Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-09-07
AN IMPOSING
LANDMARK

A visit to the hospital for the in
sane, where improvements are in prog
ress, just now abounds in unusual
interest, revealing not only the mag
nitude of the work under way, but al
so the finest kind of workmanship and
most modern methods of construction.
A casual glance over the work will
convince one that when completed the
heat, light and power plant at the hos
pital will stand without an equal in
this section of the State.
Upwards of fifty men are employed,
all under the general superintendent
of A. r. Wildey, who resides in this
city. Work ON the immense steel
stack, on the boilers and on the con-
crete building, the latter to house the
heat, light and power plant. is in prog
ress all at the same time.
The most striking feature of the
new work is the l50-foot steel stack,
which has now risen to the height of
fifty feet. The stack will be the high
est object in this section. To secure a
firm foundation it was necessary to
excavate to depth of sixteen feet.
The base of heavy masonry, founded
on the solid rock, extends II feet,
inches above the surface of the ground
The base, which is octagonal in form,
will have finished front. Concreted
over, it will present a massive and
artistic appearance. At the bottom of
the base the greatest distance from
face to face is twenty-four feet, taper
ing to sixteen feet at the top. The
steel stack proper, at the base is four
teen feet in diameter from that point
it tapers gradually to distance of
twenty feet, where it is ten feet
in diameter
The stack is a "self-contained"
stack, by which is implied that no guy
ropes will be used to keep it firm !;
neither is any scaffolding employed in
its construction. An ingenious system
of appliances is employed, under which
the big stack grows as if by magic and
in ten days time unless plans fail it
will be finished. On the inside of the
stack is table, suspended, which is
gradually elevated as each successive
five-foot section of plate is riveted on.
On the "table" is II gin pole, which
inclines out over the side of the stack
and carries a rope connected with a
heavy crab on the ground, by the means
of which the sections of plate are rails
ed up and held at any level desired for
riveting. On the outside on level
with the top is a Cradle" carrie d
upward also as the stack grows in
height, ON which the workmen stand
to rivet the plates fast in their proper
positions.
H. r. Fowler, erecting engineer for
E. Keeler & company, has charge of
the boiler construction. James Sui
livan, of Williamsport, assisted by
Robert bought of the same place. is
directly in charge of work on the big
stack. The boilers, three in number,
are of $50 horse power each. E. Keeler
& Co. installed the steam plant at the
capitol at Harrisburg; also at the New
York post office and at the Chicago
stock exchange. The work done by L.
Keeler & Co. at the hospital for the
insane will correspond with the best
work done by that company at the
capitol or at the other buildings. The
boiler plant at the hospital is the fin
est and most complete in the State.
The boilers are walled up in front
with white enameled brick, laid in
marble dust, while the side and rear
walls are laid with pressed brick mix
ed with red mortar. The boilers are
suspended on steel suspension frames
and are entirely independent of the
brick work. 9. B. Sauers, of Will
Transport, has charge of the brick
work at the boilers.
The concrete building for the heat,
light and power plant begins to show
up very handsomely Not only is it the
first concrete building built in Dan
vile, but it possesses features wholly
new in concrete construction. 1t is,
therefore, wholly unique and worthy
of study. The walls vary, running
four, five, six and eight inches in
thickness Nothing so thin in concrete
has ever been attempted before. Not
only does it give the structure, whose
exterior is broken by tall pilasters, an
ornate and graceful appearance, but it
is averred by the experts in charge
that the thinness of the walls renders
them more pliable and hence imparts
to them greater tenacity, so that they
could be relied upon to withstand al
most any shock, even that of an earth
quake. Ordinarily small forms, say,2
by feet are used in building concrete
walls. but at the power plant depart
ure was made by using forms l6 to .lS
feet in length and 4 to 6 feet in height.
Another unique feature about the con-
Stl uCbloh VI tphSlttt 10
that the roof is being put on while the
walls are still incomplete and from
present appearances the roof will be-
finished long before the concrete work
on the walls.
Wesley Bartine, of Philadelphia, has
charge of the engineering and con-
struction of the builliup and also the
making of the steam connections.
Each of the gentlemen above named,
at the head of the various departments
of the work, is not only an acknowledge
ed expert in his line, but is courte-
Gus and oblIging gentleman and is en-
titled to a good word in passing.
(NcT0DlA