The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-21
EXPERTS ARE HERE
Men Having Charge of Street
Railway Work
ABOUT READY TO BEGIN
Busy at Power HOuSe--New
Route to Stock Yards.

Things are commencing to look ike
business as far as the street railway is
concerned. Ties and rails are being dis
tributed along the lines. Up at the Tenth
street power house, the old boilers are
being taken out and the new ones are
expected to arrive any day.
The boilers being taken out at present
are two eighty horse power. As soon as
the new ones Gene their place viii be
taken by two 250-hourse power Sterling
water tube boilers. These two will be set
up at once and viii be used while the
two old 190-hUrse power boilers are taken
out and a 390-horse power water tube
boiler put in their place. This viii give
the power house a boiler capacity Of 500
horse power which IS a little more than
double what It has been heretofore.
The current Of electricity viii be fur
Hished by a $50 volt, 25J K. W. generator,
which is equal to about 3z5 horse power.
This machine will be directly connected
with a 360 horse power engine.
For furnishing the city with arc lights
there viii be two 200 light machines.
Gre Of them viii be directly connected
with an independent engine and the other
viii be run from the big engine.
The two light machines are not for
permanent use. There may be some
changes made when the machines for
Commercial! lighting are installed This
equipment has not been decided on Last
night Mr.. Nelson said it would probably
be a month before they would be ready
TO do commercial lighting.
Mr. I. Q. williams is ! here and will
have charge Of installing the electrical
machinery. He has. for several years.
been the superintendent Of the Springfield
Ohio, line, and IS considered one Of the
best electrical engineers in the country.
Two track foremen. George jenkins and
Ed HathmaH, are also here. They already
have a small gang Of men at work get
ting in shape a lot Of steel which has been
at the power house for some time Work
will be commenced on the actual track
laying as soon as the joints for the rails
are received Four thousand OF these
joints have been ordered. They are Of the
latest pattern. are very heavy, and will
make a joint which is absolutely solid.
1t is not known just where the first
traek-laying viii be done. It all depends
On which joints are received frst-tha
ones for the seven inch rails for the paved
streets or those for the lighter rails which
viii be used where there is no pavement
The new line to the packing house viii
be the first 10 be completed. It viii run
W North Main to Thirteenth then west
to FairvIew ard along this street 10 Sew
enteenth then east on Seventeenth to
Market, north on Market to Twenty-first.
and then east to Lawrence avenue.
The Topeka line will not extend any
farther than Thirteenth. However. it IS
expected that this line viii be the best
paying one in town, and it viii have q
heavir track than any Of the other lines
of the pavement.
Everything is getting along as well as
could be expected. As soon as the weather
permits. material will be hauled for the
packing house line. and when that is
finished the track laying viii commence.
Yesterday Mr.. Nelson said that they had
been somewhat delayed, but that on the
whole they were getting along as well as
might be expected. and that within a year
from now Wichita would have the best
equipped street railway and power and
light plant in the state.