The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-13
COLMAN IN ANSWER.
He Replies to Engineer VIII
liams.
ALL THE CHARGES ADMITTED,
Biundering Somewhere a. to simple De-
tails OF Construction-Cost Of the
Necessary Changes.

Yesterday Posr-INrELLI0ExcER reporter
called upon Mr.. L. w. Colman and asked him
~ to the report Of Engineer Williams. He de-
clined to express any opinion upon It He was,
he SAID, always willing TO substantiate the re-
port OF the committee OF which he had been
member, but had neither time nor inclination
TO 80 beyond that He said he vas quite con-
tent with that part Of Mr.. Williams' report
which admitted the truth OF every criticiem
made, and that where the errors were not al
ready being remsdied they ought to be. 1t was
represented to him that IL was . matter Of great
public interest and he should not shrink from
frank answer to the questions put 70 him
through . mistaken delicacy.
"weil, have no comment to make upon Mr..
Williams report" said Mr. Colman, except
upon those points In the committees report
which be undertakes to controvert His reply
that he did not order larger pumps because he
contemplated later using one at the high service
reservoir, and that one larger than that chosen
would be too large, Is, In my opinion. absurd;
but there are matters Of fact in the report pre-
fer to speak Of
He admits that it was thought best after the
pumps were in place to put vacuum chambers
close up TO the pump as the report of the CONF
mittee called for. He Is putting these vacuum
chambers in. Tho committee only claimed that
It ought TO haye been done in the first place,
and that the city should not be compelled to
competent engineer should be able to put them
In right at the first The setting of such pumps
Is nothing new that we should need to pay for
experimenting.
He says there can be no doubt that on gen.
eral principles the water should be taken at
distance reasonably remote from the shore. But
why does he take the water fom q less distance
than the older pumps? The suction pipe should
have gone two or thre, times farther into the
lake. at least as far as piles could be read
lily driven to carr it,
mr.. Williams says the extra cost of coal on
account OF tfs absence OF q condenser, cuts no
appreciable figure here. coal 10 so cheap"
III does not matter what the price Of coal Is.
The cost Of haLdling is considerable, and OF far
more importance than. little additional first
cost Ii am rightly informed IL costs the city
something in the neighborhood of $500 per
month to handle 1T. He admits that condenser
has been ordered Need l say more than to ask.
why the city should De paying for experiments
In so simple matter? Why was it not put in
at first?''
Mr.. Williams says modern authorities are
opposed TO the use OF the drum as contributing
to increase the wetness of the steam. That is
the reason he gives for not putting one iu."
YES There IL . certain amount of condensa-
ton In any detached chamber from the boiler,
but as 1t Is impossible to get dry steam from
these boilers as they are now built, fifty four
inch tubes bring the upper row so near the top
OF the boiler that it does not leave room for the
free separation Of the steam from the water
Consequently water will be carried over into
the engine. The committee did not recommend
the drum as the best construction, but the best
under the circumstances, and the easiest way
out of the difficulty.
"The elaborate comparison he makes of boil
ers with their diameters and diameter and height
OF domes shows nothing. He does not give
the number of tubes nor space between the top
of boiler and upper row of tubes. Nobody can
use the figures he gives without that means Of
com pairing the boiler at the pumping station
with those in general use. know of no
makers who put so many four-inch tubes in q
ffty-four-inch boiler.
''If there is no condenser are they pumping
in cold water all the time?"
"No, they are using the condensing water
from the old pumps. but If they should stop the
old pumps any time they would use cold
water
"what have You to say as to Mr. williams
answer that the boilers do rest on plates and
rollersg'
II can only say that the walls are cracked
through expansion OF the boiler after few
days working. The old pumps have been run
ming for six years without any such
damage. could not see for myself that there
are no plates or rollers, but / was so informed
there, and the result shows that sufficient pro-
vision has not been made for expansion. and.
consequently, the walls are cracked, admitting
cold air at a sacrifice of fuel and power"
What is the extent of the defect in the ar
rangement of feed pipes? You only refer to 1t
casually in your committee report, and Mr..
Williams says the remedy can be left to the
engineer in charge"
"The whole work OF construction coulu have
been left to some practical mechanical en-
gineer and saved the expenses and annoyances
incident to the changes that will have to
be made before the plant will be in
unsatisfactory working condition. The point is
that the city has already paid high price for
the present construction, and the changes that
will be, or should be, made viii cost as much
more. If the changes are not made it will be
constant source OF annoyance and expense
leatar thar, 70 do IL o.,oo