Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-04-10

porium, Pa.
GENTLEMEN
AS you will doubtless be called upon,
more or less frequently during the com
ing year, for action of various kinds,
relating TO our Municipal Electric
Lighting plant / assume that brief re-
sumo of the work of the past year may
prove of service
OUR ELECTRIC LIGHTING PLANT.
After few weeks of friendly contro-
versy in the local press a vote was
taken at our borough election held in
February 1901, on the proposition to
bond the borough $1,000 for the con-
struction of an electric lighting plant
to furnish street lights and incandes-
cents. The proposition carried by a
majority of nearly four to one, and
Council of 1901 at their first meeting in
March appointed committee to take
immediate action on the subject.
This committee was composed of
Messrs. Catlin, Balcom and Murry, and
was requested to act with The Burgess.
The committee selected Mr.. j. @. Vail a
we'll known Electrical Engineer of
Philadelphia, to prepare plans and
specifications. Mr.. Vail looked over
the ground personally about the middle
of March, and, at once prepared plans
and specifications which were accepted
by committee and by Council at Irregular
meeting in April, and bids advertised
for in the PRESS and Independent of
Emporium, and the Engineering Re-
cord, of New York City. Bids were
opened April 30th. The lowest hid
was IS, 1890, but the bidders were un-
able to show that the engine they pro.
posed to put in would fulfill therequire-
Ynanta pf tba cpaotfaotipns pHr, pO1l1
they refer to a single instance in which
their engine had been used for electric
light work. Next bids were 6,849,
and So $40, both by Geo. Metzger, Jr,
of Emporium; from Oiaan came bid of
S7,480; Philadelphia, $7,6t2; Philadel
phia, 81 S92; Philadelphia, $8,132; New
burg, n. Y, So, 507; ;Wllliamsport, IS, 760;
Pittsburg, $S,S07 About this time MIR.
S. S. Hacket, was appointed to Council
and also placed on the light committee
to fill vacancy caused by Councilman
Murry'a change of residence. The con-
trac5 was finally awarded to Geo.
Metz ger, Jr., at his bid of Sc, 6,849, for
complete plant except power house and
connections. Mr.. MetZger's bond in the
sum f$2, 600 was accepted and contract
legally closed May 18th. Owing to un-
avoidable delays il shipment of engine
and other apparatus the contractor did
not pronounce his work finished until
September 28Gh, and same was finally
accepted by the borough Oct 2S, 1901,
after an inspection by engineer Vail, of
Philadelphia, who pronounced all the
apparatus to be first class and as re-
quired By The specifications. The line
work has stood the high winds and
storms of the past six months without
a break or Ceat's worth of repairs and
may fairly h2 considered TO be properly
constfucted,
COST OF PLANT.
The contra 3tor received Sc, 767 90.
Expense and bills On account Of Elec-
trical Engineer for plans and specifica-
tions, blue prints, inspection and etc,
also bills for lumber and labor on power
house, gas, water and sewer connec-
tions, etc were S785.O0 to which
should be added Sl20.61 for pipes,
plumbing, labor and apparatus which
though purchased since the borough
accepted the plant, are really part of
construction expenses, making the en-
tire cost of plant complete S7,681.61.
OPERATING EXPENSES.
Operating expenses for October, Nov
ember, December, January less above
items charged to construction, S432.74.
Included in this, however is $3.50 in
surance for full year and payments for
oil and carbons istill on hand We find
that the overcharge on these four
months for supplies bought and on
hand but not yet used is S21.00 and in
surance for eight months to come Is
S36 33, reducing actual running ex-
pense for the four months to 1915. "A.
Expenses for February including in
surance S4 81, is SS1 SO, expense for
March $93.08. making total of 559.91
for six month or $93. II per month for 81
arcs, or about $4,000 per year per arc
To this should be added $280.00 per year
interest on bonds, bringing the cost to
the borough of a single arc to $40 90 per
year.
According to the guarantee given by
the manufacturers of our apparatus, we
have sufficient surplus power to furnish
private lighting to the amount of S900.00
per year. fully agree, however, with
your lighting committee in its conclu-
sion to defer further action regarding
inside lighting till the engine bed in
the power house is reinforced.
WEAK FOUNDATION.
The fact that the engine bed shows
signs of weakness is very much to be
regretted, but fail to find that council
or the contractor can be blamed in any
way for this condition. The size of the
foundation and the construction of it
are in every respect equal, and in the
matter of the cement employed, better
than the requirements furnished by the
engine builders who probably lost sight
of the fact that the foundation would
stand III water whenever water in the
branch was high, although their atten-
ton was drawn to this several times.
I have recently learned that the same
thing occurred when new steam en-.
gine was put in at the Iron Works here
about two years ago. The foundation
was built on precisely the same level as
related to the creek, and it was built
according to specifications, bat after u
few weeks use it began TO shake 50 chat
its reinforc sment becamo necessary
This was accomplished by surrounding =
the foundation on all sides W'h q stoue
wall Is inc e3 thick, about four or five
feet from the foundation. rhi5 ayace.
was then fiiei with Stag or cinder and