A large quantity of the pipe is now being tested at my suggestion by the Superintendent of Construction of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, at Baltimore.  I have not yet heard the results from him, but doubtless they will be interesting.  A brief summary of the results may be of some interest.

The different makers of soil pipe generally used by plumbers hereabouts are: 

Mott & Company, Abendroth, Blakslee, Dighton, Phillips & Weeden, and Bartlett, Hayward & Co.

On 4” extra heavy pipe my results have been as follows: 

Percentage passed as good, single hub. 60 per ct. to 70 per ct. 
Percentage passed as good, double. 20 per ct. to 80 per ct. 
Percentage passed special castings,
   including Y’s and T’s. 60 per ct.

5” pipe extra heavy: 

Percentage passed as good, single hub. 25 per ct. to 35 per ct. 
Percentage passed as good, double.  No record. 
Percentage special castings,
including Y’s and T’s. 60 per ct.

It has been stated to me by dealers that the tar coating does away with the necessity of any such test as the oil; while I am not prepared to acknowledge or deny the statement, it is well known that much poor pipe is tar-coated and sold in the market as good, and when coated it is almost impossible to detect any but very defective work.

The price customers are obliged to pay for soil pipe, either “heavy” or “extra heavy,” is very high indeed, even taking off the discounts, and amounts (as I figure it) to $70 per long ton for 4” pipe.  The present rate for the best water pipe of the same caliber is about $38 (now $29) per long ton, and the additional charge for soil pipe should guarantee the very best iron in the market, though it appears to be rarely furnished.

It is asserted that all soil pipe is tested to a 50-pound water pressure.  I beg leave to question the absolute truth of this, unless it be acknowledged that pipe is sold indiscriminately, whether it bears the test or not, for more than once I have found a single length of soil pipe (5 feet) that could not bear the pressure of a column of water of its own height without leaking.

Having obtained a satisfactory lot of soil pipe and fittings, the next trouble comes with the lead calking.  Unfortunately, it is frequently found that very shallow joints are made instead of deep ones, and hard lead used instead of soft.  My rule is, soft lead, two runnings and two calkings.  By soft lead I mean pig lead, and by hard lead I mean old pipe and scrap lead that may have been melted a dozen times.  Incidentally it may be remarked that it is quite difficult to calk a tight joint on the heavy pipe; the process will crack the hub.

The fixtures used in a house are of minor importance—­there are dozens of good patterns of every class.  If they are carefully put in, and provided with suitable traps placed just as close to the fixture as possible, the result will usually be satisfactory.