Sunday, March 27, 2016

WOODEN WATER PIPE

While exploring the prairie south of Winslow, Arizona I came across a house that had burned down long ago.  The foundation and some partial walls remained along with ruined sinks and appliances scattered about the house and yard.  Leading from what appeared to be the kitchen area of the house was a  wooden log partly buried in the ground.  It was one foot in diameter and twenty feet long and  constructed of wooden staves shaped like slices of pie with the points cut off, then it was spiral-wound with a steel band for it's entire length.  It was a wooden pipe used to carry waste water away from the house. 

On the internet I found out it was likely made during World War I.  Steel was needed for the war effort so commercial pipe was constructed with redwood staves and spiral banding thus using much less metal.  Although made in 1916 or there-about it could have been installed much later than that. 

 12" wooden pipe with a 6" internal diameter.

Over a century old this pipe belongs in a museum.




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