34 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. January 1, 1915. POWERFUL EIGHT-COUPLED LOCO- MOTIVE FOR NOVA SCOTIA. In the accompanying photograph is illustrated an interesting type of combined shunting and crane loco- motive, which lias recently been introduced into the service of the Nova Scotia Coal Company, of Canada. This engine, designed and constructed by Messrs. Andrew Barclay, Sons and Company Limited, of Kilmarnock, N.B., is of an abnormally heavy type, weighing in working order 65 tons. It carries a strong pillar, which rests on the main framing about the centre of the engine, thus affording a satisfactory weight distribution. JO 842 a 1 * As will be seen in the photograph, this support carries the crane jib. The load, up to 8 tons, can be slewed to any part of a circle of 16 ft. radius in either direction by a small turning engine. Another set of engines is furnished for hoisting. All the gear is con- trolled from the cab. The eight-coupled wheels are 3 ft. 5 in. diameter, with a wheelbase of 12 ft. The cylinders are 17 in. diameter, with a stroke of 22 in., and the valves on top, actuated by Walschaerts valve gear. The working pressure is 200 lb. per square inch. Total heating surface is 879 square feet, and the grate area I t square feet. The capacity of the side tanks is 900 gallons, and of the bunker 2 tons of coal. The weight empty, including the crane, is 57 tons. A standard American automatic coupler is provided, the engine being constructed to the 4 ft. 8J in. gauge. THE “SIROCCO” AIR WASHER. This apparatus has just been placed on the market to meet the demand for an econom’cal and satisfactory means of purifying air supply. The accompanying photograph shows the washer in side view, with the |f The “Sirocco” Air Washer. water connections. The base of the tank forms a tank containing the water supply. The connection to the fresh water supply is controlled by a ball cock, which keeps the water automatically at the correct level, and admits enough to compensate for evaporation and other such losses. The tank is also equipped with overflow and drain pipes. At the end of the tank nearest the inlet side is a sump into which the water passes through a wall of fine wire mesh. The water passing to the pump which supplies the nozzles is first filtered by this primary filter, and also by a secondary filter comprising two removable circular strainers fitted between the pump suction and sump. These two strainers, which are made of still finer wire mesh than the primary filter, are so arranged that they can be removed and cleaned while the washer is at work. Each strainer is fitted with a spring valve which closes as soon as the strainer is removed, and prevents the unfiltered water reaching the pump. Resting on the tank is the casing of the washer proper, both ends of which are open, and can be readily connected to an inlet and fan suction by means of suitable tapered connections. The spray chamber occupies the part of the washer nearest the inlet end, and is fitted with a number of spray nozzles which discharge the water in a very fine atomised form in the direction of the air current. The whole of the chamber is consequently filled with a very thick fine mist, and the air in passing through is thoroughly mixed with it. On leaving the spray chamber the moisture-laden air impinges on a series of corrugated baffle or scrubbing plates, which are kept constantly flooded by a row of spray nozzles situated immediately above them. Any foreign matter which may remain in the air is caught by the film of water passing down these plates, and is thus conveyed to the settling tank. The purified air, still heavily moisture laden, then passes through triple eliminator plates, which are made of galvanised sheet steel, and designed so that they will remove all free moisture from the filtered air. These plates are set at an angle to the flow of the air current, so that the latter is deflected from side to side and forced against the plates on which all the remaining particles of water are deposited. At the same time great care has been taken in the arrangement of the eliminators to avoid baffling the air current and setting up any material resistance to its flow. The water used by the sprays is constantly re- circulated by the aid of a small pump, the suction of which communicates with the sump of the settling tank through the secondary filter. The “ Sirocco ” air washer, which is made by Messrs. Davidson and Company Limited, of Belfast, is parti- cularly suitable for cooling electric generators—a practice that is becoming rapidly very general. It is built in 15 different sizes, according to the volume of air it has to deal with per minute. Presiding at the annual meeting of Coalite Limited in London, on Tuesday, Mr. A. M. H. Walrond said he had every confidence that the small plant which was being erected at Burnley, and which would shortly be completed, would enable them to show that the claims made for their process were perfectly sound. HANDLING COAL AT THE PANAMA CANAL* By J. F. Springer. There will be a number of reasons for the maintenance of large coaling facilities in connection with the Panama Canal. In the first place, the operating machinery of the canal itself will require a large supply of coal readily accessible. Then coal must be kept in