That version of the story goes something like this: On July 1, 1937, Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan departed from Lae, New Guinea in Earhartâs Lockheed Electra 10, on what was to be the longest portion of Earhartâs highly publicized round-the-world flight.
Before the coal is burned, it is pulverized to the fineness of talcum powder. It is then mixed with hot air and blown into the firebox of the boiler. Burning in suspension, the coal/air mixture provides the most complete combustion and maximum heat possible.
Smoke is emitted from the plant's two 1,001-foot chimneys while a condenser in each unit converts exhaust steam back into water for reboiling. At full capacity, the facility burns roughly 1,288 tons of coal every hourâ11 million tons a year. To maintain a steady supply of fuel for the plant, coal is continually delivered from the Powder River Basin, 1,800 miles away in Wyoming, using a sophisticated coal-handling system.