New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-18
HEATING OF SCHOOLS.
4uditor Says Coal Might Be Sa0ed
bu Applying Scientific Methods.

xsa,r- . NJ Cook auditor of the Department Of
Education has submitted to the Board Of Educa-
ton plan for placing scientific basis the use
Of the $4,000 worth Of coal that IS consumed an
rua1Iv in heating the schoohouses of the city. In
the last year the supply committee of the Board OF
Education announced saving Of about %29'oVV IN
the coal bill for the year The requirements LOT
next year will be about fifteen hundred tons less
than was used IN the present year. officials OF the
department say that the saving was made TINS year
by drawing upon the coal reserve in the schooIS'
end that the saving viii continue as long as the re-
serve lasts.
In sneaking Of his plans Mr.. Cook said that he
had no desire TO reflect upon the integrity of the
persons responsible for the present method or
handling the in the schools, and that he had no
that every pound of the coal paid Tor nY the
city is honestly delivered the proper destination
His contention that the coal is distributed on the
basis of the amount that the 1anitors are able TO
consume. rather than upon the amounts required
end the sort Of coal required TO keep each school at
a proper fernperat1re In explaining his suggestions
TO the board he said:
The present method Of determining the needs OF
- - nc +La de-
not IN accordance with modern netIoos LOT t!e ue
termination of the proper quantity Of fuel TO be
the modern school building The bulk of the school
buildings Of to-day are equipped with modern APP
is general Every steam heating plant has its
BY the term conditions l refer to quantity,
quality and size Of coal burned. believe 1t would
be possible for the engineers employed in the De-
partment Of Education p9ssesslne as they 90. an
steam plants installed in the school buildings, 70
examine them and produce report which would
show the proper and adequate quantity or coal re
cuired to be consumed annually for the purpose OF
extracting from the heating apparatus now IN
stalled its maximum efficiency under normal con-
The effect OF this method would result IN uni
form basis upon which all heating plants would
run II would be shown 10 greater or less extent,
whether any wastefulness existed by a comparison
Of similar heating plants conducted with average
intelligence It would also bring out the fact as TO
whether or q heating plant was up to date and
whether It could be improved upon when making
new installations.
sponsihle Il equivalent plants did not produce sim
tiar results Every engineer knows that the pro
duc1on Of efficient result from given plant Is
largely dependent upon the care bestowed upon It's
quantity of coal consumed from which the units OF
heat are produced but from constant care and
watch1unsSs the actual condition OF the plant
itself. 1neflciency and inadequacy Of the heating
plant itself, If normal care and attention were
given far its running is concerned, would be
indicated by its eagre production OF results winch
Of itself might be remeded by structural changes,
INSTEAD Of attempting to produce desired result oy
the abnormal consumption of coal.
I Some years ago atte npt was made IN TINS de-
parsnent TO accomplish something of this kind and
Sor year g considerable saving was efected.
The problem, however, was not carried out in It's
entirety, and the system tentatively estabIshed
ras permitted fall into disuse and consequently
3artor-engineer ability TO consume It rather than
Hpon a strictly scientific and modern basis.
realize that It IS impossible to produce practical
results absolutely in accordance with theoretical
locations of school buildings necessarily tend to
change important factors; however the best of
foracce in engineering is necessarily based upon the
best known and most modern theories.