The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-02-11
BRILLIANT
NEW LIGHTS
The Morris & Somerset Electric
Company's New Plant is
Ready for Service.
INCEPTION AND INSTALLATION

night to ask whether CollinSville sec
tion of the town was afire. He inspect
ed things from the window and as he
found that he could pick out points of
life, came to the conclusion, which
was correct, that the Morris & Somer-
set Electric Co., had turned on the
street lights on the circuit covering
that part of town.
Steam was turned on the new en-
gine at the plant for the first time
about half-past three Thursday after
noon, the wheels were set to bumming
soon after. In the evening about TO- 80 |
four Of the incandescent circuits were
turned on. The Madison avenue cir
cult will be turned on tonight in ad-
dition to the others. The arc lamps |
have been hung for testing at the plant |
aud will be hung on the poles in day
or so.
The new company was started as
will be remem bered as a result Of the
agitation over the poor service rend-
cred last winter by the Public Service
Corporation and demand on the part
of the residents of the town for some
thing better than the former method
of street lighting. The contracts for
street lighting expired last autumn
and the street lighting committee Of
the board of aldermen, consisting of
Aldermen Twining, Rutan and Day,
took the matter into consideration.
They secured the professional services
of Runyon & Carey, of Newark, who
went over the town with the commit
tee, decided what was necessary for
adequate lighting for the streets and
prepared plans, showing location of
lamps, and also specifications for the
| lighting, calling for iron lamp poles
on many streets, ETC., also providing
for certain portions to be put under
ground.
Bids were invited and on the day ap-
pointed, Peter v. Stryker, manager of
the Bernardsyille Water and Light
Plant put in bid for sS5 per arc lamp
and $18 per year incandescent, under
the specifications. The Public Ser
vice Corporation made no bid, but Of
fered letter, stating that the condi-
tions were too onerous. Contracts
were awarded Mr.. Stryker, whose bid
was conditional on the granting of
franchise for private lighting. Mr..
Stryker transferred his contract to
the Morris s. Somerset Electric Co.,
which had been organized during the
time the negotiations were pending.
A franchise was granted, but at once
the Public Service Corporation took |
the matter into the courts on writ |
of certiorari granted by Chief Justice
Gummere. Another franchise was i'm |
mediately started on it's way, but
meanwhile the condition relating to !
franchise had been waived and about |
October Is, work on the plant was
started.
A contract for the whole work was
let to William M. Sheehan & Co., of |
New York, who Immediately started |
work with the following staff of as
sistants: Charles Dixon, general SUI
perintendent; r. b. Budd, superin-
tendent of underground work w. B.
Hambright, superintendent of aerial
construction Nicholas freshman,
general mechanic in charge of ma
chinery, etc. f. F. Smith, time keep
er.
Sub-contracts were made as follows +: |
excavating, Thomas H. Meskill con-
crete, brick and tile work, Nicholas
Marinaro; brick, Hanover Brick Co.;
carpenter work, F. j. Granville tres
tie, +. S. Smith and Hopler & Grimes
boilers, Babcock & Wilcox Co. COM
pound engines, Ball Engine Co., Erie I
Pa. (; generators, and high potential
motor, Fort Wayne Electric Co
switch board, Fort Wayne Electric
Co. steel smoke stack and breeching,
Herman Gumz Co., Newark steel
roof, Hedden & Sons, Newark roof
ing, Phillips Cary Co., Newark steam
fitting, McGonagle & Co., New York
pumps and condenser plant, Deane
Pump Co.; ornamental poles, Elmer
p. Morris Co. condnits, American
Co., of Chicago; cables, Standard Un-
derground Co.. weatherproof wire,
Roebling Co. CRATES draft apparatus,
Cotton Furnance Co., of New York.
The plans for the power house,
which is located on large plot of land
between Whippany and Erie streets,
we're drawn by Arthur S. Pierson.
The building is of brick on concrete
foundation, the size of the boiler house
is AS by so feet, while the engine room
is AS by so feet. The side toward Alb
bett avenue is left FOR future extern
sions, the brick side wall being racked
out and wooden end put in. The
roof is of steel and tile. From the
boiler room is cut off condenser
room, S6 by is feet IN size. Water for
boiler purposes is taken Nfrom the
Whippany river by large pipe open
ing into settling well at the river
edge and delivering the watkr into a
settling well in the rear Of the build