Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-08-25
FOR FIRE PROTECTION
OREGON POWER COMPANY IN
STALLS SPECIAL PUMP.
Many Other Improvements Made
Here Since the First of
the Year.

The latest appliance to be added to
the equipment of the Oregon Power
Company's generating plant in this
city is an effective fire pump, which is
capable of throwing water at the rate
of 600 gallons per minute, clear over
the roof of the huge fuel bin. 1t was
tried out few days ago and worked
so successfully that the man at the
nozzle thought he had just had hold
Of the business end of Kansas cy-
clone. Six fire hydrants will be
placed about the grounds for the pro
lection of the costly machinery and
the buildings that house them.
Since the beginning of the year i'm
provements in the plant have been go
ing on constantly and good many
thousand dollars have been paid out
during that time. An immense Cor
liss engine has been installed, which
provides sufficient power to more than
double the capacity. By the aid of
an intricate and dehcately poised in
strument known as "syncroscope,
it is possible to synchronize the two
huge generators, or work them stimuli
taneously, thereby carrying their
combined juices in harmony out over
the big fat feed wires that lead out to
Dallas and Independence and Mon
mouth.
New Switchboard.
A big marble and numerously pan
eIed switchboard has been put In
place in the engine room for the pur-
pose of regulating the outflow and
other kinds of flow of the electricity.
1t is quite an interesting, complicated
and important part of the place, but
is readily understood by anyone who
knows all about it. The front of it
consists principally of handles to pull
and push and turn and lift, and it
also carries flock of indicators and
fare registers and adding machines,
each about the size of setting hen.
The back of the switchboard fairly
bristles with copper wires which are
heavily swathed in bandages to pre-
vent people from furnishing them
with their bare hands.
The engine and generator room is a
model of neat housekeeping The
walls are white, there is an abundance
of light, and the machinery is kept
polished. The floors are clean, and
everything about bears the imprint of
order. Three crews of men are re-
quired to operate the plant, and they
work in shifts of eight hours each.
In the boiler room a huge water
tube boiler has been added, and an
elaborate self-feeding fuel conveyor
makes the work of stoking almost au-
tomato.
Fuel Capacity Enlarged.
The fuel bin has been enlarged and
the storage capacity greatly increased,
so that in case the sawmill should be
compelled to shut down, the supply of
sawdust on hand would be large
enough to feed the Oregon Power
Company's boilers for several weeks.
At the end of that time, fuel could be
obtained from the "hog," which the
electric company has placed near the
mill. When necessary, slabwOod and
refuse pieces of all kinds can be fed
into it and rapidly converted into
fuel to be used until the mill and
planer plant are running again.
For the use of the employees, when
their days work is over convenient
shower bath has beer placed in one
corner of the boiler room, where it is
librally patronized.
The plans of improvement provide
for landscaping the grounds, and this
fall they are to be graded and sown
to grass. Walks are to be laid out,
and flower beds will be planted in APP
propriate places.