The Tucson citizen., 1902-04-04
The New Electric Light Com
pdnu Has Ordered a
$50,0OO Plant.
The Product viii be Offered for
Fuel as Well as for lIIumindt-
Ing Purposes.

Manager Seigfried, OF the Tucson
Electric Light and Power Company
yesterday let the contract by wire for
a $4,000 water gas plant, ~which is to
be installed at Tucson within the next
100 days. The plant VIII take the place
of the old gas works. which will not
be removed for the present, but will
be allowed to stand until the new plant
Is erected. The building which will
contain the machinery for the manu-
facture of water gas will he located on
the same property as the old gas
b.rks. 1t viii be built of brick and
iron and will be 9lx28 feet. A large
gasom,t ter of Il CepeCity of 1000 cubic
feet will Ea erected along side the new
building. 1t will cost about $4,000
When the new r'ant is completed
the company will be in a position to
furnish water gas for Illuminating
purposes at $500 per ! 900 cubic feet,
and at $500 for heating purposes. The
price charged by the old gasworks
was 81 per 1000 cubic feet. The capa-
city Of the plant will be 10000 cubic
feet per. twenty-four hours. and the
company figures mat they will have to
reduce the price to a minimum to dis
pose of tIat amount. They will make
special feature of selling gas for
heating purposes. as It Is to their in
terest to sell electric light In place
of gas. The water gas plant will be
used to compete for the lighting and
heating. which is now done by oil
and gasoline.
The company has a contract with
the Standard Oil Company for furn-
ishing oil. at Bakersfield for the next
two years at the uniform price OF SO
per car The freight on a car of oil
from Bakersfield TO Tucson is $240
which makes the cost $2G5 per ear de-
livered at Tucson Oil is used entirely
in making the water gas under the
system which has been adopted here
1t is known as the Lowe system and
there are a number of these plants in
operation in California. l.. F. Lowe.
president of the company. which will
erect the plant viii arrive in Tucson
Saturday and the written contract Will
be signed at that time. Mr.. Lowe is at
the head of a company which is erect
ing a water gas plant at Bakersfield.
California To supply san FRANCISCO
with 5000. 900 cubic feet of gas per
day at the rate of 5 cents per 100 cubic
feet. =. pipe me will be laid between
San Francisco and Bakersfield with re-
Law stations to give the gas pressure,
Wherever established, these water
gas plants have been great success.
The gas is made by turning blast OF
steam into generator in which the OIL
has been heated to high temperature
The gas formed is passed through
condenser, where the steam Is con-
lensed TO wa,er and thence through
y, fiers into the storage tank. water
gas makes a bright fame and is one
Of the purest gases known. The burn
arg in which it will be used viii give
twenty candle power, and this can DC
increased by using Welsbach lights.
The Electric Light company has JUST
,,aced an order with the General
electric Company for $50 kilo gen
,rator which will double the capacl'y
# the present plant and quadriple the
.apacity of the plant as 1t was "heh
purchased Dy the present. company.