The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-19
the surplus to the old disused coal shed


A new water storage tank, wooden,
has been built in the old scrubber mouse
in the place of the iron one which mad
rusted out. 1t is filled from our tubular
we'll which furnishes an ample supply OIL
water for all purposes about our WORKS,
excepting the boilers, and for these also
in case Of temporary interruption OF the
Sebago.
A new oil storage tank OF steel has been
built on the southerly side OF the +. >.
q p. railroad location, with capaclty
OF IL, 900 gallons. 1t is cylindrical, 10 ieeO
diameter and feet 4 inches high. 1t sits
in brick pit of equal capacity, to pre-
vent risk from leakage, and has a prich
housing over it with gravel roof. LII Is ar
ranged to receive the oil from tank cars
by gravity, and is connected by piping
with the oil pump in the works. 1t takes
the place of three old oil tanks of inferior
construction and insufficient capacity. not
so well located. We can now take in the
contents of any size of tank car, and
allow ample time for ordering.
Our No. gas holder was built about
thirty eight ears ago. The foundation
of the tank was not good and it began to
settle unequally soon afterwards, crack
ing the tank and throwing the columns
out of line in different directions. The
holder suffered damage from time to time
In consequence. One side was crushed in
and finally the use of the lower section
hadsto be abandoned. We could not spare
the use of the upper section in order to
make repairs until the new holder was
completed. The gas was then let out
from No. I and the holder was raised by
meansI of screws. AS tAweighs about
thirtystons and il of thinoiron, this was
difficult but it was accomplished by our
engineer without accident, the damaged
parts repaired, new guard rails put on the
inside, and new wrought iron cup rollers.
Ihls holder can now be run to nearly its
iull capacity, and moves smoothly up and
down. 1t is expected to last number of
years, but as 1t W as imprac ticable to put
new guide rollers on the lower section.
we may again be restricted to the use OF
the upper one.
Holder No. 2 is over thirty years old.
The tank has stood we'll, as the founda
ton was on piles, but the iron of the
holder was not of so good quality as that
in NO. |. The cup is liable to giyesout at
any time. in which case the upper section
only can be used, and that ssfor an uncer-
tain time as the iron of the crown is in q
bad condition. When that gives out we
must have. a new holder in the same tank.
A new sea wall has been built in front
of the triangular piece of flats convened
to this company last May by the Maine
Central Company, giving -us about five
which will be available for many pur.
poses when filed. The wall is 1874 feet
long. feet thick at base, feet at ton.
and 10 feet high. 1t is solidly built
properly battened, and crosstied with long
ties OF heavy stone.
Our wharf had to be repaired to make
it safe Eighteen new spur piles have
been driven, the unsound top tim bers re-
newed land the entire top covered with
three inch planks. The coal runs were
repaired and an enclosed stairway built
to them. Two new dolphins had to be
driven on account of the increased length
of vessels coming to our wharf,
A fire hydrant has been purchased and
been placed in our yard and connected by
four inch pipe with the water main on
West Commercial street. A hose house
is built over it, covering also rack with
225 feet of hose. 1t sends stream
through seven eighths nozzle over the
retort house, and it may be of service at
the beginning of a fire before the fire de-
partment can get there. s
The ammoniacal liquor from our works
has heretofore been run to waste, as we
could not find parties to Jake il as q gift.
Mr.. Yorke has constructed an apparatus
for saving and condensing it, and we
have begun shipping the liquor this
month.
A new steam tar pump has been put in,
and large quantity of new piping of
various kinds for gas, steam, tar, oil,
and ammonia liquor, a plan Of which,
and of all our underground piping has
been made by Mr.. Yorke.
A fence eight feet high with three rails,
capped, wired and painted. has been
built around our new holder lot, dis
tanoe OF $50 feet, and fence of the same
height on our westerly line for distance
of $50 feet, where the old fence had rotted
down.
An eight inch tile sewer has been built
to drain the westerly part of our premises
carrying off the surface water and the
waste water from the condenser. 1t runs
through the embankment of the P. S, q
2. railroad and through our sea wall.
Our station meter gave out last winter.
1t has been repaired and will answer
through the summer months, and will be
used, after our new meter is put in, to
register the gas from the generator
works.
All the foregoing, and many minor re-
newals and additions to our works were
necessary to enable US to carry on our
business to advantage. They have all
been planned and carried out by our en-
gineer, in pursuance of the votes of the
directors, with ability and with suntiring
energy. He has explained every detail of
the work to the president before begin
ming on it, and has kept him informed of
it's daily progress. He has carried all to
completion without accident or mistake
and with the utmost economy, the cost in
every case being within the estimates,
and there has bean no Interruption in the
supply OF .gas while making all the
changes involved.
For the coming year the principal ex-
penditures will be for new purifiers,
new generator plant, and new station
meter
Our present purifiers are very old and
are OF about one half of the capacity need
ed for our present production Of gas.
The gas has to be passed through them SO
rapidly that it is difficult to eliminate the
sulphur, and frequent changes of the
boxes are necessary entailing considerable
expense for labor, besides the risk from
back pressure This risk has been avoid
ed by constant vigilance, the seal in our
boxes being but eighteen inches deep.
The now purifiers will have four boxes "a
feet square by feet deep, with "a inch
seal OF the most advanced construction,
with valves arranged for using the boxes
in series or in any combination. A build
ing:l25 feet long, Al feet wide, and 45 feet
high, IS needed for the purifiers and is in
DrOpresS~I