The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-26
City Plant Visited First by
Officials, Then the Crema-
tory and Then to Glen Mil
ler Park.
HIGHLY SATISFIED
OVER CONDITIONS
Plant Called a Model One,
Crematory Is. Satisfactory,
and the Park Is. in Excel
lent Shape.

Amid the whirr of the powerful dy-
namos of the Municipal Light and
Power plant, Nimrod Johnson, super
intendent of the plant, explained to
the interested city council and Off
Gals, the mysteries of the huge gen.
orators. switch boards and engines
6cials visited the plant on the first
of their series of inspection trips
which they will take to all parts of
the city.
Yesterdays trip included not only
the light plant but the crematory and
Glen Miller park. Conditions were
found to be excellent, although a num-
Der of improvements have been re-
commended, and will probably be car
ried out.
At the light plant, one engine and
generator carrying load of $50 kilo-
watts will be rebuilt. new base and
cylinder will be put in the engine, be-
sides some smaller improvements.
, The boilers will be improved with
new automatic stokers, which will in
crease their efficiency and decrease
the amount of coal used. The light
plant improvements will cost nearly
$4,000.
| At Glen Miller Park.
| At Glen Miller council is in favor
of the board of works plan of con-
structing a concrete arch over a gully
between the lower entrance to the
Chautauqua grounds and the East
Main street entrance. The cost of this
probably $500, will be taken from the
money in the Chautauqua fund. The
arch will he built in the most artistic
way. according to the mayor, and
probably will be surmounted by elec.
trio lights, making this section of the
driveway in Glen Miller a most attrac-
tive one.
The crematory, under the superin.
tendency of William Whitacre was
found in good working order. Recent
improvements to the extent of 500
were made here, including a refining
of the furnace and coal pit. A sum
OF $1,000 was appropriated for re-
building the crematory, but this mon
ey was transferred to an appropria
ton to pay for the city's part of the
pavement of North E street.
The light plant was the source OF
great interest to the council The
) plant is model of cleanliness on the
inside and out, and would be the pride
of any housewife. Surrounding the
: building is we'll kept grass plot
: dotted with several flower beds.
Called a Model Plant.
,, Within. the brass work, the hard
, wood floors. and the engines are pol
ished. The mayor adjusted his crava'
. from the big switchboard. The walls
which were recently painted, and the
, well kept boiler rooms and machine
, shop. complete what the mayor ant
officials term, ''the most perfect mum
/ cipal plant for a city of Richmond:
size in America"
, There are three engines or general
: ors in the plant, which make the cur
rent for the city. The first and larg
est is gigantic turbine generator
of 500 amperes capacity. The shat
in this machine makes 1900 revolu
tions per minute, or 100000 per hour
To "show the city fathers how i
worked" Chief Engineer Howard
Gluys put the machine in action while
the mayor and his helpers stoot
around gasping for breath. For man.
= of them it was the first trip through
the municipal light plant and the.
! were considerably astonished.
At three o'clock in the afternoon
, when the engine was placed in opera
, ton, the city was only pulling from s.
to 80 ampere load, and as the general
: or is built for a 125 ampere pull, i
, did not operate as satisfactorily a
cording to Gluys.
The other generators are Of $50 an
800 ampeTes capacity. During the da
only one engine is in use, the pull Sc
o dom rising over 100 amperes. How
r. ever at night it requires two small
engines and the big turbine. running
at their fullest capacity to furnish tn
required current. At times the pul
from the city runs as high as $50
!, amperes, which can only be met b
forcing the engines to the limit. join
heavy pull is hard on the engines an
for this reason desires a new engin
Next year a new unit, which include
the generator and its appliances, wi
be necessary.
i Condition Is the Best.
The apparatus at the plant is no'
Z in tip top condition. So steady ar
the engines, that on the top of tn
cylinders. into which piston is goin
at the rate of 120 revolutions per nir
ute, coin can be placed on edge witt
out its toppling over.
Z During the year 1910 the plant ca
ried 3,065, $50 kilowats, and in 1870!
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