The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-28
THE C. R., L. & P. COMPANY'S
NEW POWER HOUSE.
WORK COMMENCED ON IT.
The Building VIII be go by no Feet
and VIII be Located at the Foot OF
Castle Street - The Very Latest
Equipment - Another Handsom
Car for Winter Travel to the
Ocean.

Power Company broke ground yester-l
d-y for its model power house from
which the trolley line to Wrighrsviliel
Beach, the electric street railway, andl
the company's city lighting plant win
be operated.
The new building win be located at
the foot of Castle street, just oppositel
the cOmpany's gas plant. It will havel
an iron frame will be constructed of
will front ITO feet on Castle street, and
VIII extend along the northern line of
the street to the wharf. The house will
nave a depth of sixty feet extendingl
northwardly. The material for theI
plant is now being laid down on incl
grounds. two Babcock & Wilcox boilersl
and one of the Alphons Custodis CHM
ney Construction Company's smockl
stacks having already been received.
The two boilers have a capacity of $50,
horse power each, and the smoke stack
will be 15 feet high with a diameter Of
six feet, inside measurement. The
snok stack will have a foundation of
piiing and radial brick.
The building will have an iron truss
roof and Will be covered with CORFU
gated mon. At the extreme east end
wall be a storage battery room IS by 81
feet i'm size. The storage battery will
be the balance wheel of the whole sys-
tenn, as it serves to take up the f1uc-|
tuations of the electrical current due to
the stopping and starting of the cars.
When there is a heavy load on the
steam plant the storage battery will
help out by automatically sending out q
current, and when the current is more
than is necessary the battery will
take up the current and store Mt for
future use.
Next west of the battery room will
be the engine room, which will be 10
provided with a ten ton travelling crane
for the rapid handling of heavy pieces
of machinery. The steam capacity will
be 1000 horse power, so arranged that
half that horse power will pull the entire
outfit. which means that the company
"a leave d COIIlplSle duplicate pIdIul 10
take the place of the other in case of
accident at n time. One of the fea-
lures of the engine room will be a 400
kiiio watt Parsons steam turbine, the
first of it's kind OF be installed in the
south. This type of steam apparatus
was first introduced about five years
ago by George Westinghouse and by it's
efficiency and reliability of operation
it has already seriously threatened the
manufacture of re~ciprocating engines.
1t takes the place of the present style
of steam engines. While the under
ground railway at New York was I'M
der construction, M which is nearing
completion. the work was suspended in
order TO decide upon the merits of the
steam turbine with which to operate
the plant. The turbine was decided up
on, so We see that Wilmington will have
the latest thing out in the way Of 4
modern steam plant.
The boiler room will be between the
engine room and the river side Of the
power house. 1t viii be 40 by 80 feet
and win be equipped by two boilers of
$50 horse power each. There will also
be space for two additional boilers of
equal size when the demands of the
station require them.
The new power house will be equip
ped with new machinery throughout.
The present power house will be dis
continued and the machinery practical
~ dumped into the scrap pile Some
of the engines Will be kept merely as
arxifiaries, but it is presumed that 1t
Will be many years before it may be
necessary to call them into use.
From the wharf a standard gauge
railway win be built into the boiler
room SO that wood and coal can be
taken directly from vessels or flats to
the furnaces.
It is the intention of the company to
make this a model plant in every
way, both as 10 efficiency, looks and
cleanliness A strip of ground in front
of the building will be planted with
flowers n the yard between the river
and the building will be kept as a lawn.
It will be laid off into gravel walks and
will have pretty flower beds, making it
a very attractive place for people to
visit.
Spur tracks will be built down Castle
street into the power house from Front
and Castle streets, and the track of the
dummy line will also be built to the
plant It has not been determined yet
where the car barn and repair shop will
be located, but most probably the loca-
ton will be on he company's lot On
Front street on the north side of Castle.
The company proposes to have the
very best equipment that can be af-
forded by a city his size The order for
the combination passenger and baggage
car a been cancelled, as it was de
cided that it would be inadequate for
the winter travel to the ocean. In It's
place a standard double truck closed
passenger a has been ordered. 1t has
walk-over "a with can backs and
springs cushions. with a push button