The times., 1901-06-26
THE NEW LIGHTING PLANT.
THE Interior Department to Make Its
own Electricity Soon.

The electric lighting plant which Is to
be installed by the Department Of the In
terror. for the illumination of the Patent
Office the Pension Office. and the de-
partment annex buildings. will not be in
position for some months. but the plans
and specifications are well under way
and proposals for part of the necessary
work have already been opened and other
proposals asked for.
Bids for the water tube boilers and in
duced draft apparatus were opened last
Saturday In the office Of Chief CLERK Daw-
son, in the Department of the Interior
and proposals have been invited and will
be opened July l for the engines and
dynamos which are to be installed in the
plant. Plans have been submitted for the
approval of the District Commissioners
for the system of conveying the electric
wires to the various buildings.
The plant is to be installed underneath
the centre court in the departmental an
mex building, known also as the old Post
Office Department building, which is now
occupied ty the Land Office and the In
dian Bureau. This building is honeycomb-
ed with cellars of dimensions adequate
for the large machinery To be set in
place. No other building under the con-
troll of the Interior Department offers as
good facilities for such a purpose. The
delivery of coal, an important considera-
ton. can be effected without difficulty.
The wagons can drive into the court yard.
and the coal can be dumped directly into
the cellars provided for them, without
other handling until required for use.
The boiler plant is tc consist of three
water tube boilers OF first-class construc-
ton and merit Two of the boilers will be
-
in separate setting. The boilers must be
suitable to carry an average working
steam pressure of 80 pounds TO the
square :nch, and each OF them must
have capacity to continuously evaporate
1880 pounds of water per hour into dry
steam at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, when
operated under the pressure named, and
Of being forced one-third above that ca
pacity. Improved smoke consuming fur
naces are to be provided for the boil
ers, of a down draft water tube CRATE
type. 1t must be guaranteed by the con-
structoIs that 80 per cent of the smoke
shall be consumed.
The boilers with the induced draft ap-
paratus are to be contracted for by the
submitted estimates last Saturday for the
work. After the award Uf the contract
three months viii be allowed the contr9c-
tor in which to complete this part of the
is now under advisemsnt By committee
selected by the Secretary Of the Interior.
it is not believed. viii be long deferred,
there appears to be a disposition 20 get
the work under way quickly.
The engine and dynamo plant Will con-
sist of three horizontal self-contained.
duplex or tandem. compound non-con-
densing engines. and one horizontal self
contained simple engine, and two 100
kiiowatts dynamOs, one seventy-five kilo-
watts dynamo, and one fifty hlOwatts
dynamo. The engines are to be of recog-
nized standard manufacture OF the latest
type, and with all improvements up to the
date of making the bid. The smaller
dynamo is TO be operated by the simple
engine, while the larger engines are de-
signed for operating the other three dyna-
mos. The dynamos are to be Of a multi
polar pattern with internal arnatures. of
the latest type manufactured. The ca
pacity of the largest dynamos IS to be 40
amperes under full load: OF the seventy
five kilOwatts dynamo. 800 amperes, and
of the smaller dynamo, DO amperes The
entire capacity Of the plant under full
load viii be 1,430 amperes. Four months
is to be allowed the successful contractor
in which to complete this part Of the
work.