The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-16

EXPERTS HAVE BEEN MAKING A
TEST FOR SIX DAYS.
The Plant Supplies the Jail and
Courthouse with Heat, Light
and Water.

The new power plant which supplies the
county jail and courthouse with heat, light
and water during the last week has under
gone severe test made by six experts
thoroughly familiar with all the mechanism
Of the delicate machinery that supplies the
power The plant occupies a comparative
ly small space in the rear jail yard and iS
in an artistic stone building, the outward
appearance of which is anything but that
of an engine house. The entrance is like
that to some public building, but across
the threshold the interior is striking con-
trast to the outer architectural design.
Three gigantic generators occupy one side
of the building and the other side is taken
up in office room and a workshop. In the
basement are the boilers and pumps.
There are three boilers, built upon the
plan adopted in naval construction, which
represent 675 horse power. The furnaces
are of the most modern pattern, with down
Draft and smoke consumer. The down
drafS is considered the most economical
in coal consumption of any plan of fur
race by leading engineers. More heat is
produced to the number Of pounds of coal
burned and the fire is kept more even.
Either boiler can furnish power sufficient
90 run the plant, SO that in the event of
an accident there is always one to fall
back upon. The coal bin is in easy reach
of the boilers, and the system of ventila-
ton makes the boiler room comfortable
for the fremen. The ashes are thrown
into a pit in one corner of the room, ele-
Vated by a belt and cups and dumped into
hopper on the outside severaf feet above
the ground. When the hopper is full
wagons can drive under it and be filled
with ease.
no i'm q RI
thing noticeable in this room is the alb
Sence OF belts. There are three pumps in
fill, any one of which has a capacity for
the entire plant so that any disarrange-
ment cannot cause serious trouble. The
pumps are run by steam. The machinery
is compact yet roomy enough so that any
part is easily accessible to the engineer
One pump supplies the water from the
wells for the courthouse. another supplies
the boilers and another is an air pump
10 exhaust and replenish the pipes for
various purposes, and also furnishes venti-
IL ton for the courthouse.
Along another side of the pump room are
several automatic registering indicators.
These automatically indicate the heat.
the generators and capacity of all the
power supplying machinery The mechan-
SIN attached TO the Indicators also gov
ems the heat so that the temperature Is
automatically controlled and maintained
at any given degree. This makes it posi-
bic for the engineer to tell the tempera-
courthouse from the engine room even more
efficiently than if he were in the court
house and took the temperature OF each
room with thermometer. The water for
the boiler is heated before 1t goes to the
| roller. another modern and economical
method.
The generators carry a voltage sufficient
to light the courthouse and Jail when run
ming below their rated capacity. One gen.
orator is kept in reserve in case of acct
dent During the test they were run %
per cent. in excess of their capacity with
no harmful friction, and are capable of
tors are large and each is a magnificent
piece of machinery and is almost noiseless.
The boilers were also tested % per cent.
beyond their capacity and stood the strain
coal was weighed and the water that went
into the boilers was measured so that the
actual ability of the plant and the cost of
running il might be correctly obtained
The experts. who represented the County
Commissioners and the Joseph McWilliams
Company, of Louisville, KY, the contractor
who put up the plant, never left the ma
chinery while it was running during the
six days test. Cards were taken on every
part of machinery in the plant at frequent
intervals ranging from one-half hour to
ten minutes apart so that correct esti-
mates can be given regarding every de-
The test made by the six experts ended
at o'clock Friday morning, and then be-
gan another six days test as a precau-
tionary measure to insure that everything
Is in perfect running order. This test is
principally for the County Commissioners.
When il is finished the experts will sub
NIT their reports to the commissioners.
and If the plant is found to be all that was
represented by the contractors it will be
accented The experts say the tests so far
have been highly satisfactory. and the con-
tractors claim the plant has even exceeded
expectations in running so smoothly at the