Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-10-07
NEW WATER AND POWER
PLANT.

is something that would be a cred
it to a town of five times the size
of Macon. The work was begun
about the first Of March and finish
ed about the first of October.
The work could easily have been
done in much less time, but was
heightened out by the fact that it
was required to keep the plant run
ming. 1t was not shut down a
day during the progress Of the
work.
The old plant had simple, non
cOndensing engines, and its daily
capacity was 1000, 900 gallons of
water and 80 kiIIowatts of electri-
city. The present plants capacity
is 1 ZOO, 900 gallons of water and
200 killOWatts of electricity. The
new pumps are centrifugal and
driven by an electric motor, and
the engines are compound cOndcn-
sing. The motor running in the
day time affords a day current,
and the plant is in position to sell
power to large consumers as low as
three cents per kiIlOwat hour.
The switch board is all marble,
three pannelIed, provided with
automatic oil switches and all
modern devices for handling cleo
trio currents. The floors Of the
plant are concrete, and ali danger
and trouble from high water are
eliminated.
The new machinery was given a
public official test on September %
before the Mayor and Board of
Aldermen. The steam in the en-
CINE was allowed to go down to 312
pounds, yet the engine continued
to run at full speed, showing per
feet adjustment and freedom from
friction. The old spectacular
trick of standing Il silver dollar
on edge on the cylinder while the
engine was ut full speed was per
formed to show the absence of
vibration, perfect alignment and
good foundation. The fine equip
mcnt of the plant and the excel
Icncc OF its installation makes it q
splendid example Of what a NUM-
cipal plant of its kind should be.
\ striking feature OF the re
modelling is its comparative cheap
ness. Plans and specifications
were hired prepared in New Or
leans, and Lockctt < Co. bid on
the work So, coo. OO, notincIuding
a supervising engineers fee gener-
ally amounting to ten per cent. OF
cost. Instead of accepting this
bid, the work was done from the
designs and specifications of Dir.
G. Is. Baskerville, city engineer,
and under his supervision. The
cost was ~1+,O0O.OO, a saving of
S., 600. 90 to the city in addition
to the engineers fee. More than
this, the machinery is better than
that called for by the New Or
leans plans, the electric capacity
twice as great, andone more electric
driven pump is included. The.
engines are compound c~ondensing
instead of the simple, and three
faced machinery is installed in
stead of single faced.
The Board of Aldermen used
81, 5000 of the bond issue for eX-
tension to water mains and wiring
and more street lights. One half
mile of water mains have been con
Structed, two miles additional of
wiring and 40 additional street
lights put up. All these were de
handed by the growing business
of the plant, the consumers grow
ing from 9S to 213, and the annual
receipts growing from So, 900. 90
to S14,25O.OO in the two years Mr..
Baskerville has been in charge of
the plant.
The balance on the cost of the
tank, as well as the cost of getting
the New Orleans plans prepared
bo1-o hooD no;I