Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-02-01
IMPROVEMENT IN THE COUNTY
BUILDINGS.
The New steam Heating Apparatus in
the Court House, and New Plumb
ing at tho Jail.

the Court House, and New Plumb
ing at tho Jail.
The new heating arrangements for The
lower floor of the County Court House, have
now been in operation for several days; aut
prove a marked success. The Probate
offices, County Clerks office and lawyers
offices on the lower floor of the building have
hitherto been heated, S.or attempted to be
heated, by stoves and furnaces, with very
unsatisfactory results. 1t was plain that ar
entire change must be made; and after con.
siderable investigation the judges decided to
heat by steam, and awarded the contract for
the apparatus and fittings, to our enterpris-
ing townsmen, Messrs. G.. S. Blodgett & Co.
The apparatus is the lie Bosquet boiler and
apparatus, already tried in our city and
proved satisfactory and the plumbing in
connection with it has been done upon
| the Baldwin system, which is highly
approved in practice. The various rooms to
be heated have a combined area of no less
than $4,000 cubic feet and the various
radiators by which they are heated have a
surface of $40 square feet. With these,
during the steady cold of the last three days,
| with the mercury scarcely rising above zero
| at midday, temperature of not less than
723 is maintained in seven or eight large
rooms and in portion of the basement, wi h
the very low pressure of u pounds of steam
in the boiler, while the consumption of coal
proves to be less than was formerly used In
the furnace for the Probate offices alone.
The heat is pleasant and equable, and can be
increased to any desired point and there
seems to be none of the disagrceable snap
ping and rattlng Of the pipes, so common in
radiators So
ton is all returned to the boiler; the APP
paratus has n self-adjusting draft, which
works admirably; the plumbing shows thor
ough workmanship, and the job, as q whole
and in its parts, does credit to the good sense
of the judges and the skill of the contractors
and their workmen.
The Work ut the jail.
We congratulate the county that the old
system of sinks and drains at the jail, which
have so often been presented as a nuisance
by the grand jury, have been entirely done
away; and clean, well ventilated and
wholesome arrangement has taken its place
| This work became an imperative necessity,
as soon a. 1t was plain that the county was
not likely to have a new jail. Under the old
| arrangement the sinks and water closet pipes
emptled into drains connected with the old
sewer running cast OF the jail, without traps
or any means of preventing the effiuvia from
| the drains and sewer from escaping both into
| The domcle of the sheriff and the quarters of
| the prisoners. The consequences were often
| siCkening to the occupants, and of course
dangerous 10 health. The judges became
satisfied that an entire change must be made,
| and the work, having been in progress for
several weeks, was completed about the first
of the year. This also, was done by G.. S.
| Bl0dgett Il Co. The connection with the
old sewer has been entirely severed, aud
new connection made with the Church
street sewer A new closet and bath
room have been put into the house, aud a
new closet into the Jail. These are provided
| with Motifs automatic cistern, which amply
| tlushes the pipes, whenever used. The
plumbing is substantial and thorough, and
on the improved modern plan, the pans and
pipes being ventilated by pipes extending up
| through the roof, while foot vents" con
Meeting with the outer air, below, above the
water line make a draft, which carries all
gas and odors out Of the building, and dis
charges them where they neither annoy nor
infect The soil pipes are all trapped, and
are run in straight lines, and provided at the
angles with brass collars and screw caps,
which can be removed whenever the pipes
need cleaning. The work is plain but
seems to be exceedingly thorough and sub.
stantial, and the improvement in the healtl
aud comfort of the occupants has been very
marked. The job which is by far the mos
extensive and best one, Of its kind, ever donC
at the Jail, has cost the county some 800 Of
$500, and is well worth the money. In fac
it had TO be done, if the Jail and ial-hous
were TO be longer occupied.