isa-normaladvance-1903-00062

Description:	62THE NORMAL ADVANCE.The Normal Heating and LightingPlant.PEES. W. W. PARSONS.The committee appointed by Governor Durbinto inspect the various state institutions and reporttheir condition and needs to the General Assemblywas greatly interested in the heating plant at theState Normal school. It was found that the twolarge buildings were heated and lighted at a surprisingly low cost and compared with that ofsome of the other institutions of the state. President Parsons was requested by the committee tosubmit a supplementary report describing and explaining the heating and lighting plant, with thecost of running the same, that these data might beused for purposes of comparison. The followingstatement will be of special interest to the peopleof Indianapolis at this time, when the problem offuel and getting rid of the smoke is engaging somuch attention:The heating apparatus at the Indiana StateNormal school may be briefly described as follows:There are two good tubular boilers, one havinga capacity of 75 H. P., the other of 125 H..P.Connected with each of these boilers is a patentautomatic device known as the Roney Stoker. Itconsists of a large hopper which holds severalhnudred pounds of coal, grate bars seven or eightfeet long extending from the bottom of the hopperat an angle of about forty-five degrees under theboiler, and a revolving shaft operated by a verysmall engine at the side of the boiler. This shaftkeeps the grate bars in constant, regular motion,and feeds the coal from the hopper down upon thegrate bars at a uniform rate and thus secures almost perfect combustion. About four times eachday and for a period of from five to ten minutes,when the ashes are being removed, considerablesmoke is made but at other times hardly moresmoke issues from the stack than would come froman ordinary flue in a dwelling. We have gottonrid of from 80 to 90 per cent, of the smoke and effected a very large saving in coal bills.This is not the only advantage. A uniform heatis maintained, which insures longer life to theboilers, and the fireman is not obliged to be so constantly present. He can fill th,e hoppers and then,if necessary, for twenty or thirty minutes at atime can give his attention to other things. Theheating is effected by direct radiation in all of therooms of the two large buildings, supplemented bywarm air. In addition to carrying the steam directly to the radiators, in the various rooms of thebuildings, there is a hot room containing about10,000 feet of steam heated coil. A large fanoperated by a 12 H. P. engine brings the fresh airin at an opening about fifteen feet above the surface of the ground, forces it through the hotroom and by means of a large duct and lateralsbranching in all directions from this, carries it toall the rooms. Although this is a much more expensive system than direct radiation alone wouldbe, the coal bills of the institution show that theheating is done at a very low cost.The following statement will show the cost ofheating by years, beginning with 1884:For the year ending October 31, 1884, the coalbill was $657.89.For the year ending October 31, 1885, the coalbill was $709.24.For the year ending October 31, 1886, the coalbill was 846.08.For the year ending October 31, 1887, the coalbill was $888.10.For the year ending October 31, 1888, the coalbill was $613.65.On the 9th of April, 1888, the building wasburned and it was not restored until September,1889. The coal bill for the year ending October31, 1890 (in the new building, which was aboutequal in size to the old) was $769.99.For the year ending October 31, 1891, $826.88.For the year ending October 31, 1892, ,,$825.20
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/33811
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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