providence, R. I., is now affiliated with it, and will operate as the New England Division of the American Tar Products Co. Operations will be continued as before.

Graver Appoints Southern
Representatives

The Graver Corporation, East Chicago, Ind., has announced the appointment of Robbins & Robbins, 801 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, La., as sales representatives in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi. This organization will handle the complete Graver line, consisting of water softeners, filters, tanks and steel plate equipment.

Twin Cylinder Hydro-Hoists for City Trucks

During the last year, there has been a tremendous demand from all parts of the country for steel bodies, hoists, sprinklers and truck tanks from municipalities, according to the Heil Co., Milwaukee, Wis. Cities are insistent that their transportaton problems be handled efficiently and thoroughly, and as a result new equipment is replacing obsolete or worn-out types. In those cities where the equipment has not yet been motorized, great strides have

SIGN

Four-Way Corner Street Signs

A four-way corner street sign makes it possible for automobile drivers or pedestrians to know the cross section streets considerably in advance of the time at which they arrive at them. It eliminates the necessity of a driver's turning around in his seat in the middle of the street intersection to ascertain the name of the street he is crossing. This difficulty has been the cause of many serious accidents in the past.

These street signs, made by the R. Hardesty Manufacturing Co., Denver, Colo., are spot welded back to back at the ends. The lower signs rest on a bracket or casting which is provided with two grooves into which the signs are inserted or fitted. The center casting is grooved to fit and rests on top of the lower signs and is so arranged as to permit of the upper sign being placed at any desired angle. A grooved casting slips down over the upper sign, and this is topped with an attractive cast iron top piece. This top casting screws onto a threaded rod which extends up from the bottom casting through both signs and eliminates any possibility of the signs' becoming loose.

The signs are said by the manufacturer to be indestructible. The sign is a heavy plate of iron proofed against stones, shotguns or other missiles. The black bicycle enamel which is baked on the plate, and the bright, durable, non-tarnishing aluminum of the letters, are not harmed by exposure to weather.

New Publicity Director for

Dorr Company

The Dorr Co., 247 Park Avenue, New York, has announced the appointment of A. Anable as Director of Publicity. Mr. Anable has been connected with the Equipment Sales Department of the Dorr Co. for several years.

for every department. At this season of the year, the greatest attention is focused on garbage collection. The amount of garbage collected in the months of August and September often is 150 per cent or more of the yearly average.

Different cities have varying ways of handling garbage collection and all agree that the body should be made as low as possible to facilitate hand loading. The Heil hoist, made by the Heil Co., Milwaukee, Wis., is well adapted for this work because it gives a low mounting. Garbage bodies made by Heil are usually wide and long, with provision for carrying considerable material in the crown, which can be left open or covered with tarpaulin or steel, whichever seems best for the particular territory.

The city of Buffalo, N. Y., has recently purchased a fleet of trucks for the Department of Public Works which includes several with special Heil Model-80 garbage bodies. These units are all mounted on Model-55 White trucks, 174-inch wheelbase, and are used in the downtown section of Buffalo.

In some of the southern cities, including Knoxville, Tenn., and Washington, D. C., smaller bodies are used with a Heil hand hoist. The bodies are all made with duck-tail rear end. The mounting height is kept down by lowering the hoist into the chassis frame. A great saving has been effected by the city in the collection and disposal of the garbage as compared with costs with mule-drawn carts. For the collection of liquid garbage a sump is provided to prevent liquid from dripping into the streets. In this type of construction, Heil welds all seams to make the body absolutely watertight.

Closely associated with the collection of garbage is that of ash and rubbish collection, which includes street sweepings, leaves, waste building materials and the like. The same body equipment is used for this work, although here it is not as essential that the rear end of the body be ducktailed or that the bodies themselves be watertight.