ing and its adjuncts,
as well as of the features which not only go to make it an
architectural landmark, but which adapt it specifically for the vital
function that it is called upon to perform. We now come to a review
and detailed description of the power plant equipment in its general
relation to the building, and "follow the power through" from the coal
pile to the shafts of the engines or steam turbines attached to the
dynamos which generate current for power and for light.
[Sidenote: _Coal and Ash
Handling
Equipment_]
The elements of the coal handling equipment comprise a movable
electric hoisting tower with crushing and weighing apparatus--a system
of horizontal belt conveyors, with 30-inch belts, to carry the crushed
and weighed coal along the dock and thence by tunnel underground to
the southwest corner of the power house; a system of 30-inch belt
conveyors to elevate the coal a distance of 110 feet to the top of the
boiler house, at the rate of 250 tons per hour or more, if so desired,
and a system of 20-inch belt conveyors to distribute it horizontally
over the coal bunkers. These conveyors have automatic self reversing
trippers, which distribute the coal evenly in the bunkers. For
handling different grades of coal, distributing conveyors are arranged
underneath the bunkers for delivering the coal from a particular
bunker through gates to the downtake hoppers in front of the boilers,
as hereafter described.
The equipment for removing ashes from the boiler room basement and for
storing and delivering the ashes to barges, comprises the following
elements: A system of tracks, 24 inches gauge, extending under the
ash-hopper gates in the boiler-house cellar and extending to an
elevated storage bunker at the water front. The rolling stock consists
of 24 steel cars of 2 tons capacity, having gable bottoms and side
dumping doors. Each car has two four-wheel pivoted trucks with
springs. Motive power is supplied by an electric storage battery
locomotive. The cars deliver the ashes to an elevating belt conveyor,
which fills the ash bunker. This will contain 1,000 tons, and is built
of steel with a suspension bottom lined with concrete. For delivering
stored ashes to barges, a collecting belt extends longitudinally under
the pocket, being fed by eight gates. It delivers ashes to a loading
belt conveyor, the outboard end of which is hinged so as to vary the
height of delivery and to fold up inside the wharf line wh
|