This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 edition. Excerpt: ... mechanical engineering, George Washington University, and sanitary and heating engineer, United States War Department. He is now professor of heating and ventilating at the University of Illinois. This is the second volume of three that will deal with the mechanical equipment of buildings. The first is devoted to heating and ventilation. The volume under review deals with power plants and refrigeration, and the third volume, now in preparation, will treat of elevators, lighting systems, sprinkler systems, vacuum cleaning and plumbing. In the preface to the present volume, the authors state that it is their object "to produce a reference book for engineers, which will contain sufficient theoretical and commercial data for practical use in the designing room and at the same time serve to show the students of this subject the relation between the theoretical principles involved and their practical application to actual problems." The reviewer is glad to say this is one of the best books dealing with power-plant engineering that he has had the pleasure of reviewing. The authors are to be commended for the excellent arrangement of the illustrations and text, inclusive of tables, of which there is a very large number, all well selected. The reader will notice that the size is somewhat unusual for a handbook--and the volume is really a handbook--In that the usual handbook size Is 41 x 7 in. The volume deals with physical units and the measurement of each, water, steam and air, fuels and combustion, boilers and rules for construction, including considerable of the boiler code of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; mechanical stokers, superheaters and economizers, chimneys for power boilers, mechanical draft, feed-water...