Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-02-27
The Last Thing in Efficiency and
Economy Seems to Have Been
Secured by the Super
intendent.
GREAT IMPROVEMENT MADE
A Record That the People Should be
Proud Of and Sustain Against
Unjust Assault.
GREAT IMPROVEMENT MADE

trio light. and water works are being
managed, Freeman-Tribune repre-
sentative yesterday took triI
through the power plant near the IL
linois Central tracks on the north
side. The representative, being ii
no sense an engineer, asked to be
shown only those portions Of the
plant in which radical or partial
changes have been made since the
plant came under the new regime
Furthermore, a request was made fo'
no technical explanations or scieIi-
tific terms, but plain understand
ing SO that a really lucid article able
to be understood by both men and
women unacquainted with the work.
ings of such a plant might be made
Vand be readable.
The extreme cleanliness of the ma
chinery room is the first thing that
strikes the eye as one enters the
great room filled with the whir and
buzz of machinery. Three shifts OF
firemen and engineers are now en-
ployed: the first shift going on al
s a. m. remaining until p. M; the
second shift going on at p. m. and
remaining until IL o'clock, mid
might; the third shift going on at / ?
O'Clock and remaining until a. m.
Each shift of engineer and fireman
lis required to keep detailed report
card Of the conditions at the plant.
Each dangerous part of the mach
inery is listed and report Of it's
condition left on the report card for
the next shift to examine. The low
pressure traps, safety valves, boiler
pump, water pump, etc., must each
be O. X. or is given immediate at
ltention end made 0. X. Every
pound of coal is weighed and all
meters read during each shift of OPP
orators at the plant, for the simple
but all comprehensive reason-Safe-
ty First. H. E. Reisner is the chief
engineer at the plant and must him
self inspect the reports of each shift,
acquainting himself with every con-
dition at the power house every few
hours.
AT times among critics Of the pres
ent method of running the power
plant one hears question raised re-
garding the electric load carried.
This question" would dissolve into
thin air if the questoner would but
60 to the light plant and look at the
recording graphic watt meter which
shows the load being carried. A sys-
tenn of multiplication applied to var
ious figures registered by other me-
ters proves the reading Of the watt
meter, so the "quotient multiplied by
the divisor, equals or should equal
the dividend"
One of the most interesting "econ
omies' now in practice at the power
plant is the oil problem. Two years
ago and more - barrels of lubricat-
ing oil was in use yearly at the pow
err plant. Last year, barrels were
used. During former years when an
economy in oil was desired, less oil
was used on the bearings. The oil
dripped through it's glass container
upon the bearings; now the oil runs
in a steady stream upon the bear
ings, the manager believing that
running drive wheels and
other machinery are the greatest
economies that can be practiced.
The economy is, that under each
place where the oil formerly dripped
and was carried off into the sewer.
there are tin spouts to catch every
drop and run it off into cans from
used over and over again. What
housewife can beat that in saving
The "drippings" from her meats and
'ryings? That is regular German
efficiency. Last year $500 approx
nately was saved on the oil bill for
Webster City's power plant.
. There used to be trouble from the
water getting into the engine, but a
high pressure steam trap now takes
he condensation from the steam be-
ore it can get into the engine cyl
nders. A quarter inch pipe former
y took care of the condensation, but
his is now replaced by an inch and
quarter pipe as the steam goes from
he boiler to the engine.
There are now three methods of
hecking up the actual amount Of
Mercy being employed. A little in.
trument which fits on the steam tap