58 



Indiana University Studies 



the side of the mill and in a majority of cases is too small for 

 proper attention to be given to the machiner}^ inclosed. Ventila- 

 tion and light have often been sacrificed in an effort to cut down 

 first cost. In many cases the machiner}^ is not thoroly protected 

 from the weather or from meddlesome persons, who maj^ visit 

 the plant while it is not running, and valuable machiner}^ has 

 thus been damaged. A few^ operators have used stone or brick 

 in the construction of their power-houses, and a number of the 

 others have substantial wooden buildings for the housing of 

 their power machinery. As a rule, the quarrj^ power plants 

 are not as well protected as the power plants of the mills. One 

 noticeable feature of the district is the scarcity of power plants 

 equipped with good floors, in which any attempt at cleanliness 

 is made. Light and space are prime requisites in any power- 

 house and thoro cleanliness is essential to economy in power 

 production. One of the first laws of good engineering practice 

 is that a clean machine will outlast a dirty one and a clean power- 

 house means a marked increase in the useful life of the machinery 

 in it. 



The present outlook would be improved if the following 

 suggestions were kept in mind by the operators: The power 

 buildings in which engines, boilers, and accessories are placed 

 need not be elaborate or expensive but should be so constructed 

 that they protect the machinery and its attendants from the 

 weather while the plant is in operation. They should also 

 protect the machinery from meddlesome persons while the plant 

 is not in use. The buildings should be so located and arranged 

 that additional machinery can be installed at any time with a 

 minimum amount of expense. All power buildings should be of 

 fireproof material. Brick or stone walls with a wooden roof 

 covered with tar and gravel have met with wide approval as a 

 good and economical form of building. Buildings should be 

 made large enough so that the machinery in them is not cramped, 

 and when several machines are placed in a single building the}^ 

 should be so placed that any machine can be quickly stopped. 

 Provision should be made in planning a power-house for ample 

 room around the machinery for taking it apart; for example, the 

 removal of piston rods without taking the cylinders from their 

 foundations, or the removal of the boiler tubes for repairs. In 

 fact, as much space as can be spared should be provided for the 

 power-house, and its arrangement should be given very careful 

 consideration. 



