New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-10
ESTIMATES LAUGHED AT.
ELECTRICAL OFFICIALS RIDICULE THE
BRIDGE COMMITTEES FIGURES.

THEY SAY THAT MANY ITEMS HAVE BEEN OVER
LOOKED OR THAT THEY HAVE BEEN
QUOTED AT RIDICUIOUsLY LOW
FTGUREs-THE SUBJECT
COME Up TOMORROW
There is surprise in store for the Board OF
Trustees OF the Brooklyn Bridge when they
meet tomorrow afternoon to ratify the report
Of special committee appointed to investigate
the question Of supplying the necessary current
of electricity to run the motor-cars on the
Bridge. On Monday last adjourned meeting
of the Board Of Trustees of the New-York and
Brooklyn Bridge was held. Two propositions
read by the secretary in reply to proposals
for furnishing the power. One Of these esti-
mates was presented by the Brooklyn Heights
Railroad Company. This company offered to
supply an average Of 200 kilowatts day for
$1SS day. or S6S.620 year. The other esti-
mate was from the Edison Illuminating Com
pany. whose figures were S106 day. or ST.
1913 a year The special committee appointed to
Investigate and determine the cost for which
the trustees could furnish their own power re-
ported that the cost Of the plant II operated by
the trustees would be only $1O6 day, or S2S~
$50 year.
The wide divergence In the figures OF the
trustees committee and the two companies was
quickly noticed, but, strange to say 1t attracted
little comment. The report OF the special com
mittee was accepted unanimously and to-mor-
row the full Board will meet. and 1t Is expected
to confirm the adoption Of the report.
It is probable. however that before the final
vote is taken on the special committees report
the members Of the Board will have their atten-
ton called to several alleged peouliariies in the
report.
difference in the estimates. Tribune reporter
called at the headquarters Of the Edison llu-
mnating Company in Pearl-st. yesterday after
noon The officers Of the Edison Company nave
no expectation Of receiving the contract for fur-
nishing the motive power because they were
underbid by the Brooklyn Heights Railroad
Company They said that the report or the
trustees special committee was absurd ana
declared that 1t would be impossible Tor the
Bridge trustees or any other organization 10 iur-
n,sh the required power for the amount speci-
fed by those who drew up the report or the
special committee. II was intimated that the
report disclosed the intention on the pert or the
trustees to keep the Job In their own hands. re-
gardless OF the inducements offered by outsiders.
w. s Barstow. the general superintendent Of
the Edison Company. made the following state
ment Yesterday. showing the alleged weak points
in the estimate of the trustees:
DEPARTED FROM THEIR OWN SPEClFICA-
TIONS.
I'm figuring on a separate plant. they In
no way adhered TO the specifications upon which
they asked bids from the electric company. In
their specifca tons they called for 800 khowats
continuously Tor six hours while in the same
specification they say that this current must be
supplje,i from two separate or distinct sources,
either OF which ls large enough TO carry the load
This means that there should necessarily be IN
stalled ready for use 600 kllowatts In generat-
ors and steam plants. The report, as given 10
the Bridge trustees by Mr. Martin, contains an
estimate for only 800 kowatts capacity Thus,
In order TO comply with their own specincatlohs'
this estimate should be doubled. leaving the cost
OF the plant about $4,000 Instead OF providing
for 1 400 horsepower boiler capacity. their esti-
mate contains the one item of two boilers Of 1O4
horsepower each. II Il should be Intended 10
use the extra boilers used In the cable plant
they must necessarily at present have a reserve
OF 1892 horsepower. which reserve they wouia
entirely sacrificed In the erection OF the electric
plant.
"By a careful study OF the records OF the Bridge
operations and those OF seven or eight other
IL rye plants including the West End, OF BOSTON,
and a number Of Edson's central stations III
large cities have found that It would cost the
Bridge S73.73O to run It's own electric plant.
This. YOU Will See is only S131 more than we esti-
mated.
In the estimated running expenses necessary
10 produce T. 800 kowatts there are many uouo'-
full Items in the report OF the subcommittee
Under the item Of wages are mentioned ui'ee
er.rnen one oiler and one engineer AS II Is ao-
aniu,elv imDossible to conform with their specl-
0cattons I'm regard their output OF current
with less than double this NUMBER vi men. 4 10
l.f III
~ ,hev intend to operate this plant WIN 'he
same men at present used on the capie Pia"' wy
will doubtless make big mistake ,
THE Item Of coal Is perhaps the most aiil.slne
IN The entire report While their specifications
can for 800 kilowatts for six hours. they say tat
they will only require TO run TOT inns pun por ao
GOO horsepower engine although their average
I~na "a Zoo horsepower According to their
own figures they will need 3'o,ooo Kiiowat.S
hours a month. Estimating nve pGu sin % ,ors
a kilowatt hour, they would need o4o tons =
month and at the price they menuon LOT coat
81 a ton their coal bill would De Soooo d 'oiis ILL.,
or S4O320 year for coal alone whereas ,ne -,
entire cost Of operating expenses ~ hsuteo at
S2Sss3
ITEMS AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN
.rr r.oard 10 the other Items II Is necessary to
.o, u,,,n 40 many OF the necessaries Of opera
ton are omitted. Their item OF fixed charges Is
q, ,au,t according to their own estimate. In that
y mar cant is charged for depreciation. although
&, IN. same report they ask for the entire re-
nawai ~ an electrical plant which has peen IN
mse for thirteen years, thus admitting deprecia-
ton of almost per cent year 49,, ,-. .,
the Bridge trustees had they mentioned IN &C
cordance with their own specification the fonow-
ing Items the cost, they wou,a ""'e 'e'''
much nearer what they can expect
...............S1I.oo 900
Coal to develop i2ooo h'o"a'' 4oa2o
daily At "a per ION ''''''' ........... $40
Water ........... 600
on waste ana pseN'''A ................. 5000
REM
Fight per cent depreciation on plant "h'c" "o'' coo
cost $llOVoo) -, ~, liant ...... 800
............. .S73. $50
"In their estimate only one shitt OF men -
crowded for including only one oiler ana one
p,or This would imply that they Intend To