Henry Ernest Dudeney/Modern Puzzles/156 - Water, Gas and Electricity

Modern Puzzles by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $156$

Water, Gas and Electricity

I think I receive, on an average, about ten letters a month from unknown correspondents respecting this puzzle which I published some years ago under the above title.

They invariably say that someone has shown it to them who did not know the answer, and they beg me to relieve their minds by telling them whether there is, or is not, any possible solution.

As many of my readers may have come across the puzzle and be equally perplexed, I will try to clear up the mystery in a more complete way than I have done in Amusements in Mathematics.

First of all here is the thing, as I originally gave it, for their consideration.

It is required to lay on water, gas and electricity from $W$, $G$ and $E$ to each of the three houses $A$, $B$ and $C$, without any pipe crossing another.

Take your pencil and draw lines showing how this should be done.

You will soon find yourself landed in difficulties.

Sources

• 1926: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Modern Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Unicursal and Route Problems: $156$. -- Water, Gas and Electricity
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Combinatorial & Topological Problems: Route & Network Puzzles: $413$. Water, Gas and Electricity