Evening star., 1899-04-01
CONNECTING THE CONDUITS
Permit Affecting the Two Local Electric
Lighting Companies
Probabilities as to the Future Opera
tfOns-Furnishing Power to Street
Rai1ways-CO-Opera

The authority given to the Potomac E1ec-
trio Power Company by the District Com
misSioners to connect the conduits of that
company with the conduits which are being
built for the underground system on the
City and Suburban street railroad, and also
with the conduits of the United States
Electric Lighting Company. both being in
the vicinity of 18th street. New York ave-
nue. and G street, is significant of the
changed relations of this corporation to the
lighting as well as the street railroads of
the city.
The purpose of these connections is to
enable the company to supply the electric
current needed to operate the railroad now
being equipped with the new system. and
also to supplement and to some extent re-
place the power now furnished by the
United States Company. The power plant
of the Potomac Company. which is located
in Georgetown. is already a large concern,
and it is likely that there will be a further
extension in the near future of it's capabil-
tiles for supplying electric current.
1t is proposed to supply the current that
will be used to operate the City and Sub
urban railroad trains. and it is expected
when the Belt and the Anacostia roads are
re-equipped the cars will be run by cleo
tricity from this source. Some time ago
the Brightwood road was operated from
the power station of this company, and
preparations are now being made to again
supply the power and discontinue the power
house now in use by that road. AS the
road runs to Forest Glen, it can be under
stood that with electricity it is possible to
get it to do work at a long distance from
the point where it is produced.
Power Station for System.
1t is also expected the plant of the Poto-
mac Company will be the power station
for the system of street railroads that is
now being formed. and. in addition, will
supply the current that will be used in
lighting the city electrically. The system
used by the Potomac Company differs from
Company in the important particular that
the former uses current of low tension
and the latter one of high tension.
The former is said to be the most eco
nCmical, for in the first place it can be
transmitted on a small copper wire, while
in the case of the high-tenSion current
heavy copper wire is required. AS copper
Is costly, and as miles and miles of 1t must
be used, il can readily be understood that
1t forms an important item in the cost of
SOch a plant as that operated by an cleo
trIc lighting company.
AS the management of the two companies
is now on cooperative terms, the work has
already been begun of changing this fea-
ture of the installation of the United States
Electric Company from the heavy to the
light copper. WhereveC it is necessary,
also, the current of one company is being
used TO supplement that of the other, and
IN TINS way the service is being improved.
Although the power house of the Unit I'D
states Electric Company is a new one, and
the machinery Is new, Yet it is probable in
the near future that plant will become
merely a subStation of the main station,
wrich Will be the present power house of
the Potomac company in Georgetown.