The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-26
NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS.
The Report of the City Fathers of New
berry on Water Works and
Electric Lights.

AL IuGSllklS VI lLiS SAAh'SAS ~ >~'e
town, held January 22nd, 1891, it was
referred to the Mayor and Aldermen
to ascertain and report to future meet
ing, to be called by the chairman, the
feasibility of having both water works
and electric lights in the town of New
berry.
According the Mayor and Aldermen
have procured such information as they
could with reference to the matter re-
ferred to them.
Mr.. VIM. &. Whitner, competent
civil engineer, and part owner OF the
water works and electric plant Of the
city of Anderson, visited our town,
made some surveys, and inspected the
sources of water supply, and at the re-
quest of Council wrote the following
communication:
In reply to your request to give you
some idea of the cost Of a system OF
water works and electric lights for your
city, beg leave to submit the follow
ing:
ga system of water works giving
your city complete protection from fire
and furnish an abundant supply of
water for domestic purposes would cost
about S4S,OO0. Sush system would
extend all over the city, and give pro-
lection through about so double nozzle
hydrants. The ordinary pressure from
the stand-pipe in the business portion
of the;to would be about 55 pounds,
which would throw stream IS feet
high. The pumps would be in dupli-
cate, and of such capacity as to furnish
not less than four (4) hydrant streams.
"a system of electric lights, furnish
ing both arc and incandescent lights
for streets and domestic lights, would
cost about. Sl5,ODO. Such system
would consist of duplicate machinery,
and would be 50 arranged that the
street lights could be operated indepen-
dent of domestic lights and vice versa.
"If both plants were combined so as
to be operated together, they could be
built for $4,000, and this would be far
the most economical arrangement for
operation. With both plants combined
you ought to be able to get your streets
lit by electricity for about the same sum
you are now paying, besides giving
your citizens an opportunity to light
their business houses and residences
with this convenient and superior
light. One of the greatest advantages
arising from combining the plants, is,
that your engineer is always at his post
during the night with full supply of
steam, and can on moments notice,
put his pumps to work, in the event
there should be large confagration
exhausting the supply of water in the
stand-pipe and thus decreasing the ef-
fective pressure. This arrangement is
very desirable, and is apt to have con-
siderable weight with insurance COM
panies in reducing their rates."
Mr.. J. L. Fitzgerald, civil engineer
of Schenectady, n. Y, writes as fol-
lows:
1.-THE probable cost of a cheap system
Of water works for your city will be
about $4,000. This includes every
thing. Should you wish a better fire
protection than the above estimate will
effect the expenditure Of $4,000 more
will give one of the bestin the country.
The electric light plant will cost from
$4,000 to $4,000, depending upon the
number of lights and the system
adopted"
The above estimates are based upon
the idea that the town would own and
operate the plant. To do this the town
would have to issue bonds by act of TIE
Legislature covering the amount of
$4,000, or whatever sum might be
agreed upon, thus entailing tax for
the yearly payment Of theinterest there
on, less such sums as might be realized
in the way of income from private con-
sumers after paying running expenses.
What this income would be would de-
pend entirely upon the success with
which the plant could be run, the
amount of patronage from private con-
sumers, &c. It might be made so sue
cessful as greatly to decrease the tax
necessary to pay the interest on the
bonds, but it is question as to how
far municipalities are prepared to oper-
ate such works successfully.
Another, and possible better plan
by which we may have both electric
lights and water works, is to give to
some company franchise for a num-
Der of years, granting them the excu-
sive privilege for such number of years
of operating such works, and contract
ing on the port of the town to pay so
much each year for water and lights.
Such an arrangement exists at Afider-
son, Spartanburg, and in other towns
and cities of the State, and would cost
our town anywhere from $500 to
$4,000 per year, decreasing possibly for
number years as the income of the
company is increased by individual
consumers. An act of the Legislature
would be necessary to raise the income
for this purpose as We now go to our
charter limit in the matter of taxation.
In this connection it will be well,
probably, to read proposition made
by Mr.. Paul Hemphill to the town Of
Chester as illustrative of the idea above
advanced.
Mr.. HEMPHILL's PROPOSITION.