Remarks: It took a while for Maltby to get back to us, so we had concocted a story about poisonous methane butterfly farts piped out of the museum and inhaled by unsuspecting Citadel High students, leading to convulsive spitting episodes all over town. Alas, just at press time Maltby gets back with the mundane truth: The museum is being switched over to steam heat and the “steam trap” (whatever that is) at this locale isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do and will be replaced by fall.
Who’s Responsible?: Janet Maltby, manager, Museum of Natural History, 424-6454.
Status: December 2008: Still broken Steam was erupting from the depths of the earth by the museum just the other night. It was freezing cold and would have been nice had it come from a hidden hot spring, but it didn’t. Updated by Lizzy Hill
This article appears in Aug 14-20, 2008.
Steam traps are all along Morris St, from DAL to the old nurse’s residence. You’ll see the candy cane-shaped steel pipes along the route and they are the trap vents. A steam trap helps ensure steam, and not the condensate, makes it to the destination.DAL took this step after the old residence was left without central boilers when the infirmary closed down it’s heating plant next door.The QEII boiler room also supplies Citadel High and now the museum.Still not sure why the Coast gets off by blowing minor issues into such a big deal. Can’t find any real problems to point out?
Hey – it’s an eyesore. I think it’s valid to point out aesthetic dysfunction in our fair city. And the candycane-shaped pipes are a better solution than burned sod with metal barriers around…