The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-02-28

The following extracts are taKen
from the full report of Prof. ]. ].
Father of the university of Minnesota
on a municipal lighting plant for
Minnesota: ---r- .----.-----
"The results of the investigation
would indicate that your conditions
would be best met by installing a
system of series alternating enclosed
arc lamps, together with such incan'
descent lamps as you now have in SER
vice or may wish to put in operation.
There are at present in use 81 series
arc lamps, rated at 1900 c. p. (nom-
mall, and 1903 80 G. p. incandescent
lamps. I have assumed that new
plant had better be designed for ulti-
mate capacity of rs street arc lamps,
and possibly 175 80 c. p. incandes-
cents, could be operated from the same
generator, 80 that while operating
under the moonlight schedule there
need be only one engine and one gen.
orator in service and the load in both
of these would be practically constant,
thus ensuring most economical oper-
alton.
81 have selected the enclosed type
series alternating lamps as those best
adapted to your conditions. The light
from these lamps is more diffused and
illuminates wider area than is ordi-
narily obtained with the open arcs ;
and being enclosed in an opalescent
globe there is no pronounced brilliancy
which dazzles the eye.
Prof. Father submits three plans,
one costing $50, 49s for the plant, with
the cost of operation per annum for
city lighting only, sos, 55, or net cost
for city lighting. $3.50; the second
costing $50. 0sS for the plant with a
net cost for the city lighting with q
moderate amount of commercial light
ing, "a, 755; the third costing $44, 1O3,
with net cost for city lighting with
larger amount of commercial light
ing, $3,272.
In conclusion, Prof. Father says:
"You will see from the foregoing
that if you merely wish to install 8
municipal plant for lighting the city
streets and public buildings, the oper'
alton of this plant will cost the city
fully as much as now obtains with
the present prices. However, il
should be remembered that the charac
ter of the light will be entirely differ
emit and the estimates call for additions
arc lamps and 30 per cent more incan
descent lamps than are now in use
Moreover, the character of the lamps
proposed to be used is such that thu
lighting can be depended upon much
more uniformly than with the opel
arcs, for there is little chance for thu
wind to blow out the arc. and tn
Regulation is more constant.
1.-THE lamps will burn so hours o
more without attendance or trim
ming, there is no globe to the light
and citizens generally are better salts
fed with this form of light than wit
the open arcs that are now in use il
your city.
1.-THE present cost, namely $74 pc
lamp per annum, is very moderate fo
the hours contracted for, and 1 d
not think you could do much bette
than this by installing your own plan
unless you should sell some curren
outside, in order to reduce your operat
ing expenses. This may not be yer
great, as 1 have indicated, since th
| fixed charges in any case form aimos
one-half of the total cost.
SIN considering this question, how
ever, the poor service which report
indicate you are getting should b
taken into account and from thi
point of view it may be expedient fo
you to install your own plant.
"While the above cost of arc light
is, in my opinion, very moderate fo
: the number of hours which the ligh;
are supposed to burn, l think the COZ
of incandescent lighting service is COZ
siderably more than exists elsewher
under similar conditions. and thin
could readily be reduced from 10
1919 cents per k. W. hour, whic
with suitable scale of discounts, d.
PENDING upon the quantity of curre1
furnished, might be reduced to tie