The St. Louis Republic., 1904-12-31

The Board a. Public improvements has
under aiviscment the establishment Of
lish;. heat and power station for furnish
ing the POOrhouse. Insane Asylum ard the
I'o!Ga,e Hospital with these necessities
The plans were drawn UP by Chief En-
gir"er James ". Wood and involve one
of the most unique engineering feats ever
devised for the relief OF municipal build
inss
Other than the fact that the proposed
station is to be distinct from the build
inGs 10 b: benefited by its service. the
scheme includes many or the ideas Mt
urescnt in force on the municipal Lighting
;ian,. which furnishes light and heat TO
the new and Old city Halls Four Courts,
Courthouse and engine house No. s.
Chief Engineer Wood bcfaves that the
new plant would pay for itself in a very
shor; time. as the City Hall lighting plant
has done. He has compiled figures show
ing the enormous saving in the idea, and
the capacity of the station to furnish not
only heat ami light to the three city in
sututions, but also hot and cold water for
bath and laundry purposes ana ammonia
and other chemicals for cold storage plants
In each of the buildings.
PRESIDENT PHILLIPS INTER ESTE,p.
No other city in Tn" country has the ai
vsntagcs Of such system. and Mr.. Wood
states there is nothing experimental about
the scheme. For the past two years ne
has spent rnuch time on the plans. and
has Fucceedcd in arousing the enthusiasm
Of Hiram Phillips for the project. He has
figured the cost roughly at between $50
900 and $4,000 and at the present cost OF
| supplying these institutions with these
| commodities. Mr.. Wood believes. the city
would be able to pay for the station and
installation Of the machinery inside OF
three years.
At present each Of the three buildings
| Is equipped with heating apparatus which
prepares the water for laundry purposes
and heats the buildings. These boilers are
comparatively new. Being installed by Mr..
Phillips during his term as President of
the Board of Public improvements They
arc operated ut considerable cost to the
rlty each wear in slaries for engineers.
firemen. extra cost for bringing coal to
each of The buildings and other expendi-
lures.
LOCATION Is IDEAL
Repeatedly iIr Wood. as the chief en-
gineeT Of the city. has been called to s,I-
Dervise repairs on the boilers and install
pipes and other work requiring the serv-
ices OF an experienced engineer fI!s at
tention was attracted to the high ground
upon which the buildings are erected and
20 tho ravfnr looted between the Poor
house and the Insane Asylum Just south of
Arsenal street. The Female hospital on
the north side of the street IS tho highest
ri ,,f
being lsS feet above tho cir"c,rix. II lines
are drawn from each of thcs- structures
to 90 other Il forms triangle.
Being a practical engineer. STr. Wood
INN ediately conceived tho idea of locating
4 central station for furnishing heat light
and power to the three buildings and 10
eating the plant in the ravine running
scLth from the street and between the IN
sane Asylum and the Poorhousa
The lay of the ground assuring tho re-
the three buildings to the central point
favored the plan. Mr. Wood drew rough
sketch and has; since beeH al work on pre-
pairing The plans of the proposed station.
Mr.. Phillips has heartily entered into the
scheme. and the originator of the plan be
iieves its novelty and the assurance of its
success. with its immense saving yearly to
the city officials
Will. CONGREGATE BOILERS.
Mr.. Woods plan is TO remove all the
boilers from the three buildings and place
them in the central station. He then
proposes to tunnel from this station TO
each OF the Institutions. carrying the heat
light. hot and cold water. ammonia and
other services through pipes in the tun-
re!.
The distance from the proposed station
to the Insane Asylum is l.el9 feet: from
the Poorhouse TO the station. 800 feet.
ton. 1000 feet. The elevation Of the Fe-
male Hospital, on which site It is proposed
to locate the new City Hospita! in case
the 100000 appropriation now before the
House Of Delegates goes through 81 35
feet above the level of the proposed sta
ton.
pllshed only by the greatest expense II
il were not for this natural decline. The
decline of the three tunnels to the sta
ton. however. does away with the neces-
sity OF utilizing pumps 70 force The return
OF water and condensation. No artificial
means viii be nes6ed for the scheme. the
condensation and wastes returning to the
central station by the force Of gravity.
The distance between the structures and
the tunnel.ng. however. makes the scheme
a distinct engineering triumph;
will be possible to furnish all three build
ings with heat in abundance, light, A cold
storage plant for the preservation OF per
isiiable supplies in the city Institutions,
and an ice plant supplying Ice the year
round and hot and cold water for the baths
and laundry.
Inc wafer IDr me pl1nl VIII HOW down
the natural incline. from the street to the
plant and bv slight hydraulic pressure
can be sent TO the buildings.
Mr. Woods plan does away with all
smoke. dirt and the Inconvenience oI
Ieaknres from the separate boiler plants
which have been a constant nuisance to
The superintendents and inmates OF the
Institutions.
The immense volume Of water, both3jot
and cold. used in these buildings. and the
heating and lighting equipment, with the
rf sI,f- -afr a MID tr,
regulated from the central station, which
is to be connected with the three buildings
by means of private telephone system.
UNNELS CARRY WIRES AND PIPES
The construction Of tie tunnel d along