The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-07
new INC|NERAT0R At
PETERSBURG MODEL
KEFUsE' DISPOSAL PLANT ONE
OF MOST MODERN IN THE
COUNTRY.
ALL GASES ARE BURNED
NO DOORS ARISE FROM DES.
TWUU11ON OF GARBAGE TO
ANNOY REsIDENCEs OR
SCHOOLS NEAR RI.

WNN2NS0A0 NkA<AEt H.
The city sf Petersburg. Va. ia Jan
uafy Of this year put into operation
what - said TO DO one OF the most
modern and efY3cicnt refuse dest-uc-
ZION plants In the United States. A
committee composed of members OF
the Health Committee OF the city and
City Engineer. n. ID. Budd. made an
extensive trip OF inveetiga through
out several Northern cities and also
to sosns Of the Southern cities having
modern incineratinG plants. In its
report the committee recommended
the purchase Of the Decarie water
jacksted type OF incinerator because
II III great dursb ility and efficiency.
The contract was entered into with
the Decarie Incinerator Co, of Min
neApoiis. Mimi. for plant 90 s
tens daily capacity al q cost OF $2s,-
$50 FOR the complies plant installed.
The incineratin9 plant is located In
the southwest quarter OF the city.
only 100 feet from one OF the public
schools. and In surrounded ON all sides
BY residences.
All material, including garbage,
trash, paper. ashes. etc. Is dumped d.
rectly from the wagons through an
furnace. In this type OF plant no
storage Of the material In necessary.
and insan!tary conditions arc done
away with by its method OF opera
ticn.
The furnace is OF the an-steel wat
err Ack eted type, and liz I feet wide
by 8 feet high. having Sc square feet
OF crate surface and made with IA
four Inch water space on all fe1r
sides. together with a le-inch steam
space at the top. An eight-inch longt-
ky,H AZ frsn
water spaces. and from this header
the two-inch basket pipes lead te.
the f1rebox and to the crown sheet
above. forming a basket which IS in
des.ructibie. due 10 the fact that the
refuge In tho basket Is held abon.
Two fest above the IRE on the lower
or cast-fron shaking CRATES. where II
Are free access to Ali parts q: the
1ewly~chsrGed materisl without in
any wsy chstructing the drauGht rr
AeMdenin4 the fire. Wet material
becomes dried while i6dgeti ~ an
upper CRATE among the flames ead
partially burns before IL drops OF
iis own accord onto the lower crate
for fffiAl consumption.
The gnseo OF com buetior pass into
\ brick -lined. steel-encased oineustion
cha amber. where fresh oxygen from
the forred draft fan Ia intr ,anccd and
thoroughly mixed with Them before
they 20 on to the chimney II is in
this chamber that the heat ard fresh
hot air IL said to completely burn
ths gasen and destroy all the odorA
From here the hot gases pass up
through the tubes OF the prehea.sr.
or fegenerator. and are thea drawn
from above the preh~atsr through
rho induced draft fan and discharged
into the chimney through an under
Eround, firebrick-iined duct, as in6i-
Gated In the illustration.
The preheater il formed by sf2 2 i-2
inch boiler tubes expanded into three
eights-inch steei-plate neads- The
mir supply for the forced -dra:t -
drawn from the ceilings OF both stories
and around the outside CT the tubes
Of the preheater. becoming heated TO
500 degrees OF 400 degrees before
entering into the ashpit beneath the
lower CRATES This air in the ashpH
10 maintained at q maximum pres
SURE Of about Ia inches. The
Aahpit is divided into four sections
by brick walls. ana each section has
q shu:-on nozzle for The blast, so
that any section OF tho crate can
Be cleaned without disturbing the
oshsr portions of the Are, Ths h.at
forced draft 10 the essential itsm that
enables the material to be burned
eithout he addition OF fuel.
Burns rs Tons . Day.
re fans are steam driven, ,he
steam being furnished by the heat
from the burning refuse IN the water
sacketsd furnace and the available
or Installation IL i.5 pounds Of wafer
per pound Of refuse consumed. Tho
furnace u capable OF maintaining i
pressure Of 100 pounds per square
inch. All blowoffs and exhausts lead
directly into the chimney.
Ths chimney - Of radial brick
construction, l-e feet diamesscr at
he top and lc5 feet high
All equipment IL housed in SUBJ
s.antiai brick building Of nreproof
construction, with slate roof on steel
;russcsA The floors OF tho building
are OF Generate. cloped to proper
dreins. Toilet and locker-room are
srovided. Electric lights and hot and
cold water, ~ well ~ steam hose CON
leotiona. are provided on both floors.
Tho Contract called for burning
cofhpietely IS tons of refuse In 81
hours without the escape OF odors or
chimney. The cost Of sncine.ation
vas to be not more than 30 cents per
ton: this to cover all operating en-
penses. This was made on no xxlpu-
lsted mixture OF refuse. N the coatrac-
lOrs agreed to take the mater,~l '.as
d, Gated by the city from day to day"
These guarantees were made on the
superstition that labor should snot ex-
coed cost OF % cents per hour. or
the cost OF coal that might be nsces-
sary would not be more than IS per
ton.
The analysis OF the clinker ana ash
produced showed the refuse to be
S7.es per cent mineral. The tenn
reratures in this type Of plant are
claimed to be ct all times sufficiently
liigh,t to insure complete combustion
and al clinker produced II OF VT.
roOus nature.
II VII sbe noted that even though
tbs actual labor ~ employed by the
ssity cost more than the contract pro-
vlded for the plant was able to pro-
dnce the required results. TheSs toats
could 10 materially reduced II the
xkean gsnsFAted could be disposed u
to come Advantage. such - helping
nj heet the nearby eckoolhcuse,
gzs3s MI ~