Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-01

which bears the fly Wheels, measures eigh-
teen inches in diameter. On an ocean liner
this shaft would do all the work. carrying
the screws. on the pump it merely carries
the fly wheels. These are two in number
and weigh $4,000 pounds each. They are
necessary to the smooth operation of the
machine.
Pumping water is one of the hardest
duties which an engine can be called on
to perform. especially when the fluid is
pumped under fire pressure of 1875 pounds,
as at Omaha. The plungers to the pumps,
which, by the way, are located directly
under the steam cylinders, weigh $4,000
pounds each II is necessary. then, for the
steam cylinder to lift this enormous weight
as the plunger goes up. When II starts
down there is a pressure of 10000 pounds
against the head of the pump plunger. As
there are three cylinders and three pumps,
the engine takes practically instantaneous
load of $4,000 pounds three times during
each revolution. The elasticity of steam
is so great that were it to work directly
against the pump plunger it would stag
ger" The great balance wheels prevent
this.
The nicely with which the pump is de-
signed will also be observed. The plunger
weighing 81 900 pounds, is lifted by steam.
Going down, II falls by gravity until 1t
takes the load of water This being $4,000
pounds the steam has the difference be-
tween the weight of the plunger and the
load of water, or $4,000 pounds to work
against Thus the steam pressure is ball
anced in each cylinder all the time.
There is another advantage to this type
of machine which is probably more appre-
ciated by the owners than by the public.
ia
about three pounds of coal per horse power
per hour to work the then used pump. The
new engine uses only one and one-half
pounds OF coal per horse power per hour to
procure the same results which is a saving
of 80 per cent. This is said to be the most
economical engine in the world
It's saving, where 10000 tons of coal are
burned yearly, as at Florence, is naturally
10000 tons annually. This amounts TO some
thing like $4,000. as the coal costs about
s1.65 ton. The capacity OF this great
pump is 100000 gallons day, against
pressure of 40 pounds. II runs slightly in
excess of this when the pressure is only
lbs pounds.
The present owners OF the plant have
recently installed a duplicate of this en-
CINE, save that 1t has a capacity Of 20 100000
gallons daily. This additional service is
inches longer than in the first machine. An
improvement was made in building the
water chambers OF gun metal instead OF
iron, which makes them three times as
strong and practically indestructable.
With the new pump installed, the Flor
ence station has a capacity OF 100000 gal
Ions a day. against fire pressure there be-
ing still kept. ready for service, the old
double compound Holly pump OF 100000
gallons capacity. These pumps are called
thigh duty" machines, forcing the water
under high pressure. In addition, there are
in the Florence power house three low
service engines, which take the water from
the river and lift It only into the settling
basins. Two of these are 100000 galloas
capacity each, the other which has been
recently installed, is Of 100000 gallons
capacity.
Steam for all this machinery is fur
nished by battery Of sixteen seventy-twO
and seventy-eight-lnch boilers, burning the
cheapest slack coal. Yet one seldom sees
any evidence OF the smoke coming from
the station chimney. The reason for this
is that in each furnace is a simple but
perfectly reliable device. invented also by
Captain Reynolds. which burns the smoke
perfectly. 1t consists OF an arrangement
of the fire bricks in the fire chamber
by which the products Of combustion are
made to take certain course over white
hot bricks until they are consumed them
selves.