REMOVAL OF OLD AND SETTING OF NEW MECHANICAL PLANT 



THE entire mechanical plant of the old build- 

 ing, consisting of boilers, engines, generators, 

 pumps, tanks and various other appurte- 

 nances, was removed during the reconstruction and 

 enlargement of the buildings and replaced by a new 

 plant of increased capacity. This work was accom- 

 plished gradually, according to a carefully prearranged 

 programme, as the old buildings had to be supplied 

 uninterruptedly with water, heat and electrical current 

 for light and power during the alterations. 



Every one who has had occasion to visit the engine 

 room of a modern building, and has wondered at the 

 intricate arrangement of engines and piping, will 

 readily realize what it meant to take out the old 

 machinery and install the new without interrupting 

 the operation of the plant. 



This contract comprised the knocking down and 

 taking out from the old plant of five Ball & Wood 

 engines with direct-connected Diehl generators, rang- 

 ing in size from 25 to 100 K.W., and weighing from 

 2 to 7 tons each. Also the removal of about twenty 

 pumps and numerous tanks. 



The old engines and generators were replaced by 

 five units, four of which are of 300 K.W. capacity and 

 one of 200 K.W. The heavier single pieces of the 

 generators, namely, the armatures, weigh about 8 

 tons each, the engine frames about 8 tons, and the fly 

 wheels, which were in halves, from 9 to 13 tons each. 



This contract further included the installation of 

 two of the largest cooling tanks ever made, one of 

 them weighing 14 and the other 16 tons; the installa- 

 tion of the ice plant, weighing about 50 tons; two 

 special fire pumps, weighing about 10 tons, and the 

 following machine-shop tools: Two lathes, weighing 

 about 5 tons and 2 tons, respectively; one shaper, 

 2 tons; one pipe-cutting machine, 2 tons; two drill 

 presses, 3 tons; one power hacksaw, one double 

 grinder and several smaller tools. 



Throughout various floors of the building, from 

 the basement to the 39th, several ventilating motors 

 were installed, ranging in size from 15 to 75 H.P. 

 This work had to be done mostly at night so as not to 

 interfere with the street traffic and the work of con- 

 struction. 



The rigging used to handle the heavy parts was 

 of sufficient strength to carry four times the load: 

 the electrical winches used for hoisting were especially 

 designed by the contractor for this work, Richard 

 Doughty, of No. 121 Liberty Street, New York. 



The execution of the contract extended over a 

 period of one year. Notwithstanding the many diffi- 

 culties encountered, the work was carried on and 

 finished without an accident of any kind. It included 

 not only the raising and lowering of the machinery into 

 the building and placing it in position, but also the 

 hauling from and to the docks. 



[Ill] 



