The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-12-10
AT THE, wATERWORKs

A Star reporter visited the city
plant Sunday morning and found Sup
erintendent Caldwell, Mr.. Writ and
their helpers remembering the Sab
bath day by tearing holes in it. They
were working with great energy on
the muffier from the oil engine.
Having seen in the Banner of that
morning that the vote of that able
journal would probably depend on the
noiseless operation of the engine, we
inquired if either Mr.. Caldwell or Nh.
Writ was a candidate, as we are
quite certain none of the other alder
manic aspirants has the technical
knowledge to operate the machine. Joe
Coldwell, however, said they were
toiling and moiling because the sup
ply of wood at the old plant was suf-
ficient to last only about twenty
hours, with no certainly of obtaining
more, and that neither he nor Writ
wanted job on the council, where
man isn't only damned if he does or
if he doesn't, but if somebody or
something else does or doesn't.
The job of muffing the engine looks
very simple. The exhaust pipes are
put underground and connect with
several big iron cylinders, thru which
the gas exhausts itself into pit fill
ed with big rocks.
Our friend, H. w. Tucker, says it
can't be did, and that the ding thing
will bust. We don't like to think
Tuck is wrong about anything, but
we hope he is mistaken about this for
we have figured the Star office is just
in range of such an explosion, and if
Tuck is right, why, then, some night
as we sit here, keeping awake to write
something to put our friends to sleep
next evening, couple of hundred
pounds of rock or iron may come thru
the roof and the Odd Fellows hall ana
so thru US and the floor and smash
the cases of new type in the job Of
flee right under us. Which would be
a devil of muss for the janitor to
clear up next morning. Such an oc
currence, however, might seaSon the
town for any Zeppelin bombardment
the kaiser may treat US to.
While we were looking on, the ex-
press wagon drove up, bringing the
piston rod and it's head for the big
steam engine Joe Caldwell rejoiced,
but his citation soon passed, for when
he went to look at the rod he found
it had been sent without the accom-
panying rings, which means another
delay, either to have rings sent from
the factory or make them here.
Very few people have any idea of
the difficulties the plant has worked
under for over year. There is, for
one thing. the matter of fuel. Coal
cant be obtained at any price. We
are living in country full of. wood,
but wood is most difficult to obtain.
For long time, it was impossible to
secure cars. The railroad managed
to spare the city few cars the other
day. and straightway the government
commandeered half of them. The city
now has the use of two cars. and one
or both NAV be taken at any time.
Wood is obtained from Mr. Cocowitch
of Dunnellon, and another contractor
south of the city, and thov are hav-
ing trouble, on account of the scarcity
of labor, in keeping even two cars
loaded. And so it goes.
A 8 soon as the big steam engine is
back in commission. it will save half
of the wood now beino used. And
when the best of the en@ines at the
old plant is moved into the new one
the CITY will have battery of en-
oines very had to break entirely
down.
If the oil engine is muffled, it will
be the best machine to use. as its fuel
costs much less than wood But there
is no telling when oil, like coal, may
be cut off