That said, there are several ways to locate the magnetic field that pipes and cables emit, some of which meet with more success than others. Witching (or dowsing) for water has been practiced for millennia. Dowsers use a piece of willow or hazel (And a fair bit of magic) to divine the location of water, and is still practiced today. With the proliferation of underground cables and gas pipes in the 19th century, dowsing was modified for locating these structures. Sometimes these efforts failed with disastrous consequences. (At this point someone usually stands up and claims to have seen it done or has done it himself. To this we say, "Great, but isn't it a relief that we can double check those divine results with good old-fashioned science!").
 Faraday |
 |
In the 1830's Michael Faraday [1791-1867] discovered that you could "tune-in" to the earth's magnetic field which is carried by all metallic conductors. Using a roof truss outfitted with a copper coil, an earphone, and a handful of assistants to manhandle the contraption, Professor Faraday was able to accurately locate buried gas pipes and cables by moving his device over the buried utility and listening to the faint noise of earth's magnetic field in his earphones. These are essentially the same principles that we use today.
Corporate
| History | Links
| Rates | Technology
| Contact | Disclaimer
Webmaster