The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-11-30

~ ~ 'llc present Ilme tOunda-
ton for the gas tank, the plant build
ing, which will be used as an office
and engine room, have been COM
pleted and all of the machinery and
material is on hand that will be
needed in the remainder of the work.
The work now being done is that
connected with the putting in of solid
foundations for the engine and boiler.
and as soon as these have been prop
erly installed, the engine and boiler.
which are now on hand, will be put
up to be ready for work whenever
the pipe lines are laid.
After the death of Mr.. Alnutt. Mr..
e. b. Wright, of Boardman, n. c.,
decided that it would be a bad in
VeStment to continue work on the
plant as he was very uncertain of its
final success, and he did not wish to
go into the work by himself, or
without the assistance of some local
man interested in the business, for
all expenses connected with the work.
Some time ago he sold out his inter-
est in the concern to the HeyNard-
Bartlett Co, of New York city. who
had furnished all of the material for
the plant up to that time, Mr.. w.
w. Randolph, representing them as
/ their a Nv
dolph, who had formerly been con-
sulting engineer for the work while
| 1t was going on and still represents
the Hayward company, will come to
Sumter after January 1st himself to
be on the grounds and to see after
the work in person, This new COM
pany secured an extension of time
from city council in which to COM
plete their work here and they ex-
pect to rush things through after the
first of January just as fast as they
can, their rapidity depending upon
the number of hands they can Sc
cure for the. work
Until the first of January the work
will not be pushed as there is not
much to be done between nov. and
then, and Mr.. j. A. Epperson, who
has charge of the plant and will be su-
)erintenlent as soon as operations
are commenced, is taking up most of
his time working up trade for the
| future plant among the people of the
city. Already he has more than coo
subscribers for gas as fuel and for
Kitchen use, and about so subscribers
for lighting purposes. Of course
| this number will be greatly increased
by the time that the plant is put in
operation. AS the plant will have a
| tank fifty by sixty feet and capable
| of holding fifty thousand cubic feet
of gas, there will probably be no
trouble about scant supply or lack
or pressure for some time The
plant is. constructed to supply a city
with a population of $4,000 inhabi-
tants, and as Sumter lacks several
thousand of having that many per-
sons living in it, there will not have
to be any enlargements made for
several years.
The tank will be begun at the same
time that the piping is being laid
after the first of January, when Mr.
Randolph arrives. The main lines
of piping will be laid only about
three feet deep and it is probable
that the city will be in a mutilated
condition while the work is going
on The line will be laid direct from
the plant to Harvin, going by the
Union Station, up that street to
Liberty street and extending at the
corner of Main and Liberty streets in
all directions.
There will be several large con-
sumers of the gas. chief among
which will be the telephone factory.
The plant expects To get most OF
their trade from kitchen use by their
customers, however, and for this
purpose they expect to keep on hand
special lot of gas ranges which they
Will sell and install in the kitchens
of all prospective customers at cost
which will be probably about s12 or
$l6, these ranges being able to cook
for any sized family and at an ap-
proXimately small cost.
AS wood is getting more scarce
every year and is much harder to get
this year than ever before there will
probably be many subscribers for
the gas plant who will welcome its
coming with great joy.
The hirh hnnAnr..