The fatal explosion which: cost the lives of two Chinese In the Shanghai Commercial and Savings Bank bulld-ing appears to have been due to defect in the boiler plant but to negligence and poor human error. The idea that the tying down of a valve enables the heating plant to be operated with less cost in fuel is unfortunately held by many who seek economy without due appreciation, of the mechanical principles involved. The delusion Is "fostered by "the thought that if the valve be prevented from working the steam can be conserved without further stoking of the furnace. This of course ats the. purpose for. which the valve is fitted to the plant and the isk of danger Is serious. The prevalfence of this unhappy ignorance is so Great that the wonder is that more explosions do not occur, but fortune has a curious sympathy with these deluded economists and by an erratic display of favour averts catastrophe. Tt would be well If the facts of the explosion at the Bank building were made as widely known as possible s0 that forceful instruction may be given fo men in charge of these planis for their own benefit and the safely of others whose lives are jeopardized by such happy-go-lucky methods of saving fuel, SHANGHAI POWER CE, The Shanghai Power Company's Report for 1996 shows a welcome imereaso in consumption which may not unfairly be taken to portend General improvement in "economic conditions in Shanghai. The turn of the tide may not be excessively marked but it seems to be contem-pialing action, The Company served '79834 customers as against 76,705 in 1995. Its. generating "station output was 812,507,000 Kcllowatt-hours or an Increase' of" 46,001,000 kilowatt-hours over 1995 and of '11,055,000 over the maximum output in any previous year. In 1913 the system used 46,101 tons of coal, in 1923 322,673 tons, in 1933
The total un ts 909, in 1913, 1 9,928,440 and in 1936 759,222,379. Those figures indicate the wih of the organization and, cidentally, of Shanghai itself depression was fel the early part the year and an upward trend in load became more marked from June onwards, so that the eventual und ures of net revenue from Opera-Hon and Gross Corporate income showed but 1.1 per cent and 0.0 per cent. respectively less than in 1835, The report pays a warm tribute to Mr. A. W. Burkill who for so many years served on the Advisory Board and has now retired (england, It also records appreciation of the ser= vices of the late Mr. Wallace Heald ud the late Mr. Fugarint whose deaths it regretfully notes. Mr. Markham Cheever has" been ap: pointed Vice-President and Mr. R. J. Farlow Assistant Treasurer in the consequent vacancies. Happy is the nation which has no history. Happy Is the Power Company in ite record for 1996 in the absence of much material on which to dilate in presenting it accounts. The figures are enough and show that the organization "on which Shanghai's life so much depends is In good fighting trim,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.