The ground is situated on the banks of a canal and extends to about 10 acres, which are wholly without buildings except those which have been erected for the purposes of these industrial experiments.  These consist of boiler and engine houses, and large furnace sheds.

There are three Babcock & Wilcox steam boilers of 160 horse power each, and each capable of evaporating 5,000 lb. of water per hour.  The water tubes are 18 ft. long x 4 inches diameter, and the steam and water drums 43 in. in diameter and 231/2 ft. long, of steel 7/16 ths. in. thick, provided with a double dead head safety valve, stop valves, blow-off cock, water gauges, and steam gauge.

The total heating surface on each boiler is 1,619 square feet and the total grate surface is 30 square feet.

The boilers are worked at 160 lb. pressure.

The engine is a triple compound one of the type supplied for torpedo boats, and built by the Yarrow Shipbuilding Company.  It is fitted with a Pickering governor for constant speed.  The engine is capable of delivering (with condenser) 1,200 indicated horse power, and without condenser 250 indicated horse power less.

With steam at 170 lb. pressure the engine worked at 350 revolutions per minute, but it has been rearranged so as to deliver 700 indicated horse power with 160 lb. steam pressure without condenser, and at 300 revolutions per minute: 

    The high pressure cylinder is 141/2 inches diameter.
     " intermediate " " 25 " "
     " low pressure " " 32 " "
     " stroke is 16 inches.

The dynamo for producing the requisite amount of electric current supplied to the furnaces is one of the well known Elwell-Parker type of alternating current dynamos, designed to give 400 units of electrical energy, equivalent to 536 indicated horse power.

The armature in the machine is stationary, with double insulation between the armature coils and the core, and also between the core and the frame, and is so arranged that its two halves may be readily connected in series or in parallel in accordance with the requirements of the furnaces, e.g., at an electromotive force of 80 volts it will give 5,000 amperes, and at 160 volts, 2,500 amperes when running at 300 revolutions per minute.

The exciting current of the alternator is produced by an Elwell-Parker shunt wound machine, driven direct from a pulley on the alternator shaft, and so arranged as to give 90 amperes at 250 volts when running at a speed of 800 revolutions per minute.  From 60 to 70 amperes are utilized in the alternator, the remainder being available for lighting purposes (which is done through accumulators) and general experimental purposes.

The process is carried out in the following way:  The raw materials, all intimately and carefully mixed together, are introduced into the furnace and the current is then turned on.  Shortly afterward, indications of phosphorus make their appearance.