Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-02-01

MI. Aunpp-1 SCt Poo q AOuVu AuO LnJ
expenses.
A Member Didn't the Thompson Hous.
ton Company guarantee this machinery.
MIR Tams-Their guarantee has expired.
Mr. Crimmens--I'd like to ask the
chairman Of the Electric Light Commit
tee does his committee consider o Donnell
If not we bad better let him
go.
Mr.. Bargamin-I am not an expert and
can't say.
MI Crimmens-If be has been running
it since July, and hasn't learned, he isn'G
likely to do it now.
MI. Bargamin-I have explained that
am not an expert and l can't tell which is
at fault, the man or the machinery.
Mr.. McQuaide-M Knapp will the
Thompson-Hou factory give man
a certificate after sixty days spent there.
Mr.. Knapp-Not after only sixty days.
Mr.. Tams stated that the expert now
here had ascertained that Supt. O'Donnel
was running the current at 80 degrees on
the ampere- meter instead of 2S degrees as
it was marked to be run, thereby increas-
ing the candle power of the lamps and
shortening their life, and also heating up
the armatnre of the machine so that it
might at any time burn out.
Mr.. Bargamin then changed his resolu-
tion SO as to require Supt. O'Donnell to
get certificate, if the factory gave one
under such circumstances.
Mr.. McQuaide-Does your resolution
mean to turn O'Donnell out of his Office
Mr.. Bargamin-No, the resolution does
not deprive him Of his office, it simply
gives him furlough.
YACHTING THE OFFICE.
Mr.. Bell offered resolution las sub
stitute to Mr.. Bargamin's) removing
O,Donnell from the office, putting an ex-
pert in his place now, and instructlng the
Electric Light Committee to get Super
intendent. competent to run the plant. Mr..
Bell said il O'Donnell qualified himself
and became a candidate for the place here
after, he would vote for him, for he would
rather have home man than one from
abroad.
Mr.. McQualde opposed this resolution,
saying that not a member of the Electric
Light Committee had pronounced O'Don-
nell incompetent.
Mr.. Bargamin took the same view.
Mr.. Weller-I will support Mr.. Bells
resolution. think Mr.. O'Donnell has had
plenty of time. II was distinctly stated
when ne was elected that he would go to
He has not done it.
Mr.. Tams--My position is, to yacate the
office now and put the plant in charge of
an expert. II O'Donnell qualified himself
by the next election to fill the place, I'd
vote for him as home man over any
outside man.
Mr.. Craig opposed Mr.. Bells resolution.
He said it put stigma on O'Donnell as
mechanic, and to 90 abroad for Super
intendent was stigma on the mechanics
of the town.
Mr.. Bell said he would like the Electric
Light Committee to say frankly whethe r
O'Donnell was competent or not.
A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE SPEAKS
VERY FRANKLY.
Mr.. Tams, of the Committee, replied
that all the experts who had come here
had said that O'Donnell's answers to them
about what had occurred in the machinery
were not such,as to indicate that he knew as
much as he ought to, after his experience
Mr.. Tams asked that communication
from Mr.. McNett, of the Thompson
Houston Co., sent to the Committee on
Lights two years ago when Mr. ODon-
nell s was Supt. Longs Assistant, be read.
1t as read as follows:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 12th 1887
G3aatl6n1en
Please allow me to make few
suggestions concerning your Electric Light
Plant, as we arc very much interested in your
success, having guaranteed the electrical appa-
ratus which may fail to do its good work.
have just made thorough inspection of
your plant, having examined the new lamps.
recently put up in different parts of the city
by your Supt., Mr.. Long. I believe him to
be fully competent to take charge of any part
of the apparatus. base my belief on the
skill he has showed in putting up these lamps,
and questions I asked him concerning the
workings of the dynamo and lamps.
Now regret to say that 1 believe the man
you have IN charge of running your dynamo
and engine to be very careless, and seems to
take but little interest in his duties.
For example, when he was under 1nstruc-
tions with an expert he was shown the import
ance of keeping the segments on the commu-
tator filed and polished perfectly smooth every
6av and tO leeD the manhiOa DaYfactlv ojaar
This explained to him myself when I was
there about ten days after the lights were
started. He promised me he would not neg
lect this part But I found after examining
the segments that they had not been filed
after our expert left there, while he had stood
by and seen them cut away and had never
tried to remedy it, this being the most impor =
tant part of his duties.
also found that he had allowed the Bah
bitt boxing to melt out of the engine. This
could not possibly happen except through ut
ter carelessness.
When I asked him why he did not attend TO
the segments according to Instructions, his
answer was that it got to cutting and he let 1t
cut.
Now I would suggest that you instruct your
Superintendent to furnish a reliable man, ore
who will not allow the steam to go down, and
the lights to go out until he builds fire and
gets up steam; one who Will follow lnstruc-
lions and take an interest in his duties. Un-
less such man can be furnished, you can
hardly expect us to become responsible for
the carelessness of the one you now have in
charge.
[ am yours very respectfully,
G. M. McNErT,
Agent TIL. E. Co.
Mr.. Tams went on to say that O'Don-
nell with the present results after an ex-
perieuce of two years and six months,
couldn't hope to do much better. The
committee don't propose to go away flom
here for another Superintendent, but if