Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-11-23
WATER AND LIGHTS
The Situation in Lexington at the
Present Time
LEXINGTON. VA,
Nov. %. 1910.

NON. -, iJlO-
About two weeks ago L suggested
TO the Town Council that they could
supplement the water supply to the
extent of about $4,000 gallons per
day oy pumping the water of
Reds spring into Corners spring
pipe line and that was assured by
the makers of the pump and gaso-
line engine that both pump and en-
CINE were in the factories and could
be shipped at once.
Immediately on taking charge of
the installation the pump and en-
CINE were ordered by wire. These
were TO be direct connected and it
appeared that not one of several
makers of friction clutches had a
clutch in stock that was the right
size, so one had to be made.
This has caused delay that was
entirely unexpected by me or the
machinery people with whom the
order was placed.
The engine is now on the way and
the pump has been ordered shipped
by express so that everything pos
sible is being done that can possibly
be done to push the installation to
completion.
In the meantime arrangements
have been made to use a steam pump
borrowed from the V. NJ. l. and a
rented steam boiler, this ar
rangement having been made by
Capt. Corse and the committee on
water of the Town Council.
As to lights, it looks like nature
had conspired against the Licking
ton Light and Power Company. The
water is much lower in the river
than at any time in the eighteen
years that the company has been in
business, and, as in the case of the
water supply of the town, the result
has been public calamity, not so
S'iONS III lB ubo do iOT WdlOT since
oil gives a very good light, while
tn ere is no substitute for water;
then too the Institute and the Uni
versity have steam plants to fur
niSh their lights while both institu-
tions like the people of the town de-
pend on the public supply for wa
ter.
Under tine circumstances the
of the Lexington Light
and Power Company think the
Town Council should not have been
so hard on them but have put them
on terms by telling them that if this
thing ever happened again the
franchise would be taken away
from them. and giving a reasonable !
time for the Company to get aux:l- !
larry power from steam or other
wise. Instead the Council demand
ed that a contract be let at once for
an auxiliary steam plant of POO
nOrSo power capacity.
The Company did not have the
money in the treasury for so large
an expenditure and the enlargement
ofthe plant to tina textent would have
to be authorized by the stock hold
e:s.
In other words, the conditions of
the ultimatum were such that the
Company could not possibly comply,
and failing to do so the Town Coun-
Gil. treating the franchise as non
advertised for bids on a
new franchise.
The stockholders of the Lexing-
ton Light and Power Company met !
On Friday, the 18th, ordered the re
port made to them by Mr.. r. +. /
manager, published in both !
Of the town papers and, before ar
for an auxiliary steam
plant, appointed a com nittee con-
sisting of MIR. W. S. Hopkins and |
the writer to confer with a similar /
of the Rockbridge Power |
to see if some arrange
nent could not be made to relieve |
the intolerable situation of poor,
and no, lights more speedily than
It could otherwise be accomplished.
When the street lights are run as
they have been lately by a gasoline
engine, owing to the low water, the
rncclinn for tho rinl l.l,.,A Z, (, NM. Il |