The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-08-16
WATER AND LIGHT.
A Scheme to Utilize The Current
Through Newark's New
Mains.
special 70 he Sunday Morning Mems.


Z NEWARK, Aug. is, 1891 "A plan for
lighting the city by electricity has recent
" been informally submitted to city Off
cials, and It is probable that before long
some action may be taken to determine
the prncticability Of adopting it. TIL
plan WIS suggested by Captain William
f. Donovan, who is well known in the
city in connection with his work as an
electrician. Captain Donovan. although
the originator OF the pians has done moth
ing himself 10 get it before the autholi-
ties. although several of his friends have
spoken about 1t.
The idea, although not new one. is
thought to be particularly practical now
in consequence of the coming introduce
ton Of tie new water suppI4 Il is pro-
rived from the great fall CT the water and
to turn it into electricity, the city to own
the plant. There will be sufficient
power, it is calculated to light the whole
city: the system can be easily introduced,
and it Is said the plant could pay for it
self in five years.
THE BIG IDEA.
Captain Donovan was seen today in re-
gard to the system. He said that the
matter was not sufficiently nlatured for
him to say much about It.
About ten years ago, he said, ssthe
proposition was made to get water from
Little Falls by gravity and later on to
utilize LAX eHopatcong. The use of the
water from Lake Hopateoag was more
particularly in my mind, the plan being
the fab by placing turbine water reels
at suitable places where the tall was from
fifty to one hundred feet--as Hacketts-
town, Dover. Paterson, and. in fact, at
all the towns between here ard the lake.
The tower Of the water would be con-
od
lighting the several cities with it. That
was my first idea OF such plan.
Later the subject Of lighting this city
was brought MP and think can see now
that power can be obtained through
turbine wheels by placing them in series
tributing them along at different intervals
so that number OF towns could be
lighted
PRACTICAL METHODS.
s'There are several ways By which this
great power may be utilized. / do not
know the exact fall or the water from
Oak Ridge reservoir. but / suppose it is
water, leaving a fall Of about $50 feet TO
the South Orange avenue reservoir
This reservoir us well as the Clifton ave-
nue. and the BeIleyille reservoir Will be
supplied with water from forty-eight-
inch pipes "A turban whseI can be
placed in those pipes Co produce sufficient
power TO light the whole city. At
rough guess, ! should say that 5000
horse power could easily be obtained.
AT rough guess the cost Of the plant
for the city would be 500, 600. The run
ming expenses would be very light. not
amounting TO more than Few dollars
year per lamp and the cost Of the plant
would be saTed in few years. In Ger
many and England water power is being
extensively used ia eansl on Elfh efec--
tricity. A turbine gives from eighty i've
to eightY-seFen per cent. of the power.
A thirty three inch wheel in a sixty foot
fall gives 204 horse power
1t Is argued that this plan. beside being
mex persive, will enable more powerful
lights to be obtained. 1t is suggested to
use fncandescent lamps Of three or four
times the power of The gaslights. and to
attach them to the lamp-posts. 1t is
Thought that there will be no difficulty in
providing as many electric lamps as there
are now posts, or more il they are needed.
Ii is proposed to run the wires under
ground and up through the lamp so as to
cause no trouble from overhead wires