Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-02

chairman; r. III. Chappell chief en-
@lneer of the bureau of engraving and
printing. and y. S. Thompson, chief me-
chanical and electrical engineer of the
supervising architects office.
The equipment of the new plant is to be
the last word in engineering of this type.
1t Will also make this one of the largest
plants of its kind in the United States.
Heat and light will be supplied by sixteen
great high pressure boilers. each one
made entirely of steel and representing
-DO-horsepOwer- The water will be heat
ed in each boiler by network Of tubes
through which it will percolate. BY thus
breaking up the total bulk of the water
into countless small bodies the heat will
have Il moro direct approach to each drop
and will generate steam all the more
quickly and effectually The stocking is
to be managed almost without labor by
chain CRATES, which consist of a series of
overlapping churns that take up the coal
al one end and turn it about and about
at regulated speed until it passes into
the fire and out again at the other end i'll
the form of ashes. This automatic device
can be so regulated as to burn cheap soft
coal economically and with next to no
smoke. Insurance against a shortage of
fuel. whether due to strikes in the mining
regions or to any other cause. is provided
for by Installing Il series of bunkers
with a storage capacity of 2.600 tons
enough for months supply.
Electricity for the score or so of gov
eminent buildings will be produced 10y
three generators. each with capacity of
1000 volts, operated by turbine engines.
Steam, it is explained. is selected for
heating for the reason that with the eN-
ception of the Treasury. State, War and
Navy buildings and "a portion of the
White House all of the structures TO be
supplied by the plant are now equipped
with steam-heatinS apparatus In addi-
ton, they require about 900 horsepower
of steam for industrial purposes, such,
for instance. the running of presses.
That portion of the White House now
heated by hot water. it is recommended.
should be equipped with steam system.
while the other two water-heated build
ings can retain their present apparatus.
AS an incidental measure of economy.
it is provided that the condensation OF
the steam used in the bureau OF ensrav-
ing and printing and in the Department
of Agriculture will he returned to the
powerhOuse and discharged into we'll
from which the boiler feed pumps take
suction. In this way the slight degree
of warmth still remaining in the water
will not be wasted.
The pipes conveying the steam and pow
er will be laid in tunnels, of which there
are to be three miles or more. The
main tunnel will run by way of the bu
reau of engraving and printing up 18th
street through the Mall to the Treasury.
with branches supplying the govern
ment buildings lying to the east and
west.
The tunnels will be built of concrete
with lidded tile cover and will be rem
dered as nearly waterproof as possible,
as a safeguard against the remote pos
sibility of inundation from rising in
the river. The electric wires will be laid
in vitrified earthenware ducts, sufficient
ly separated from the pipe tunnel to pre-
vent any heat transfer.
Thus, when the plant is completed, ac-
cOrding to these plans. Uncle Sam will
be able to demonstrate practically to the
world exactly what he has been preach
ing for years-that d power plant needn't
be an eyesore in a city, and that it is
perfectly possible to end the smoke nu-
sance by proper methods. while at the
same time making light heat and power
for less money than under the old sys-
tenn
What the loss to American cities now
is. quite aside from the question of
wasteful production methods implied bv
smoking chimneys. has been indicated
by III. NJ. Wilson. chief engineer of the
experiment station of the United States
bureau of mines. located at Pittsburgh,
who declares:
The damage annually done the large
towns of the United States by smoke
would build in every city of 100000 in
habltantS, in the country a structure
equal to the Congressional Library. con-
sidcred the most beautiful building in
the world There would I've left over
enough to maintain the army and navy
for the current year-and ten plenty left.
after that, TO build the Capitol at Wash
ngtOn.'
Sounds startling. doesn't it? Mere
smoke, remember
But Mr.. Wilson talks figures also. This
financial damage" he says. after Years
of careful computation. and comparison
with the' reports of scores of experts L
figure at S6OO,OO0OOO annually"
There it is in dollars and cents,
The opinion of single man, YOU say?
Well. take this from the Iron Age,
veteran in this line. served up hot in a
January edition.:
Annual loss in Cleveland from smoke. 5000 900
ANIMAL loss in Cincinnati. SOFA, 0tO
ANNUAL loss in Pit!shurgh ..... ioGo9Go
Estimated annual financial loss in United
States 500. oo0.ooo. or SIT for every man.
an and child living in large cities.
And these figures were obtained from
the smoke experts and college professors
delegated by these cities to estimate the
damage, and only Recently given to the
world after months of careful expert
work But this financial loss caused by
smoke does not include all the damage
done by this supreme nuisance. Look
closer.
There is the damage caused TO cloth
ing, to furniture, books, buildings, trees
in streets and parks. lighting of houses
and offices caused by lack of sunlight
and. ! score of other financial losses: but
these do not take in the dreadful toll
that smoke eXacts from the human being
One of the principal ingredients of smoke
is sulphuric acid, and every dweller in
a smoke-laden community must each mo-
meut take into his lungs this powerful
poison.
The result? This is the summary made
by the great physicians of America and
Europe:
The death rate from all lung diseases
is largely increased.
Tuberculosis gets in its deadly work in
half its usual time.
The general health is much depleted
owing To the constant breathing in of a
poison-laden atmosphere.
Free as air should be changed to
Dear as air. says DIR. Goler. health Of
ficer of Rochester. y. y. Smoke polluted
air attacks all organs, but chiefly the
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