Evening star., 1937-11-14
By Isabelle Florence
Story.

HOUGH billiards. rage, or icy
rains chill the marrow of him
who ventures forth into the
L open, 1900 Federal Govern
ment workers in the city of Washing
ton keep snug and warm indoors
through the direct labors of 70 men.
For Uncle Sam has working for him
one of the most efficient robots of
modern times-a great central heating
plant that, under the direction of its
70 masters. adequately heats rs Fed
eral buildings in the Capital City, with
q total floor space of $40 acres.
To make more stupendous the task,
these buildings are scattered over an
area of two square miles, from First
street and Indiana avenue NV, on
the east to the Naval Hospital on
the west, and reaching from the Fed
eral Warehouse at Seventh and D
streets S.W., on the south; north to
the Treasury Annex, which is Just
north of the Treasury Building.
NEXT to the New York Steam Cor
poration, "Kips Bay Station" in
New York City, the Governments
central heating plant in Washington
is the largest in the country, if one
includes only those plants used strict
ly to generate steam for heating.
To one who has not seen this ultra
modern heating system, the very name
conjures up great, sprawling, dingy
building or group of buildings, into
which dust-throwing coal is shoveled,
and with tall black stacks belching
soot-laden smoke-but nothing could
be farther from the truth.
For this robot-furnaceman is housed
In an impressive building of buff-col-
ored brick and limestone, artistically
yet simply designed, to harmonic with
the magnificent new Federal office
buildings. In design and general ap-
pearance it suggests far more a tenn
pie of science or industrial research
than the abode of the Federal fur
naceman.
Even smoke-stacks are lacking-ap-
parently. Actually, there are six of
them, only 143 feet high, incased in
stainless steel enclosures and sur
rounded by brick parapet that con-
ceals them effectively at close range
80 that they are visible only to those
at considerable distance from the
plant. And they do not emit smoke
to blacken the fair city of Washing
ton-only faint haze may be dis
cerned If one watches the skyline
above the parapet wall.
The heart of the heating plant lies
In its furnace room. Again before the
uninitiated arises a mental picture
of floors powdered in coal dust and
grimy engineers forever stoking, stok-
ing the jaws of the giants that give
forth sufficient heat to warm the
greater part of Federal Washington.
But again nothing could be farther
from the fact.
TO GET the paast dramatic effect,
the visitor TO the furnace room
should first enter the balcony over
looking the boiler room with its six
huge boilers, whence comes the steam
that keeps Washington warm.
1t is truly astounding sight. The
red-tiled floor appears immaculate;
there is a complete absence of hustle
and bustle. Perhaps at the moment
no one is in sight, or one or two
workmen may be seen watching
cages and in general looking out for
the welfare of the brobdinagian robot
1ntrusted to, their care.
But those six 400-pound pressure
boilers carry on with precision, burn
Ing an average of 100000 tons of coal
during the year. On the coldest day
on which they have so far operated
they consumed 1913 tons. On some
what chilly, drizzly day when the
writer toured the plant the boilers
were using 20 tons an hour. In sum-
mer, when only hot water is needed,
the average daily consumption is 80
tons.
The water used in manufacturing
the amount of steam necessary to
heat official Washington is a big item
in the operation of the plant. City
= water is used. Softened and chemi-
cally treated SO that it will not injure
the boilers, it leaves the plant In the
form Of steam, passing into the great
18-inch pipe lines, on into the smaller
lines, across town, under parks and
streets and shops and hotels, and to