| Vol. 1 No. 26 | page 2 | July 4, 1952 |
"What! You want all the furnaces started in all the barracks and apartments before 4 o'clock!" "Why this is July and 99 in the shade." "So the weather report says it's getting cooler, we can stand 25 degrees temperatures rather than start up all those boilers for one night."
Ben Geary has been in charge of the Heating Unit since 1942. He, with the able assistance of Martin Hanna, Charles Bush and the rest of the crew operate the Heating Unit on a twenty-four hour basis from September to June, depending on the weather, using about eight to nine thousand tons of coal annually and heating approximately eight-one buildings.
With this type of schedule and operation, personnel in the Heating Section cannot take annual leave during the winter months so they use their time between June and September in vacations and getting the boilers, distribution lines, stokers, etc. in condition for the next heating season. By doing this they are able to keep to a minimum the number of breakdowns in the heating systems during the winter months. Incidentally, we might mention here that although firing furnances is a dirty job, the heating plants throughout the depot are kept spic and span by Ben's meticulous crew.
Ben keeps a box of aspirins in the lower left hand drawer to see him through when one man has to go on sick leave, another one forgets that he has to report for duty that morning and possibly a third that decided that his time has come to submit his resignation. This heating of the buildings when the outside temperature is zero is one of those things he cannot put off until tomorrow. We don't envy him his job which is one that no one apprediates when it goes right - but everyone criticizes if the buildings get the least bit cool.
His principle heating plants consist of Central Heating Plant which furnishes heat to the Utilities Area, Hospital Plant, the Store, Restaurant, Theatre, Community Building, Barracks, Apartments and sundry other buildings not to mention the hot water which has to be furnished the year round.
| Vol. 2 No. 20 | page 4 | May 15, 1953 |
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Ben Geary and his heating crew are busy with their own spring cleaning and painting of heating equipment and boiler rooms after the rigors of winter heating operations. The heating office is also in the process of being moved from the Community Building to the north end of Building 1400. Ben says that since he has been here, he has moved out of every office and warehouse building of the Post Engineers, so that only two places left down the line are the Sewage plant and the sheep shed at Well No. 2.
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