Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-05-04
Mbeelin9 Resister
PRIVATE LIGHT PLANTS.
A Number Of Projects Of This Sort
Being Considered
In the Business Portion Of the City.
The Wheeling Electrical Com
pany Will Be the Main Sufferer,
Although the Gas Receipts Will
Be Cut to Some Extent.

Wheeling will in a few months have
a number o. additional private electrical
stations in the heart of the city for the
purpose OF getting cheaper incandes-
cent and arc lights.
Mr.. L. E. Sands, the local electrician,
is negotiating for the erection Of sew
eral stations in the various squares be-
tween Tenth and Sixteenth streets. 4
small station has been erected in the
supplv house OF Mr.. Sands on Market
street for temporary use. II this plant
proves successful lines will be extened
over the entire square between
Eleventh and Twelfth streets, but VIII
no. go farther, as new company can
net cross streets or alleys with wires
without franchise from the city. This
plant. if put into opera On, will prob
ably get the entire support OF the square
named,
In the quarter square bordering on
Market and Eleventh streets Mr.. Au-
gust Friebertshausen is contemplating
the erection OF a seven horse power
plant. which. when completed, will furn-
ish eight saloons in the space named at
an outlay OF thirty cents per night,
which is considered very low figure.
The Dillon. Wheat & Hancher Com
pany supply the quarter square border
ing on Market and Twelfth streets. y
number OF merchants IN the square
named have already put in the igat
furnished by this company.
The business men in the square 'front.'
ing on Market and Fourteenth streets
are contemplating a meeting for the
purpose Of naming committee 10 see
Messrs. House & Hermann and try and
induce them 10 extend their lines over
the quarter square, selling their cleo
tricity al lower figure than the Wheel
ing Electrical Company.
With all these plants in operation in
the heart OF the city. not including the
plant OF William Mclaughlin, on Water
street. and the McLure House plant,
the Wheeling company will find big
hole in their receipts. The cause OF
the urging on OF these various plants
is said 10 have been brought about by
the prices asked by the present COM
pany. who have no competition. The
above plan to establish plants about
the city is the only way to avoid any
litigations by running wires across the
alleys.
The Wheeling Electrical company
will be the main sufferer by the cree
ton of these small private or cooper
alive plants. although the city gas re-
ceipts will be cut TO some extent in
certain quarters.
In the square bounded by Main. Mar
ket. Eleventh and Tenth streets. for
instance. the city has already lost about
all the big customers. and the revenue
to the gas works from this block is
probably not one-fOurth OF what j..
once was. If the private plant project
ed is put in, and lights are furnished
from il at a less figure than is now
charged by the Electrical Company.
that corporation and not the city will
get the worst of it. The same thing
is true in the quarter square bounded
by Twelfth, Market. alley nine and
alley B. In the quarter square south
of Fourteenth and west OF Market
streets. most of the consumers use gas.
and if the House & Hermann wires
are extended the city will get the wOrs.
OF il. The gas department is getting
used TO losing good customers, how
ever. but the Electrical Company has
YET to go through this particular ex-
perience.
This matter Of the growth OF private
s2d cooperative light plants was ex-
tensiyely discussed by the members Of
the Council Finance Committee. Friday
night. as il has been on sundry occa-
sions. by the members OF the Gas Board
and Counc;lmen generally. but no meth
cd Of meeting the apparently inevitable
has as yet been suggested. The city
cannot take up incsndescent and gen
eyal commercial lighting under the
State law. without first purchasing the
plant OF the Wheeling Electrical Com
pany. and il that was an accomplished
fact. il is a question whether or not the
CITY could furnish incsndescent lights
as cheaply as the small isolated plants
of the type proposed to be erected in the
business district. These small plants
are comparatively inexpensive. can be
operated very cheaply by gas engines,
and meet all the requirements Of bust
ness men.
The problem is one presenting great
difficulties, and yet the city must solve
it without much more delay. if the gas
works is 10 be kept upon a sound fnan-
cial basis.
Perhaps the first move which should
be made by the city is the removal from
the gas works and the gas consumers Of
the cost of lighting the streets and pub
lie buildings Of the city.
This has always been an outrage upon
the gas consumer for The lighting OF
streets. engine houses. market houses and
The City Hall is properly as much charge
upon the tax lis; of the city as is the cos;
of police. firemen, street Improvement. or