Arizona republican., 1921-03-13

shovel will be in sight. It is to be a shovel less plant from beginning to end. No coal will be shoveled in and no ashes will be shoveled out. Every thing is to be automatic. A car dumps its fuel cargo into a hopper and passes on. Soon another car comes and re- ceives a load of ashes-and no human hand will have touched the coal in the entire process of transformation.
 There are other equally remarkable Features of this up -to-d date plant which make a strong appeal to anyone inter csted in seeing how manufacturers to- day are solving problems which would have been put aside as impossible less than a generation ago.
 The power plant is designed for an installed capacity of 10000 K. w. and it requires approximately 25,000 gallons of water a minute for each 10000 k. w. unit. There is no natural water supply within miles of the factory. To take water from the city mains and then waste it after passing once through the condenser would be out of the ques- tion. Not only would the cost be pro- hibitive-it would be about 70 cents a thousand cubic feet or $560 an hour but the drain of the citys supply would be far too heavy. In other instances where similar problems presented
 
 found in a cooling pond, large reser- voir where the water was stored and used over and over again. In this case, however, so large a tract was not avail able. Not only are property prices eN- tremely high, but there was danger that the spray rising from such a pond would damage newly manufactured cars and parts. So this plan also was abandoned
 
 From this problem or conglomera- ton of problems grew the plans for what has now become the largest cool ing tower in the world-a structure 146 feet long. 32 feet wide and 104 feet high. It is capable of cooling 1S.O00 gallons of water a minute from a temperature of 105 to S5 degrees when the outside temperature is 72 degrees and the relative humidity is 69 per cent. With other atmospheric conditions, the water will be cooled to within 25 degrees of the existing dew point with a minimum tempera- ture of 45 degrees. This tower effec- lively disposes of the problem which confronted Dodge Brothers construc- ton engineers. It makes possible the repeated use of the same supply of water. with a loss of only per cent due to evaporation. The tower is of the most substantial type, capable oi withstanding wind pressure of 90 miles an hour.
 Four immense smoke stacks each 27C i feet high and 13 feet in diameter arc being erected. They will be among the i largest in the country. Although the bower house was not started until May l1S. 1920. it is now practically ready 1 for operation. The first fire was started Feb. 1. Many of the factory executives were present to observe the ceremonies. Built at cost of S3,5OO, 900, the power plant is without ques- ton one of the engineering triumphs l of modern industry. It is significant in this connection, to observe that the etire plant was built by Dodge Broth ] CTS construction department. Witt this plant in operation, the factory is safeguarded against any future emer- gencies. such as the breakdown of the central power plant, on which many of Detroit's largest industries are de pendent.
 The new power house is only one oi a number of large expansion projects now in progress at Dodge Brothers