The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-10
WILL CHANGE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
Edison COMPANY to Put I'm New
Lamps, Motors and Fans at once.


About half the work contemplated by the
Edison Electric Illuminating Company is
completed in the underground system
which has Just been turned over by the
contractors. 1t is probably not generally
known that the completion of the present
plan will neeessitate the changing Of every
fan. motor and iucandescent Light in the
city, due to the change of 100 for the pres
ent 50O-volt current 1t is estimated il
will take at least a month yet to install
the large amount Of wiring it is intended
to supplement for that now in use.
Since the completion of the underground
work the engineers have been drawing
cables through the conduits, and other
wise getting the system ready for use
under the new arrangement The new
globes for fncandescent light. new fans,
and the motors it will be necessary to re-
place, viii be at heavy cost 10 the COM
pany, which will bear the expense. While
1t Is necessary. owing to the change IN
the current, toadopt new appliances, this
will, nevertheless, be an advantage 10
users OF Electricity. A clearer light will
De Inc result obtained from the new lamps.
PRESIDENT George J, Baldwin of the Edi-
son company was asked yesterday whether
the proposed change in fans would NOT be
at the expense of users He replied that
Il would not; that this change viii be made
by the company. The motors that run the
fans viii have 10 be of a different make
owing to the change in the chrrent. In
some cases. he said the old fans could be
altered and their use continued, but in
most instances 1t win be cheaper TO re-
place them with new ones, and dispose of
the old the best way possible. The large
number of users of electric fans in Sa-
vannah will not be inconvenience, as the
company viii adopt some plan whereby
1t can make the change promptly and
without delay TO It's patrons.
The Edison company feels some relief
over the recent withdrawal of the ordi-
nance introduced in Council by Alderman
Dixon, requiring hat all wires be put
underground in the section bounded by
Liberty, East and West Broad streets and
which was considered far too sweeping
after some of its effects were brought to
the attention of the aldermen.
For some time it was not known just
why the ordinance had been withdrawn
but the fact was It would have forced the
Edison company to have relinquished a
Aol SC ASIItOfy IL - TOW supplying WIN
electricity. The company now has its I'M
derground system in the section bounded
by Slate, Abercorn, West Broad and the
river, but under the proposed ordinance,
the system would have extended from
State TO Liberty, and from Abercorn to
East Broad. II is estimated that per
cent of the companys business is in this
proposed increased terri DRY, and to have
supplied this by the underground, 1t is
stated, would have required a 50 per cent.
increase in the present capital invested.
Rather than do this, the company would
have relinquished the territory, in view
of the large expenditures that have just
been made for this kind of work. Owing
to the expenditure we have made" said
MIR Baldwin, "it will be some time be-
fore stockholders will again begin to real
lie anything on their investments"
On going before the City Council with a
statement of this kind il is not surprising
that the ordinance was withdrawn.