The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-11-25
PLEA
For Day Electric
Current
Made byan Interest
ed Citizen.
POWER PLANT
Badly Needed in
BeIIefOntaine
To Supply Factories With Day
as Well as Night Service
Some Good Suggestions.


We noticed in one of our local papers
a few days ago an article in regard to
the disposition of our city electric
light plant, and while we are very
much of the same opinion as the other
party in second ward we also think
that opinions OF more OF the citizens
should be had in regard to this impor-
tant matter, and something should be
done very soon as any one acquainted
with the situation knows that the
plant is not only lacking in capacity
to supply our city with the service
we 30 much need but it is a back
number and very expensive to operate.
The writer has never favored munich
pal ownership, bat we will not dis
cuss that feature in this srticle, as we
are perfectly willing to abide by what
ever is decided on in this matter. but
we do want to dee a power plant in
our city with sufficient capacity to
supply the needs of the city as well as
the private consumer of current. and
| by this we mean also an all night and
all day service, and we cannot afford
to stop the wheels Of progress in deny
ing our people what they can get IN
the way o, power and light in other
cities of less importance than Bellefon-
taine. There are now twenty engines,
steam. gas and gasoline. used in Belle
fontaine which could use an electric
motor to much better advantage.
both in economy and convenience, and
would undoubtedly use 1t if they could
get it. There are also fifty or one
hundred more persons who would be
glad to get current to run fans In The
summer seasons. There are also more
electric lights in their homes if they
|could get the service and get it any
thine of night There are other way
in which current could be used to good
advantages and for this reason there il
la great opening for n first class plan
land it would be good investment fol
|either the city or for private corpor
lation-
What we need is two good alternat
ing machines. one perhaps double th'
capacity Of the other, generating per
haps 200 volts. using one in day tim
when the lights are not needed and tn
larger when the heavy load is needed
We have other cities of less population
than Bellefontaine and therefore wouI,
consume less current that furnish cur
rent and have good returns for thei
, investment and furnish it at as Low
a price as two and one half cents pc
Thousand watts Using a sliding scale
that is, the consumer who uses grea
: amount of current for motive powe
| gets lower price per thousand watts
which is just right, the minImur
, price being two cents and the maxi
mum ten cents. and the party VIII
> only uses a few Thousand watts pc
month for lighting his home can we
afford to pay ten cents and yet have
cheap light At Wilmington. Ohio
they furnish power at the prices give
and at Troy and undoubtedly man
other places, but we have the informs
tion from those places At Whining
ton they use one 125Kw machine an
one 25OKw and this would probably b
sufficient for Bellefontaine. Many {
the lines would need to be changed fc
this kind of q system. The trans
formers would also need to be chang
q ed, which would not be near the e1
{ pense you would suppose as the ol
transformers can be used in exchsng
for the new ones and get about te
, cents per light for them; it woul
: also not require so many of the ne
o ones as the town would then have i
n main lines run from plant through ii
main districts and transformer pI
on corner of square and distribute
: from that point to two or for
3 squares as the case may be, and SON
u of the builders of transformers NAL
/ them to use both for power and hgh
For single-phase alternating systel
d it would require only very sma
n wire for the main lines, which is
q great saving of expense, and there
;. no loss as Is the case with the dire
current. By having proper plant v
could also save at least one-half Il
: expense of operating.
Now in conclusion we would say
u us be satisfied with whatever Il
Board of Service and the councilme
O decide to do in this matter and n
b find fault if we know nothing abo1
, it, for they have been working to gre
disadvantage with the present syste
and it is constant source of expen
II and they cannot possibly supply IL
o town with current, and we must ha,
9 something better whether furnished /
the city or by private corporatio
q or individual and we will receive gre;
benefits in either case, as giving ds