The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-04-04
CHEAP HEAT BY WHOLESALE.
Steam Distributed Through Pipes in City
Streets Like Water and sias.
From the Buffalo Express.t

veying steam for heating purposes by
means of pipes laid for long distances
under ground In the month of May,
1876, he put his ideas into an expert
mentally practical shape by placing a
small steam boiler in his yard and con-
Meeting 500 feet of underground pine.
The result satisfied him that the plan
was entirely feasible. In the month of
January, 1877, stock company, with a
capital of S25, 5000, was formed to test
tAe plan on a larger scale, under the
title of - The Holly Steam Combination
Company, limited" A brick boiler
| house was erected on Elm Street, and a
4 horizontal boiler, sixteen feet long and
five feet in diameter, was placed in po-
sition, and line of three-inch wrought
iron pipe was laid three feet under
/ ground for the distance of half a mile
This line was purposely laid in the
| sparsely settled portion of the city, for
the purpose of testing the power of
/ steam without interruption. Junction
service pipes were placed in the main
! pipe at intervals of from 100 to 200 feet,
/ and at these points and at the terminus
of the line tests were made to determine
the amount of condensation, the power
of the steam, and the requisite sizes of
pipe.
The results from the half mile of pipe
were so satisfactory that additional pip
ing was laid, making a total distance of
mile and a third, the size of the pipe
being modified as follows: Four-inch
pipe was used for the first 400 feet,
three-inch pipe for the next 1000 feet,
two and one-half inch for the next 600
feet, and two-inch for the rest of the
line. In this distance were eight right
angles, at corners of streets, and ten
valves in the main pipe. For the first
mile the grade descended 20 feet; for
the next quarter of a mile it assembled
Y feet, and for the rest of the distance
it descended 40 feet. 1t was found that
of a pressure of 40 pounds of steam de-
livered to the service pipe at the boiler
house, pressure of % pounds of steam
was perceptible at the end of the line,
showing loss from friction and con-
densation of but eight pounds. In all
this line there were no traps, thus Obvi-
ating one objection which had been
strongly urged. Twenty dwellings
scattered on the line were connected
with the junction service pipes, and the
test proved the entire feasibility of the
system for a district two and One-half
miles square, the extent of territory to
be heated depending upon the size of
pipe used. 1t was found that pipe could
be economically laid as follows: One
and one-half inch pipe for 1000 feet,
three-inch for 5000 feet, siX-inch for
5000 feet, and twelve-inch for $4,000
feet.
One boiler with blower is sufficient
for the work required, but two addition
al boilers have been placed in the boiler
house, for alternate use and to guard
against accidents. To attend the furnace
aud boiler, one man for the day and an
other for the night are sufficient. Dur
ing the months of October and Novem-
Der, 1877, two miles of additional mains
were laid.
The narrow trenches to receive the
pipe are dug about three feet deep, so
as to be above all gas and water-pipes.
In the bottom of the trench drain of
two-inch tile is placed, to receive mois-
ture. The tiles are surrounded with
broken stone, over which the steam
mains are laid upon strip of board.
The mains are made of wrought iron
similar to gas-pipes, and covered with
asbestos and hair-felting, and placed
inside of wooden pipes bored ort length
wise, the wooden tubes being from two
inches to four inches thick outside of
the steam pipes. The top and sides of
the wooden pipes are covered with
heavy tarred roofng-felt, to prevent
water from coming in contact with
them.
A service pipe three-fourths of an inch
in diameter, running from the main,
will serve to warm a large dwelling.
The service pipe does not extend direct
ly from the wrought-iron main, but from
a cast-iron expansion box, in which the
ends of the main pipe can expand and
contract. In the dwelling the service
pipe is so constructed as to deliver at
will either pure, dry steam for heating
purposes, or hot water for laundry pur-
poses. An automatic valve regulates
the pressure of the steam so that, what
ever the distance may be from the boil
er-house to the dwelling, or whatever
the pressure may be in the main, it can
not exceed a given amount. --..-
The quantity of steam used is shown
by small meter, which makes an ac-
curate record upon a ribbon of paper,
the quantity depending, of course, up
on the size of the aperture and the
pressure. The steam passes from the
regulating valve into a distributing
chamber either in the basement or attic,
from which it DIVORCES to the several
radiators or heaters in the house. The
steam is finally received into chamber
and trap in the basement, where the
condensation is received and stored in
a small ciStern. This water can be ele-
waited to the kitchen by the pressure of
the atmosphere without pumping, or it
can be forced to the upper story by the
direct pressure of the steam without
pump or engine. This water, having
been distilled, is the purest and sOftest
liquid possible, and each family viii
daily obtain from two to four barrels,
according to the number of radiators.
The company has now about three
miles of underground steam pipe, ex-
tending through portions of ID streets,
supplied with boiler pressure of 80
pounds to the square inch. They are
successfully warming, at an average of
20 degrees, large school-building con-
tanning 100, 0C0 cubic feet of space, the
largest hall in the city, and rooms in the
same building, making about 100000
cubic feet of space, and 40 large dwell
lings, and are running two steam en-
gines, one of them being over half a
mile from the boiler-house The total
space warmed by one boiler, 5x16 feet,
is over 100000 cubic feet.
1t is proved that district of four
square miles, or equal to 16 districts of
One-half mile square, can be econOmi-
cally warmed from one central point
The company furnishes the mains, and
the consumers pay all expenses from the
curb; the cost of apparatus depending
upon the style-of radiators, etc. Mr..
Holly has patented a radiator, to cost
&c, which heats admirably --
Ill IL