The record-union., 1897-05-25
PROPOSED ELECTRIC PLANT.
Report Of Experts Ridley and Halliday
to the Trustees.
They Make an Estimate of Cost and
Economy by Constructing 1t
For the City.

Experts Ridley and Halliday who
were employed by the Trustees to make
an estimate for an electric plant that
could be erected by the city, made
their report to the board last night as
follows:
San Francisco. May 10, 1897.
TO the Honorable, the Board of City
Trustees, Sacramento, Cal.-Gentlemen:
In accordance with the instructions
given us by your honorable board, we
herewith submit you our report on the
cost of construction and operation of
an electric installation for operating
the arc lamps required by the munich
pality to light the streets and alleys of
the city Of Sacramento Cal.
After careful investigation of both
the city Water Works plant and the
city sewerage plant, we consider that
in consequence of the easy handling of
coal and the character of the machin-
cry now installed, that an electric plant
can be most profitably operated in con-
junction with the present sewerage
plant and we have accordingly made
our designs in such manner as, not
only to furnish the city with the cleo
trio plant desired. but also to enable
the present machinery and the proposed
electric machinery to be used either for
the electric plant or for running the
sewerage plant in case the present en-
gine or the proposed engine for the
electric lighting should become disabled
By this arrangement q duplicate plant
is furnished and will render negligible
the possibility of a total shutdown of
either the electric or the sewerage plant
in the future.
AS the additional boiler plant could
not be located alongside the boilers
now installed, it has, therefore. been
put as near thereto as possible, and
SO arranged that in the event of in
creased boiler power being required, ad-
ditional boilers can be placed alongside
so as to obtain the most economical
handling of this portion of the plant.
The city of Sacramento is at the
present time supplied by the Sacra-
mento Electric, Gas and Railway Com
pany with 232 arc lights, according to
the map furnished to us. We have
therefore, estimated on the installation
of plant of 2o0 arc lights, and have
SO arranged the plant that in\ case it
has to be increased in size, additional
machinery can be added without the
necessity Of changing the location of
any portion of the plant that may have
been already installed.
INSTALLATION OF PLANT.
Taking into consideration all the is
sues involved and the various condi-
tions resulting, we have concluded to
advise the following: Vertical compound
lcondensing engines; return tubular boil
ser for 10 pounds steam PRESSURE; = 123-
| light, or I5-light constant current
generators; 80 arc lamps of 2,O00nomi-
nal commercial candle power; aerial
lines for all portions of the city with
the exception of 1900 feet, 1850 feet
on j street and $3.50 feet on K street,
from Second to Tenth streets. which
will be placed in conduits with an ad-
ditional 500 feet Of conduit through
which the wires viii be led up the poles
to a distance of 20 feet above the curb
line.
CIRCUITS.
All the circuits have been so design
ed that. in the event of failure in oper-
alton of any one circuit, only a portion
of the lights in such district will be
affected.
In our judgment the cost of installa-
ton of plant fulfilling the above con-
ditions and erected under expert speci-
| hcations, ensuring the fulfillment of
these conditions, will be approximately,
the sum of S63, 65S IA
COST OF OPERATION
In giving an estimate of the cost of
operation we have taken as the basis of
our calculations the following given
conditions:
First-Cost of Sydney coal S6 75 per
ton.
Second-No charge for condensing
water and feed water
Third-A lift for condensing pumps of
twenty feet
Fourth-Present staff, which can be
utilized for new plant, consisting of
three engineers.
Fifth-Interest on bonds Az per cent
Sixth-Allowance for depreciation of
plant AZ per cent.
A plant erected according to the be-
aforementioned designs and operated
under the above-stated conditions, can
produce electric light for the average
sum of 81 81 per lamp per month.
We have endeavored in this report to
eliminate therefrom all technical de-
tails, but will be pleased to furnish the
Trustees with any detailed information