storage ready for naval use. In addition, a large quantity will have,to be kept on hand for emergencies. These are Governmental requirements. It is estimated that the storage facilities necessary to meet these needs will call for a total capacity of half-a-million tons. If we add the storage which will be needed to take care of the requirements of private persons and companies, the grand total capacity will probably amount to 1,000,000 tons. Two plants are to be provided, one at either end of the canal. These will not be of equal capacity. That at the Atlantic terminus will be much the larger. The explanation of this is probably found in the fact that the bulk of the coal will doubtless be shipped from Atlantic and Gulf ports. And coal ships going through the canal would have a round trip toll charge that would enhance the price considerably. So it is likely that it will be Atlantic coal that will be stored on the Atlantic 'side and Pacific coal on the Pacific side. The great coal plant at Cristobal, with its enormous capacity, will maintain a gigantic storage pile 1,700 or 2,000 ft. long and 250 or 300 ft. wide, having a height —throughout at least part of its area—of 40 ft. The low half will be under water. The wet coal will be largely that reserved for the navy. The top of the dry part of the pile will be about 21 ft. above mean sea level. However, the emergency dry pile will have a summit elevation 10 ft. higher. The mechanical apparatus will consist of four unload- ing towers, a number of stocking and reclaiming bridges, several reloaders, a conveying system, and various other items. It will cost about $1,300,000, and be completed some time in 1915. There will be two water fronts to the storage pile. At the one wharf coal vessels will be discharged; at the other vessels of all descriptions will take on coal. The Government will be prepared to store separately for different individuals and companies. When coal is taken off from vessels, it may be put into the storage pile at any point desired, or transferred to the convey- ing system or to cars. By means of the conveying system and reloaders, coal may be quickly transhipped from a vessel alongside the one wharf to another vessel alongside the other wharf. The unloading towers are a notable part of the equip- ment. Each is a tall steel structure broad at the bottom and tapering almost to a point at the top. At the bottom the tower rests on four 4-wheeled trucks, which run on two parallel narrow gauge tracks. Within the tower is propelling mechanism by means of which the entire structure may be moved forward or backward on its duplex track. The track parallels the edge of the wharf, so that the unloading tower may vary its posi- tion relatively to the vessel alongside. Suspended from the peak of the skeleton structure of the tower by means of a system of supporting ropes is a long hori- zontal bridge, on which is arranged a track for the move- ment back and forth along the length of the bridge of a carriage which supports a large grab bucket. This bridge extends through the open body of the tower, overhanging the vessel at the wharf on the one side, and reaching the storage pile on the other. On the shore side between the tower and the storage pile is a trestle work supporting a double track; so that the inshore reach of the bridge is very considerable. Beneath the bridge, and constructed as part of the tower, is a hopper having a capacity of 50 tons of coal. It will be understood from what has already been set forth that coal may be taken by the grab bucket either from the vessel being unloaded or from the stock pile, and deposited into this hopper. The hopper is con- structed of -J in. steel plates. It delivers through a chute to railway ears standing on a track which is straddled by the lower part of the tower; or else to the conveying system operating on the trestle work already mentioned, which is located between the tower and storage pile. There is an apron on the water side of the tower which facilitates delivery through the hatch- ways of vessels. This may be folded up against the side, where it is out of the way. The grab bucket has a capacity of 100 cu. ft. The hopper is 12 ft. wide and 30 ft. long. This hopper performs the function of a reservoir in that it acts as a place of temporary storage for coal coming ashore or going to ships. It is not absolutely correct to call the tower and its equipment an unloader. It accomplishes more than that, as it will be used to load as 'well as unload vessels. The stocking and reclaiming bridges are the usual long trusses moving broadside on, backward and for- ward, on two widely separated tracks. Each unit will have two grab buckets of 200 cu. ft. capacity. These are operated to and fro lengthwise of the bridge, and may, if desired, perform at the same time their hoist- ing. movements. These bridges will be movable along their tracks at 50 ft. per minute. They are self-com tained and self-propelled, electricity being the motive power employed, and they are mounted on eight four- wheeled trucks. The bridge buckets will be able to reach, coal in any horizontal and vertical position or to deposit coal at any location. The bridges are served by and deliver to the conveying system. Their individual capacity is rated at 1,000 tons per hour. * From the Colliery Engineer.