The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-07-28
boulevard
LAMPS.
Why the Lighting Of the
Big Road Is Not
Perfect.
PLANT rs ANTIQUATED
Condition of the Electrical
Establishment at Snake
Hill.

y The electrical plant for lighting the
Boulevard has long been a bone OF con-
tention between those having it in charge
and the public. Complaint has been made
of the darkness in which some section OF
the big road is almost al the time and
much of. this complaint is warranted
Those in charge of this plant say that
this condition of affairs is due to the
autiquated character of the plant and
their inability to obtain sufficient money
TO bring it up to date. On no branch of
the Boulevard, it is claimed. have more
radical improvements been made than oil
this plant. One of the most serious diff
cuties those in charge have to contend
with is the lack Of a duplicate plant such
as all similar plants have that at all
gives satisfaction. Only one engine is
in place to run the four dynamos which
are required to be in constant use to keep
the 400 lights lit. An accident to any part
of this engine means the shutting off of
the lights, bat if anything happens to
one of the dynamos its circuit can be
divided up among the others and the
lights kept lit. Another defect lies in the
fact that the power travels over two
1it6S ol wire DelOTC the bOuISVdf0 Is
reached.
When the present Commissioners took
charge of the road in December 1898, they
found for eighty lights and two one hun
dred and twenty-five light dynamos at
the Snake Hill power house. The former
were almost useless and a source of never
ending expense for repairs. The latter,
which were Brush machines, had been
purchased by the Freeholders shortly be-
fore on account of the numerous COM
plants about the failure of the lights to
burn. One of the first purchases made
by the new Commission was two Fort
Wayne sWood" 125 lights dynamos to re-
place the four useless machines that were
part of the original plant.
The new dynamos cost something less
than $4,000 and about 5000 was realized
from the sale of the old machines. The
electricity for the lights is still generated
by these four machines. The power house
is located in a brick building, about
100x100, with an addition about 50x50, adj
joining the penitentiary at Snake Hill.
The solitary engine is of 500 horse power.
Most of the water used to be taken from
the Hackensack River, although some
from the Jersey City mains is used. A
of the main building is used to pump the
water from the river to we'll located
near the bank. The principal reason for
using part city water is that at low tide
there is not sufficient water in the well.
Four Coatesville boilers located in the adj
dition supply the steam.
The building is in fairly good condi-
ton except that the iron roof girderss ap-
pear too light to carry their burden. The
brick walls inclosing the boilers are
badly bulged. and in spite of the iron
support placed to hold them, threaten to
fall at any time.
When the plant was in charge of the
Freeholders, the slightest repairs had to
be done by outsiders, as the necessary
tools were not kept on hand. Now any re-
pairs necessary, even to the winding of
an armature of a dynamo, is done at the
plant by the employees, and tools for
every possible emergency are kept on
hand. The dynamos have been placed on
foundations of concrete instead of on
wood as formerly, thus doing away with
the constant vibration which could not
help injuring the machines.
The antiquated character of the plant
Is responsible for considerable loss of
power. The dynamos are connected with
pulleys by belts instead of having direct
connection, as in all modern plants Con-
stant repairs are necessary to keep the
plant in it's present condition.
There are in all nine employees at the
plant. The list includes two engineers
two dynamo men, three firemen, one
lamp hand and one storekeeper. On the
road, keeping the lines in repair, are five
trimmers and four linemen and helpers
One engineer and one dynamo man works
in the day time and the other two at
night. The night men make a written
report to their successors of everything
that occurs during their tour of duty,
and indicate what repairs may be neces-
eary to any of the machines. The day
men make these repairs. the engineer at
tending to the engine, pump and fire.
room. and the dynamo man to the dyna-
mos and shafting.
With this force considerably more work
could be done, but it would be difficult
Power could be supplied for the lighting
of all the institutions at Snake Hill by
placing one or two additional dynamos
at the plant Then the expensive gas
plant there could be done away with
The system governing the men in their
conduct of the plant is well-nigh as per-
feet as it could be. Every detail as
to the time of the men and the quantity
and cost of materials used is recorded
and can be told at a glance for any day
by referring to the books kept at the
plant Evidences of economical manage
rnent are everywhere manifested Even
the waste oil is filtered and used over
again.
There are no extra lamps, the Com
neissioners say, because there is no money
to buy them. If lamp is broken on any
of the currents it is brought to the power
house and repaired. A years supply of
carbons are purchased at one time, OBJ
tanning all advantages of discounts there
by.
There are five circuits supplied by the
four dynamos. No. l extends from the
49, yxY1y r-.a -