The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-21
ELECTRICITY FROM DUST.
How Municipal Refuse Is Converted
Into Light and Power in shore

ditch.
From the New York Post.
London.-The horn Of Shoreditch Is ex-
allied. To use what passes for an Ameri-
canism on this side, she has licked crea-
ton. And this is how she has achieved
that proud eminence.
Shoreditch forms a London parliamen-
tary borough on the north side Of the
Thames and in the East Central district.
II has an area of one square mile and
a population of $4,000, with the largest
proportion of artisans of any London
borough, viz, 50 per cent. Shoreditch Is
therefore poor To the impartial eye It
has rather grubby and frowsy appear
ance, as OF one not addicted to the use
of the BATH and Indifferent to the nigh
sense of morality conferred by clean linen
and hygienic surroundings. But, on the
other hand, Shoredtch has proved herself
not only up to date but capable of setting
the pace municipal.
on one of the last days of June. Lord
Kelvin, our greatest living scientist, trav-
eled to Shoreditch. spoke all these and
many other handsome things of the bor-
ough, and formally declared open the
Combined Electricity and Dust Destruc-
ton Undertaking, the object Of his visit
to the wise east. In consequence of jul
hilation aud the resulting dislocation OF
business, II was exactly three weeks be-
fore could follow Lord Kevin's exam
pie and inspect the G.. u. and ID. ID. u.
WhaN | saw is well worth brief descrip-
ton. The first claim of ShOreditch to
universal admiration is that she had the
sense to elect wise stewards of that which
is committed to their care, and that the
vestrymen chose capable clerk, DR.. h.
Mansfield Robinson. to conduct their ar
fairs. Many an electrlc-lighunR COM
pany had wished TO light up Shoreditch.
for, as already said, It's area II but one
square mile It's population Is dense, many
OF the people requiring a light motor for
the staple industry OF the borough, furni-
ture and cabinet-making; besides, public
houses abound, TO the number Of 800, ana
they are great consumers OF electricity
until a very late hour d2:30 D. M, al
though many other small shops success
fully rival their bad example.
But shoreditch resisted the wiles Of e.ec-
trlc-iightng companies, and in 1892 obtain
ed the consent Of the board Of trade TO
furnish It's own electricity for public and
private purposes. Other English corpor-
ations-to wit, Bradford, Brighton, St.
Pancras-haVe produced their own cleo
triclty and have calmly put the profits or
monopoly into the municipal pocket. But
It was reserved for Shoreditch 60 produce
electricity from dust-"E pulvere lux ct
Wis" as the corporation now proudly
boasts Shoreditch produces daily between
fifty and sixty tons OF dust and house re-
fuse, and for the removal OF this TO the
sea by bargng Il used to pay 81. ID. per
ton. The problem for the municipality
was to burn the dust to make electric Hight,
and. incredible as II may seem, this Is
what Is being done to-day. The whole
municipal word Is agape with admiration.
Every day visitors come from the most re-
mote local bodies, and depart determined to
slructOr produces steam, and the steam ~
used to drive a great high-tension engine
producing 100 volts OF electricity from
each on three generators; there are, besides
three loW-tensiOn dynamOs, each producing
1853 volts. one would like 20 say that the
electric-lIghting station is handsome but
truth cOmpels the admission that A rs more
Unitarian than elegant. However, Il IN
respectable, and u ought 20 be chronicled
that the site, which also serves for baths
Warehouses. Central library, museum.
and IL very close 10 tho municipal techni-
cal school. cost 1860. The total cost Of
THESE different schemes Is very nearly 800
OA
Nsfurnlly the complete scientific descrip-
ton OF this undertaking belongs 20 an en-
glnccring paper. But the main outlines Of
the scheme are well within the grasp Of
the unsclentlnc mind. Between nifty and
sixty tons OF refuse are brought 20 the dust
dfFfurtot udilF ana tipped nom the carts
into Tits. These are moved by electricity
up 10 the tipping platform. run on rails
ana ompticd Into bins from which the fur
naces are fed. There arc twelve destruc-
tor cells or furnaces. with che large heat
ing area OF twenty-five square feet each.
and also six water tub boilers an the side,
each with 1900 square feet Of heating sur
face. Now II ls evident that dust and re-
fuse viii not burn a. coal burns. To coax
% 10 burn there are m1tor-drlVcn faus
which caurc strong current OF cir 20 cir
cul ito. Eacn ian makes from 90 90 40
revolutions per minute. The hot alr b.
drawn hy suction from the TOO of the cn-
giue house forced into 1n air duct by the
fans. ana goes undcrueath The coils ard
boilers 10 compel thc refuse to burn. The
air supply b. carefully regulated by valves
20 that Boa case 0f coal or other easily
burning fuel being uacd A. can D. cue on
~ was oviiont that dust b. collected 1nd
pref lthlv burned in thc daytime whereas
nirhf a. che great time for using electric
lt. Dust destruction continues DAY and
night ne Hh9fcdiich. twelve men stocking
ln three shifts ~ rigbi hours each. four 10
a. shift. The question Vas. how 40 save
up Che steam generated iu tho daytime
Tor UHf nf UluHf fNniH has Inrn Achieved