Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-01
FOR SINGLE POWER STATION
PLANS BEING CONSIDERED BY WASH
ING TRACTION COMPANY.
Plant to BE Located Mt Great FAN.
and Will he Run by Water
Power. d

Plans are under consideration by the
Washington Traction and Electric Com
pany providing for single power station
in this city. At present. there care eight
stations, in various parts of the District,
which supply the electric power used In
operating the eleven street railroad lines
controlled by this company, and that which
is consumed by the two electric lighting
companies, also under the same manage
ment.
1t has been the purpose from the outset
of this scheme of consolidation of street
railroad and electric lighting concerns to
have the power supplied from one plant
but the bringing together of all these prop
critics under one control and into one sys-
tenn, together with the rebuilding of the
suburban and some of the city lines. has
occupied very fully the time and attention
of the officials of the company. AS the va
rious roads were acquired the use of the
power station of each particular road was,
as a rule, continued, it being found that
even with a comparatively recent addition
the plant of the Potomac Power Company,
which is the most extensive controlled by
this corporation and the largest electric
power plant in the District was inadequate
to furnish all the current needed.
In the meantime the Great Falls Power
Companys control of certain rights at the
Great Falls was purchased by interests
friendly to the railroad company, with the
purpose ofebulding plant TO utilize the
force of the Potomac at that point in the
manufacture of electricity. The current is
to be sent to this city and used to operate
the street railroads and supply the cleo
trio lights. 1t was recognized that such a
water plant would be superior In several
particulars to a steam plant. but at the
same time it was not the intention to aban-
don the steam plant, but rather to hold 1t
in reserve.
Involve. Large Expenditure.
The utilization of the power at Great Falls
for this purpose is an undertaking OF mag
nitude, involving the expenditure Of large
sums of money and requiring several years
for It's completion. Pending this 1t is I'M
derstood to be the purpose of the directors
of the road to enlarge and equip the plant
of the Potomac Power Company IN George
town. so that 1t will be capable of furnish
ing the required amount of current needed
for the railroads and the electric lighting
companies When this is accomplished it
will be possible to abandon the power
plants Of the various lines now in use.
Some Of these places cover great deal OF
ground, and large and expensive buildings
have been erected. For example, there are
two power stations OF the Metropolitan
company at the foot of Az street and near
the street bridge in Georgetown, respec-
lively. Then there are the power station of
the Columbia road, at 18th and H streets
northeast. one in Anacostia, one at Bright
wood and one on the Tenleytown road, and
besides others the plant of the United
States Electric Lighting Company. When
these properties are abandoned for the pres
eut uses the railroad company will have a
great deal of property which it will not
need, and naturally it will come upon the
market A change in the ownership OF the
property will probably be followed by i'm
provements, so that while the contemplated
plan of having one power station is largely
of economic interest to the company, yet
the results that will follow and the changes
in property give it more general interest.