Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-01-10
MUNICIPAL HEATING.
AN INNOVATION IN THE LINE OF PUB
Lie ECONOMY.

by Ownership of Its Water and
Lighting PIants-Service Excellent
and Taxation Low.
Wide interest Is being manifested in
the proposal of the city council Of Go
shen, Ind, to furnish heat to its citi-
zens from central plant. 1t is a de-
cided innovation in this country, al
though Shoreditch, London suburb,
furnishes light and heat from the heat
generated in the burning of it's gar
bage. If the undertaking proves sue
cessful, of which thee is little doubt,
it will give a decided impetus to mu-
uicipal ownership of all public utilities.
Goshen is typical municipal own
ership city already. 1t Is nearly 25
years since she took her first steps In
this direction.
It's first venture in this direction took
place % years ago, when a waterworks
system was established. The system
at that time was crude. but amply DEM
onstrated its worth, the water only be-
ing conveyed to various points in the
city as protection against fire.
From this beginning later developed
the installing of steam power so as to
allow the supply Of water for private
consumption. Next came the addition
Of artesian wells, and in 1881 power
house with a complete plant was erect
ed. Today the system includes nearly
81 miles of street mains, 160 fire n.y.
drants and IL public watering troughs.
The power station equipment COM
prises a standppe of 265.000 gallons
capacity, one pump with a capacity Of
100000 gallons for every "a hours
and two pumps Of 100000 gallons
capacity each and four boilers of 400
horsepower. From the plant there Is
an annual income Of nearly $500 from
private consumers.
In 1887 private company put in an
electric street lighting system. Two
years later the city of Goshen pur-
chased tho entire equipment of this
company for $1,000, and began at once
to CIT down operating expenses by
operating the dynamo from the mu-
nicipal waterworks plant. This is an
example of combining and central
izing industries by the people and in
the interests Of the people. Goshen
continued to develop her street lighting
system bv extending the lines and en-
larging the plant. Then an incandes-
! cent lighting plant was started. In
this manner $4,000 was expended
after the original plant had been pur-
chased. Now the city is talking of
buving out another incandescent plant
now operating here and combining 1t
with the others. Goshen's lighting
plant now includes a $50 horsepower
engine. 125 arc light dynamo. a 40
arc light dynamo and an incandescent
light dynamo. with capacity of 1000
lights
The following figures illustrate that
the plants are being operated at a
profit. to say nothing of the free use
of water and light to the city:
Total receipts for the year ending May
80, 1901 Sl5,529 O3
Total expenditures for same period. .-.. ,799 SO
Net profit TO the city from operating
expenses $729 oil
The item of public water and light
which Goshen secures free besides the
Is no small feature. There are many
cities of the size of this one that are
paying $4,000 year in water hydrant
rental to private companies. The
capitalization of the municipal plants
here is about 1888, 900. The tax rate
is as low as that of any city in the
state of Indiana-1 per cent.
The installing of a municipal hot
water plant is now in the hands of the
water and lighting committee, which
is so successfully managing the mu-
nicipal plants already in operation. In
their first report to the city council
they stated that they had information
to the effect that the exhaust from the
city power station would supply, with
out cost, all the heat required for heat
ing the water for from 10000 to $4,000
square feet of radiation. One estimate
is that it will heat from 10000 to
$4,000 feet. In order to be safely con.
sentative they go on to assume that
the exhaust will supply heat for only
$4,000 square feet.
The cost of furnishing the heat fol-
$4,000 square feet would be annually
$500 for heat and $576 for power to
circulate the water. 1t is figured that
80 pounds of coal will supply heat fol
one square foot of radiation surface
for the year. Computing coal at So q
ton, this amounts to IA cents pei
square foot of radiation per year. The
figures $500 per annum represent
: this amount as applied to 100000
square feet, the other $4,000 feet, it viii
: be remembered, coming from the ex
/. haust pipe Of the plant which the city
now owns. Thus a waste product Is
made source Of profit. For circu
lating the water for $4,000 square fee
. 20 horsepower Is required, which will
consume five pounds of coal per hour
which, for 160 days. which is the aver
age number of DAYS that heat ia re