The Great Tunnel
Beginning at the power plant is a very complete system of underground tunnels, constructed of concrete and extending under all the buildings of the general plant, connecting the various buildings with each other. It is possible by means of these tunnels to reach every building in our forty-acre plant, and the very large expense entaileq by the construction of this system of tunnels was assumed in order to facilitate the prompt movement of merchandise and to afford every possible advantage in the expeditious handling of the vast quantities of mail received and forwarded to the several departments daily. These tunnels are almost a mile in length; they carry the electric conduits, heating pipes, water mlil-ins, steam pipes, etc. which are required in the various buildings. Probably the greatest advantage we find these tunnels give us lies in the fact that anyone section or building might be destroyed by fire without interfering with our private fire protection system, the two telephone systems and the wires carrying electric current for lighting and power. It is a very simple matter to cut off the water, the heat, the light or the power from anyone section by turning the valves or switches connecting the pipes and wires with any given section or building at tile point of junction in the tunnel. In a plant so large it is necessary to adopt every means possible to protect the institution from total destruction, and to insure the transaction of business from day to day without interruption though disaster should overtake a portion of the plant. In addition to using the tunnels for the several conduits necessary to carry electric current, heat and water, we also utilize them in conveying the great quantities of refuse matter, broken packing cases, sweepings, discarded records, correspondence, etc. to the furnace room in the power plant where this refuse matter is converted into heat, light and power. All the tunnels are large enough for the average individual to pass through them walking erect. It may interest you to know that these tunnels and their connections carry about 100 miles of pipe for heating purposes, 4,400 miles of copper wire for carrying electric current, and ten miles of sheet metal pipe for carrying heated air in the winter time and filtered cool air in the summer time.
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