Smyrna times., 1921-01-19

and progressive community, is a grow
ing tendency, especially in the west
for central town heating plant. It
is hardly probable that Delaware
towns will take up with this innova-
tion, but it is interesting to learn that
Paul H. Woodruff in the Popular Me-
chanics, has to say:
Heating residences and business
houses from a central plant is so at
tractive in principle especially as fuel
difficulties increase, and so often fails
in practice, that an analysis of one
thoroughly successful installation of
this kind is well worth while. In the
unusual undertaking under considera-
ton, success has atttnded the finan-
cial as we'll as the service side of the
operation; and further interest is con-
tributed by the fact that it is a NUM-.
cipally owned and conducted utility,
which takes care of the electric-light-
ing demand and the local water sup
ply as we'll as the community heating.
"The village of Waterloo, Wis, in
which this service is installed, has a
population around 1000, and boasts
three blocks of business buildings.
mostly two-story. The central plant
is about 300 feet from the center of
this group. In it is a 15O-hp. Corliss-
type engine, belted to a 1OO-kw., 1900
volt generator, and a duplex tandem
compound water-supply pump of Gin.
stroke. Steam for all three Services
is supplied by two 125-hp. tubular un-
derfeed boilers.
'From the plant to the distributing
center are an Sin. low-pressure steam
pipe, ain. return for condensation
water, and 2-in. high-pressure pine
for booster purposes and to supply
consumers desiring 10O-lb. steam.
Branching and extending one block in
each direction from the distributing
center are Ain, a 2-in., and lin.
pipe-a total of 1,1OO #. of heating
mains. All these lines are covered
with 11a-in. asbestos with a canvas
jacket, wrapped with bare copper wire
coated with asphalt paint, and run
through duct buried in a concrete
lined trench, with a dead-air space
around each pipe. Manholes and
drains are arranged to prevent any ac-
cumulation of water.
.'The entire cost of this plant, ready
for service, was $4,000. For the first
season the heating division of the util-
ity had only four customers, but they
were large, and paid in S5OS for five
months service. Now there are 46
heating customers, including two who
use high-pressure steam. Additions
of connections and meters for the new
subscribers have brought the plant
valuation up to S13,197, and the total
net income last season was S14,285.
On these figures, it is calculated that
the plant now has paid for itself after
four years of operation, and that con-
sumers have enjoyed a price for their
heat equivalent to $4.8O ton for the
best grade of Illinois coal, if used il
their OWE furnaces. This is computed
to represent saving of about $3,60'
year.
''The remarkable success of this in
stallation is attributed to the fact tha
expert engineering attention wa
given to its design and arrangement
based on critical study of local cor
ditions. And conversely, it is argue
that the numerous failures of simils
attempts, large and small, are du
solely to the common lack Of that tecl
nical consideration demanded by an
public-utility undertaking as the rel
sonable price of satisfactory servi'
and investment returns. It is inte