Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-11-29
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
FACTS AND FIGURES CONCERNING TIE COST
ORA PLANT
o. File at the Gas 0ffcs-Stcrstary Franzhela
Talks On the Satsct-Data for Council
men and Citizens to Consider.

The question Of establishing an elcc-
tric plant by the city of Wheeling. TO
be used. in the absence Of Legislative
authority. for street lighting, as well as
the Illumination Of the public buildings
of the city, is now the leading topic OF
interest as far as matters of city gov
eminent go. and there has been a great
deal of discussion, not only by members
of Council, but by citizens aSwell, rs 10
the probable size Of the plant needed Tor
street purposes, its cost, both OF con-
struction and operation, and generally
all the details Of the subject. knowing
that there was. in the hands Of Secretary
Franzheim. Of the Gas Board, large
amount of information upon these sub
iects. gathered a year or more ago.
when Council directed an inquiry, re-
portcr for the REGISTER called NJ the
Office Of the Board yesterday, and was
given the most ample facilities by the
Secretary for examining the data al
and.
OF the estimates in the hands OF the
Trustees, the most complete, pro0aoly,
i that prepared by the agents OF the
Edison Company. IL calls for the cree
ton of a plant capable Of supplying 200
street lights of :, 900 candle power each,
and the cost Of such an equipment IS
estimated Is follows:
BOILER, sufficient 70 supply steam for ~
horse power. completely set up r'ad! 600
for raising steam ..-.' 80 80
ENGINES 81 @Gthurse power ...-. ..-...--- 1''f'
Dvnamos. capable of supplying ~ h4h's ~,
OF eOCO candle power, each -----....-+-- Il''''
r., ........ .<0.9l5
No. q. Il. W. G.. wire. per mile, includ-
inc cross arms, inSulatorS and pins, ana
everything except poles. N2l3. foleS
would probably run this cost up TO $3.50
per mile. including setting and string
ing wire. Fifty miles of wire. say, would
thus cost Sl7,J0O, complete ana tue
IampS. CARTONS. etc, would run the cost
ropcrhaps SsO, 600, or 4 total Of $40, 900 for
a plant complete, without building. a
building sufficiently large for the ac-
commOdation of the plant. erected on
ga works property, would cost say
:. 200. which would put the cost OF a
9OO-light plant at about $4,000. Ad-
ditional lights would increase the cost,
first. for increased machinery. and see
ondlv for additional wire. etc
Secretary FranZheim said:
ut has been estimated that 1t would
take 400 lights TO illuminate the entire
city in strictly lirSt-claSS manner.
That means that no portion OF the city
would be neglected, lights being placed
i'm such outlying districts As around the
hill. along the river front, and over the
Island. as we'll as in the central portion
of the town. These 400 lights would re-
ouire about Seyenty-tive miles of wire,
as nearly aS we could estimate. Taking
the Edison estimate Is Il basis, plant
of that size would cost in the neighbor-
hood of 50. 900. That sum of money
would give the city a strictly iirSt-claSS
continent. OF course, a reduction IN
the number Of lights would make Il cor
responding reduction in the cost OF the
plant. as lighter machinery would he
required. and less miles Of wire. !
took map of the city. and marked the
location OF every lamp, at the inter
section OF >tlcct>- IL -iNiH eic w.
suits. For instance. To- show the
method. lamp would be placed at the
intersection Of Twelfth and Water
streets, where il would illuminate the
wharf and Water street up and down,
as well as Twelfth street, in the direc-
ton OF Main. Then light at Main
aud Twelfth would illuminate Main
street for half block north aud south
of Twelfth. and Twelfth half way to
Market. One at Market and Twelfth
would light Market street half a block
0Otn ways ana Iwelfth street ndit wa!
To Chapline. One at Twelfth and Chap
line would illuminate Chapline street
half square both ways, and Twelfth
street half way To Eoff, and so on. That
method. applied to the entire city, gave
the following number of lamps: