Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-16
MODERN POWERPLANT
Large Investment by Washing
ton Railway and Electric Co.
THE INCREASE IN BUSINESS
Twelve Acres of the Sheriff Tract
Purchased
ALONG THE EASTERN BRANCH
Growth Of the City Makes It Neces-
sary to Provide More Light
and Power.
THE INCREASE IN BUSINESS
ALONG THE EASTERN BRANCH

An expenditure of over three quarters of
million Of dollars has been decided upon by
the Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany. The return from this large sum of
money will be a fine, modern electric power
plant and the added facilities to meet the
demand which is made upon the company
for electric current for power and for light.
Ten years ago, when the United States
Electric Lighting Company built it's plant at
the corner of 18th and B streets, 1t was es-
timated at the time by experts, as we'll as
by all who were familiar with local condi-
tions, that it's capacity was sufficient to
meet all needs for fifteen years at least.
Some six years later, when the Potomac
Electric Power Company, which is owned
by the Washington Railway and Electric
Company, doubled the capacity of the plant,
the belief entertained that at last am
pie provision for the Immediate future had
been made Today, however, it Is made
quate, such has been the growth of the cleo
trio lighting business, to say nothing of the
railway business.
In order to provide means for doing the
business which the company is expected to
do, arrangements have been made for the
erection and equipment of entirely
power plant. 1t is to be located on the
Eastern branch, about two miles from the
White House In a direct line. and the
road to Benning
Contract Awarded.
The land which has been purchased by
the company comprises twelve acres of the
Sheriff tract, which lies Just to the east of
the Eastern branch, with a frontage of
some 300 feet on Benuing road. The loca-
ton has the obvious advantage of nearness
to the water supply OF the Eastern branch
and TO the steam: railroad from which will
come the supply of coal. \ contract has
been made with the j. O.. White Company
of New York, electrical contra ctors and by
the 1st of next November an up -to-date
power house will be built on this site equip
ped with steam turbines and ready to fur
n1sh an alternating current.
In ADDITION to this power house which
Will nave capacity of some eighteen thou
SAND horsepower or fourteen thousa no kill
oWats, there is to be q substation where
the alternating current Will be converted
into direct current. The site Jor this
building has been secured on the south
side of l street between 14th and 18th
streets northwest, comprising a frontage
of nearly one hundred feet In this sub
station there will be no engines boilers
or steam attachments, so that it viii be d
quiet and desirable neighbor
The power house at 18th and streets.
which under the existing law, like a good,
well-meaning citizen, has frequently been in
the Police Court is going to be, accord
ing to the construction Of the smoke law,
a more Iaw-abiding citizen than ever before.
as the relief which the new power plant
will afford will reduce the consumption of
coal and so reduce the amount OF smoke.
Auxiliary Stations Not Necessary.
The advantage about the new power plant
is that It will be capable Of enlargement
by the addition Of units as the need arises,
so that 1t will be possible to do away with
what may be called the present system of
auxiliary stations, such the at the
foot of IL. street and the power house in
Georgetown. There will be substat4ons, and
in addition the present plan of enlarge
ment forms a part of the comprehensive
scheme which includes the establishment
OF a steam and water power plant at the
Great Falls. The utilization of the water
power at that point III the Potomac river
is by no means new Idea, and while 1t
has never been realized yet 1t Is said to be
the purpose OF the Great Falls company,
which owns the property there and which
is controlled in the interests of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company, to
develop the power there at an early day.
The plants In the city Will be used in
connection with the proposed plant at Great
Falls when the latter has been butt, bu-
that Is q matter that is still In the future.
At present the care is to supply the means
of doing the business which the company Is
called upon to do, and which, owing to tie
growth OF the city and the expansion Of
the electric lighting demand, has grown tre-
mendously and as far can be seen Is
likely to grow, that provision for the
future on a generous scale appears to those
at all familiar with the situation to be not
only wise, but absolutely necessary
The money for this new plant Is To be
secured by the issue OF bonds OF tie Poto-
mac Electric Lighting Company. or Whlch
there is about a million and halt avall-
able of the authorized issue of four millions
of dollars.