The Washington herald., 1908-04-05
HOW ELECTRICITY
HAS CHANGED CITY
consinued from Page One.

Light Company was formed and a gener-
ating station set up at Tenth and d
streets northwest. This generator fur
nished current for few arc lights. most
ly installed in stores, for nearly a year.
when the company. its property. and good
viii were absorbed in the United States
Electric Lighting Company In November
lSS2. This company started WELL increased
its facilities, and enlarged the use Of the
are light Waeh IN the height Of its new
~ aequires prosperity its plant was de-
stToyed by fire on the night of July IS.
1855, After this disaster rented quarters
were obtained and a new plant installed,
and in December Of that year, with
new equipment. the company was main
tanning 2s0 arc lights
In the following years the company,
which now began to sec the importance
or electricity as a means OF lighting and
power, purchased the lot at the corner
Of Thirteen-and-a-h street northwest
and began the erection OF the plant which
still does service. II was equipped with
the Edison system OF generation.
Prosperity Attends Company.
After the installation Of this plant the
United States Company enjoyed number
the meantime the Potomac Electric Pow
er Company had established plant on
the Virginia side of the Potomac River
near the Chain Bridge. and had later es-
tablshed this plant at Thirty-thiTd and
4 streets northwest. In 1898 the merging
of the electric lighting companies and the
several lines OF street railway not includ-
| ed in the Capital Traction Company was
| effected. and the assets Of both the Unit
ed States and the Potomac companies
passed INTO the control OF the operating
| company. Four years later the charter
of the United States Company expired
and it was absorbed in the Potomac Com
pany.
For the last ten years the use OF cleo
tricity expanded on every side The in
| candscent light came into general use in
public and private buildings. Street light
! ing increased until all the main thorough
fares of the city were largely illuminated
/ In this way. The trolley linEs required
more current 10 run more cars. Finally
the call came for a large outlay of energy
/ to supply the proposed electric railroad to
| Baltimore and the electrifying OF the
| lines 10 Chesapeake Beach. and the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company
| decided TO build an entirely new generst-
/ ing station of large capacity which should
be able 20 meet the demands for current
for lighting and power purposes for at
least ten years. The great electric plant
at Benning, with a capacity Of 90 600
horsepower. was begun in February, 1905,
and went into operation about six months
ago. The current produced at Benning is
generated by the Curtis turbine system.
and the station there is one or the best
equipped .of its size IN the United States /
Use of Electricity Increases.
The use Of electricity in Washington |
has increased very rapidly within three |
or four years. Every year a generating /
plant IS installed somewhere, and much |
of the current used in hotels and the pub /
lie buildings is made on the spot Plans |
are under way for a large government |
plant TO supply several Of the larger pub /
lie buildings from one station This viii /
do away with the pulsations of the heavy 1
engines in the buildings and make a big
saving in the cost OF lighting
The Geological Survey has reported to
the government upon the feasibility OF /
making use Of the Great Falls Of the Po-
tomas as a means Of power 10 generate /
current Tor the use OF this city. - he re-
port shows conclusively that il would be 4
possible for tie government 70 install the 4
necessary machinery for the generation Il
OF the current. transmit Il 20 the city, II
supply the public buildings. light the II
streets. and then sell the current at rates
below those now charged and realize suf- II
hcient revenue 10 pay for the plant and II
realize a comfortable revenue TO the gov
ernment after paying the cost OF opera
tion-
There seems to be no reason IN the II
nature OF things why this step should not L
be taken as a government economy The Il
ownership Of the Great Falls is vested in Il
the government Of the United States and II
has been since the control of the river 4
was taken over for the installation of the II
public water works.
Cost Would BE Very Great. Il
The cost Of installing the machinery for II
the generation Of the current at Great
Falls would necessarily be great. but the
mower is there, going 10 waste. 10 supply
motive force sufficient 10 produce cleo
trlcity in six times the volume # is now
After the installation Of the
machinery the cost Of production would
be much reduced over the present meth
DDS Of private concerns.
The output Of the government plant
could be utilized first for the lighting Of
the streets and public buildings, greatly
the cost Of that work. and there
by making a saving at both ends The
residue Of current could be then used in
any industrial way or for lighting build
ings at a cost less than that now paid
by consumers, and, according 10 the re-
port submitted by the government ex-
perts. this return would pay for the orig
inal outlay for the plant and give a small
revenue to the government afterward.
II Is likely that the increasing use OF |
electricity IN the city and vicinity. as
enterprises multiply, viii |
in a few years lead either to the utilza-
ton of the Great Falls as a means OF
electricity by the government .
or by some private company. In fact.
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company holds franchise upon the falls
for this purpose. which Il has never done
anything to utilize since the passage of
the act by-Congress.