The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-31
LOCAL GAS ENGINE
LARGEST IN WORLD
Six Hundred Horsepower Ma.
chine Made for Oakland
Power House on Lake
Eastern Manufacturers Unable
to Do Work Performed in
San Francisco

san Francisco's ascendency over the
eastern states in many lines of manu-
facture is being brought forcibly to the
attention Of engineers all over the
country through the installation of a
500 horsepower gas engine, built by
the Doak gas engine company of this
city and Oakland in the Oakland power
house on Lake Merritt. For it is one
OF the largest engines of the kind in
the world-larger by far than any ever
made in the east and larger than any
that can be made there by any concern.
The great engine will make 800 revolu-
tions a minute and ne distillate run
ming machine ever made in the east or
in Europe can compare with ii. The
largest engine Of the kind constructed
in the east-and considered a wonder
there-was of 125 horsepower.
We can't make gas engine in the
east 10 do the work; il seems impossi-
BILE 10 me-" the representative of an
eastern machinery firm said recently on
viewing the big engine.
CALIFORNIA; natural position and
products have made the growth of
these engines possible. They use dis
tillate for fuel. an inferior quality of
gasoline costing 10 cents a gallon
here. while in the east it costs IA
cents Not only is this state enriched
with large oil fields. insuring cheap
fuel of this description, but also
greater time is devoted to studying
and improving the gas engine by the
manufacturers of this state, and
greater advances, therefore, have been
made in the perfection of the engine
Until the east is able TO make and use
these machines California has Won
derful opportunity, OF which her manu-
facturers are taking advantage, to
supply the orient and the world with
the engines.
Another 500 horsepower engine has
been built and installed in the Leona
chemical company's plant, owned by F.
NJ Smith, the borax king" OF Oakland.
but the great engine on Lake Merritt
is the first TO attract nationwide at
tention. because of the greater publicity
given the undertaking by men inter-
ested in this character of machinery.
Every particle of the work done on this
monster among its kind, it is being i'm
pressed upon inquirers, was done here,
the Doak engine company having made
the engines, the Krogh manufacturing
company the pumps, and the Pacific
foundry company the castings on the
job. In all the contract calls for the
expenditure of $50, 900 in San Francisco
and Oakland.
While the big Oakland water system
engine is being built and installed.
work on other engines of great power
has gone ahead steadily, the machines
being placed on tugs and launches, used
for stationary work of all kinds for
hoists, electric power plants pumping
stations and half hundred other un-
dertakings.
Some of the contracts now being
filed receive a color of romance
through the unique uses TO which the
engines are being put, and the devious
ways in which they are being taken
TO distant places One so horsepower
engine. for instance, was ordered by
the Lakeview construction company for
installation on their launch on Goose
lake, Oregon 1t was necessary to ship
this machine to Reno, there transfer
it to a freight wagon and haul 1t more
than 80 miles to its destination. The
journey into the heart of the wilder
ness, over washouts and the topknots
of mountains, would read like a nov
elist's fancy.
Sixty horsepower engines have been
installed on the George E. Dow, tug
boat No I and the launch Bonnie Doom,
owned by ". Let's oliver Another.
TO be used rs a stationary engine, is to
be installed for the Black Diamond
water company in Nevada
The Doak company has built 200
horsepower engine for running the
electric light plant of Winnemucca,
New; 81 various engines. ranging in
strength from horsepower to 100
horsepower, for the Standard oil COM
pany; q engines, averaging 80 horse