Discovery of a Strebel Combined Steam Boiler During an Archaeological Excavation of Arcade Buildings in Moravská Ostrava

Michal Zezula, Marek Kiecoň, Radek Míšanec, Romana Rosová

Archeologia technica, vol. 32 (2021)
Pages: 88–99
Language: Czech
Type of article: scientific article
DOI: n/a

Abstract:
The largest archaeological excavation so far in the historical centre of Moravská Ostrava is connected to development work on empty spaces at buildings no. 54 to 61 (“Lauby”, or arcade buildings) cleaned up along with the follow-up development on Pivovarská street in the second half of the 20th century. Following completion of the field research implemented in 2017 to 2021, its overall evaluation is underway, but the submitted study is already focused on the findings from the period of the 19th and 20th centuries uncovered during the extraction of building rubble from the basement of building no. 60. Originally an inn, this building was progressively adapted from the end of the 19th century by the Haberfeld family to become an entertainment establishment, which took the name Kabaret Alhambra after 1924. During post-war adaptation of the building, central heating was set up on the ground floor of the building, heated using a boiler located in the basement. This boiler was not removed during demolition of the building after 1968, and during the initial phase of the archaeological excavation it was discovered and documented. It is a Strebel model twelve-section low-pressure steam boiler designed both for steam heating systems and for heating hot water. The body of the cast iron boiler has been almost completely preserved, and so it was transferred to a repository and considerations are being made of its restoration.