The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-11-16
Ocala's Electrical Equipment.
To the Hon. Mayor and City Council
Ocala, Florida.

Ocala, Florida.
conference.-the undersigned. rep
resenting the firm of Ludwig & Co.,
engineers, respectfully submit here
with summarized report on the re
suit of his inspection and tests on
the new equipment of your electric
light plant.
The great amount of figures obtain
ed from above Investigations and tests
makes it impossible to embody them
in this report, and the present re
port, therefore, only covers the main
results, and such remarks and con-
illusions as are brought out by above
results, it being understood that i'm
mediately upon the writer's return to
Atlanta a full report will be worked
out and submitted to your honorable
body.
General remarks: Preliminary to
making efficiency and capacity tests
on the new station equipment, it
was found necessary to make a num-
Der of adjustments on both engine and
generator equipments, in order to OBJ
tain satisfactory results from same,
and this was especially necessary
with one of the generators which, ow-
ing to some electrical defects was
not fit for normal operation in the
condition it was found by the writer.
Results of tests: The results of a
series of careful tests show conclu-
sively that the complete engine and
electrical equipment fulfills the guar
aptees given by the manufacturers
in their respective contracts. Tests
further show that the complet equip
ment of the plant is now in a salts
factory condition, and fully able to
assure a continuous operation with
good economical results, and to the
limit of the guaranteed capacity of
the respective equipments. To be
sure there are several points of mi
nor Importance which will deserve
correction, but the same are of such
nature as to be readily adjusted by
your present station management.
Basing upon the above results, and
his personal inspection, the writer
can conscientiously recommend to
your honorable body that the complete
equipment in question be accepted.
AS furtehr result of his tests and
investigations. the writer respectful
ly calls your attention to the fact
that, under present conditions, ii
would be more economical for city
to discontinue wood as fuel, and to
use coal exclusively, provided proper
facilities can be obtained from the
railroad company for switching coal
cars Immediately to the plant, and
provided further, that the cost of a
fair grade of steam coal does not ex
coed $3.50 per ton, delivered at the
plant The above suggestion is based
upon the following considerations:
During one of the tests made by
the writer a total of 1904 pounds OF
water was transformed into steam
requiring exactly one and one-hali
cords of wood which, at $500 pei
cord, represents an expense of $500
If fair grade of steam coal can be
used during this test, each pound of
coal would have readily evaporated
z pounds of water, and therefore
about 1900 pounds of coal woGld
have been required. Assuming that
such grade of coal had cost $3.50
per ton, delivered to your plant, the
corresponding expense would have
been $3.50. Considering the steadily
advancing price of wood. p -fea4-
ing difficulty to obtain ragular sup
ply of same, we would seriously adj
wise you to give this matter your
immediate attention.
AS to the actual cost of operating
your plant, we nave ODtalne0 all the
necessary data, and expect to give
you a full account on same in our de
tailed report, as it will be necessary
to base the same upon the actual ex.
penses. as well as upon the results
obtained from tests. We may state,
however, that day service, under
present conditions, entails a consid.
cradle loss to your plant, inasmuch as
the income therefrom is almost mill
while the cost Of operation is greatly
increased. We shall also refer to this
important question in our detailed
report.
Respectfully submitted,