Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-22
THE MUTUAL GAsL1eHr COMPANY.
The Works Rapidly Approaching Com

THE MUTUAL GAsLIGHF COMPANY.
! The Works Rapidly Approaching Com
pIetfon-History of the Corporation
The Success of the Enterprise As
! sured-Advantages to Gas Consumers.
The works Of the Mutual Gas Light
/ Company, on East Broad street, between
/ Huntington and Hail streets, are fast ap-
\ preaching completion.
A representative Of the MORNING
! News. accompanied by Mr.. \. F. Thomp-
! son. Secretary Of the company. visited the
I locality yesterday and noted the rapid
/ progress that is being made. The buildings
are in course Of erection on the east
/ side of East Broad street, north of the En-
/ terprise Mills. and directly adjoining the
/ tracks Of the Savannah. Florida and West
ern Railway. The walls are heavy and
+ are solidly laid with the best brick. The
/ main building is in sections, the first sec
/ ton on the north. including the office and
meter rooms and the generating room,
/ the next sec ton. the purifying room, and
I the third section the lime room. The
I walls on the north, south and west sides
are ready for the ROOT, which viii
/ be laid with the best Vermont slate. and
will be completed BY the middle of
q
I ton Of the buildings was awarded to Mr..
1 W. F. BOwe, and the work has been
pushed TO its present advanced state Of
completion under his direction. At pres
ent there are about one hundred men, in
/ GLIDING all classes of labOrers. employed
( upon the building and the tank holder. The
4 contract for the latter, adjoining the build
/ ing on the north, was awarded to Messrs.
Switzerland & Cooley. who Will have the
same ready for the iron work, which is al
ready upon the ground, early in Septem-
I Der. The entire machinery for the works
/ is also here and will De placed in posi-
I ton as soon as the roof is completed. The
tank and gasOmeter will be built by
I Messrs. DTiby Il Fowler. Of Philadelphia.
The pipe and mains are all purchased.
1 About i've miles Of it are already on the
grounds, and the remainder is awaiting
shipment.
As soon as the works are complete a
4 special track will he laid from the Savan-
nah. Florida and Western Railway Yards
/ TO the coal sheds, which viii be erected
/ on the eastern side Of the main structure
/ The area covered by the works, which
I will employ the water process. is much
/ less than would be required by works in
Z the manufacture Of gas by the coal pro
cess.
] The entire work is under the supervision
/ of Mr. !. b. Chichester, of the Fulton
Municipal Works, Of Brooklyn, New
York, and one Of the oldest and most
I competent and experienced gas and ny
drauIic engineers in the United States.
having built extensive works in the City
/ Of Mexico. salt Lake City, and many
other places. He expects to make the
/ works here the most complete to be found
/ i'm the country. Their capacity
will be 10000 cubic feet daily.
This Is far above the average
capacity Of gas works in places cores
I pOnding To the size of Savannah. and Will
I readily supply a city of ., 200 inhabitants.
As soon as the main buildings and gas
/ Ometer are complete, the grounds Will
/ be beautitied and the locality will be rem
| dered attractive by. the neatness which
. will be observed in the works and the
/ surroundings. The purchase Of the
I site was effected directly upon the
/ organization of the company in May,
I 1882. when the contract for the buildings
{ and the process Of manufacturing the gas
. was awarded TO the United Gas Improve
/ ment Company, Of Philadelphia, one Of
the strongest and wealthiest corporations
( in the United States. The first shipment
/ Of material was made last April, when
several miles Of pipe were sent out.
The company not being in readi-
ness to begin laying until May,
{ the city authorities did not deem
/ it prudent to authorize the opening of
( the streets at that time. 1t was under
stood the works would be complete and
i'm readiness for pipe laying in the fall,
I which has been done, and by the lst Of
October the work of laying Will probably
begin. if the sanitary condition Of the city
will justify the turning Of the soil neces-
sary at that time.
The Mutual Gas Light Company was
chartered by the Legislature Of Georgia
March 3. 1870. with an authorized capital
I Of 5000. 0O0-$I00.0O coo stock and 100000 in
bonds. Its franchises were not TO vest
until the company was organized and
$4,000 had been paid in. On May lG,
I 1882. an organization was affected, and
the required amount S2O.OO0, raised and
paid in under the provisions Of the char
ter.
The site for the works was Immediately
I purchased and operations begun. The
capital stock is now all subscribed for,
/ Savannah being largely represented. The
following are the officers Of the company
and the Board of Directors:
President. Ii. Estill.
Secretary-N. F. Thompson.
Treasurer-W. w. Gibbs.
Directors. H. Estill, r. B. Reppard,
George Walter, ID. r. Thomas, ;. Guck-
enheimer, VI. A. Cohen, James ;. Silva,
b. 4. Denmark. of Savannah, and W.
W. Gibbs and William T. Elkins, of Phil
adelphia.
The offices are located at No. lis Bryan
street. The enterprise was inaugurated
/ by the Secretary, Mr.. y. f. Thompson,
who came to Savannah for that purpose.
Mr.. Thompson has never lost faith in the
ultimate success of the undertaking, al
though he has had many difficulties to en-
counter and overcome.
In regard to the purposes and plans of
the company. the Secretary stated that
tho first trraaf cons idpratiou VOuld hp the
cheaper rates. AS an inducement for
outside capital TO come into this enter
prise" he continued. "a large number of
our gas consumers pledged themselves to
become patrons Of the new company If
cheaper gas was secured them, and these
consumers will be expected to redeem
their promises"
what will be the difference in rates be-
tween those offered by the Savannah Gas
Light Company and the new company
THE former price of the Savannah Gas
Light Company was 50 30 per thousand.
I As soon as the new company had legal
existence they reduced the price to 81 80.
With this reduction there should have
been saved to consumers last year $50
600. The new company propose to furnish
gas at 81 per thousand.
The new company Will also bind itself
not to advance prices under any circum-
stances during a specified number of
years, so that there need be no cause to
| apprehend a combination and then higher
prices, as it is alleged by some will be the
/ result
with low prices, good light and right
| management" he added, ''the company
IS assured a strong patronage at the out
set"
Local Personal.
j. c. HOpewell. Philadelphia, Pa; j. d.