, 1892-11-28

An Electric Plant Proposed for the
Court House.
An offer From a Tacoma Company
Considered Informally by the
COmmissiOners--CO of a Dyna-
mo and Engine.


Considered informally by the
COmmissiOners--CO of a Dyna-
mo and Engine.
An agreement has not yet been reached
between the county commissioners and
the Olympia Light & Power company, re-
garding the question of lighting the court
house with electricity. Gas connections
will be made, but the county will be COM
PEELED to pay for laying the pipe from the
main on Main street to the court house,
and will be charged the regular commercial
rates for the gas. Although no official
action has been taken, it is understood
that if the cost of lighting the building
amount to more than $50 per month the
commissioners will put in a dynamo and
an engine and manufacture their own
electricity.
Wednesday at the meeting of the COM
nissioners the question of an independent
electric plant was informally considered.
A representative of the Arnold Electric
Light company, of Tacoma, was present.
He offered to put in dynamo capable Of
running 400 sixteen candle power incandes-
cent lamps, with plain engine of 30 horse
power for $1,000, OF the same sized dynamo
with an automatic engine for $1,000. These
propositions were the result of inquiries
from members of the board as to the cost
OF procuring an electric plant. The cost
of running the engine would be
nominally nothing as one of the janitors
has had sufficient experience with steam
engines to serve as engineer. The cost of
replacing broken lamps, rewriting In places,
ETC., is an expense that the county would
have to bear, even with contract with the
light and power company. The commits
siners say they have not been able to Sc
cure any proposition from the Olympia
company, although they we're informed by
Mr.. Chambers that the matter would be
put into proper shape at the next meeting
of the directors Of the Olympia Light and
Power company. Pending the negotiations
for contract for lighting the building with
electricity, gas will be used.
WHAT Mr.. CHAMBERS SAYS.
In reference to the question about light
ing the building with electricity, A. H.
Chambers said the chief objection on the
part of the light and power company was
that 1t was not properly wired.
The wires are grounded in places, " said
he, $50 that the electricity would escape to
the ground, and it may be necessary to
tear up the floors in order to make the re-
pairs. We tested the wires while putting
up the fixtures"
Mr.. Chambers said the company had
not submitted any proposition to the COM
misioners for furnishing the electricity for
the reasons stated. Regarding the probable
charge that would be made he could not
make any statement, as the terms would
have to be drawn up at a meeting of the di-
rectors, which will be held December 9th,
and it is quite likely they will make some
disposal of the matter at that time.
superintendent Owens and A. @. Jones,
the electrician, who put the wires in the
building. were busy this morning testing
the circuits with an electric mechanism for
that purpose. They made connections in
the basement and on the main floor but
claimed that no instances Of grounding
were found that could not be easily repaired.
In case the wiring really proves to be faulty
Rigby q Evans say they will make it right