New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-17
TIE THIRD AVENUES PLANS.
MAY SELL ITS SURPLUS ELECTRIC POWER FOR
LIGHTING AND HEATING

MAY SELL ITS SURPLUS ELECTRIC POWER FOR
LIGHTING AND HEATING
Edward Lauterbach said yesterday regarding the
announcement that the Third Avenue Railroau
Company had awarded 10 the WESTINGHOUSE
Walker Company the contract for the electrical
equipment of its lines in this city; Ihe cohIao
involves the expenditure Of from s5coo"o to so'oV
900 and the power plant which we contemplate
erecting at Two-hundred and-siXteenth-st- VIII
have a capacity of $1,000 horsepower which VIII
make ii the largest IN the world, unless the Metro
potan Company carries out It's intention OF max
ing It's building a 10000 horsepower plan;.
I'VE have already begun work on part 0, the
system. We expect to have the THIRD Avenue i'''e
proper In operation by electricity by next sprlhs'
and 10 have the Forty -second-st. crossto"n hhe
running by electricity III the summer All the other
lines will begin TO undergo a change OF motive
power Immediately after next summer. so mat the
entire system will be operated by electricity within
about a year and half from date
In answer to a question whether or not the Third
Avenue Company would sell It's surplus power for
commercial purposes. ne said. the aggregate
length Of our lines nlnetyeisht miles exceeds that
Of the METROPOLITAN systems lines. our INES arc
not vet running through as important territory
as the Metropolitan system covers. but all the
Harlem and Bronx tributaries 10 our system are
we have as valuable a field rs the metropolitan
building u, rapidly and II may not be long before
now enjoys The directors Of the Third Avenue
COMPANY have not formed any definite plan as to
the disposal of any surplus electricity because
they are unable to say yet whether or not there
Will be any surplus. We are planning 10 generate
in the one biz power house the electricity neces-
sary for operating all our lines. and may be thar
that plant will more than meet those require
ments If SO. the Third Avenue Company may
perhaps sell the surplus product for ighj. heat ana
power purposes. provided the bin permitting rail-
passed the Legislature last winter. but failed TO
receive the Governors signature. snail be enacted
into law. 1,
Asked If the Third Avenue Railroad Company,
IN case il should decide sell It's surplus cleo
trcity for light, heat and power would Join for
that purpose the NewYork Gas and Electric
Light Heat and Power Company which Is so
closely identified with the Metropolitan Street
Railway Company, the effect Of such Joining OF
forces being practically the consolida ton OF the
Third Avenue and Metropolitan companies. Mr.:
Lauterbach answered:
'There was time when they were constantly
tearing each others hair and trying TO cut each
others throats. bul after while the directors OF
the two companies came TO tho conclusion that the
only persons who making any money by the
fights were the lawyers. Probably they though
was getting too wealthy. AT any rate. they stopped
fighting. and TO-DAY there Is a kind o! armed
trality. There two short stretches of
track used by both systems. but further than
that the peace does not extend. No, you may be
assured that there will always be corpora ton
absolutely separate and distinct from the Metro
politan Company. and that is the Third Avenue
Railroad Company"