Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-29
CITY COUNCIL HIRES EXPERT TO
MAKE DRAWINGS FOR POWER
PLANT.
NEW STEP TAKEN FOR
WATER POWER STATION
Iowa City Expert Reports That at its
Present Low Stage the City Has
T~wenty-Six Net Horse Power at
Proposed Site-Wiil Make Plans For
About S25-Estinates Cost $4,000.

81 am of the positive opinion
thai the installation of a turbine
pumping plant would be a paying
investment"-F-of. 5. j. Lambert.
Such was the opinion Of a state uni
versity expert as expressed in a formal
written report read to the city council
Wednesday night. On the strength OF
it, and the estimates it contained. the
council employed Professor Lambert TO
prepare plans and specifications for the
proposed water power plant complete.
Professor Lambert said he could have
the plans ready TO submit TO the coun-
Gil at its next regular meeting on Jan.
9, and that he would probably charge
not more than SIS. This is his charge
per day, and he thought he could COM
pete the plans and specifications in
one day.
According to his report. based or
the preseI, height of the water. n
estimated on the water power that is
flowing over the. new dam, the city has
twenty-six horse power which. put TO
work in such a plant as he has in mind.
would pump approximately $4,000 gal
Ions Of water a day. This is about one
third what the city is consuming daily.
Estimated Cost $1o,67o.
Mr.. Lambert estimates the cost OF
the plant complete. including the build
ing and all attachments, at slO.6.0. OF
this amount $4,000 is his estimate Of the
cost OF the turbines and pump and
So, 900 he says will build the building.
Based OF the water power going to
waste, estimated on the present height
OF the water. his plant with its capacity
of 500, 900 gallons a day would, work
ing 3s5 days a year. save In fuel at
$40 a ton s1,434. From this he de-
probation per year on the plant, which
leaves a net fuel saving per year Of
s754. This, according to Lambert's
figures, Is a little less than Z per cent OF
per yea- net. Included in his total
amount of depreciation is one of $500
or 10 per cent per year on the turbines,
valued at $500 and $40, or 5 per cent
per year on the pump. valued at $500.
The other items OF depreciation total
1920.
No Question About Power.
According to Professor Lambert
there is 10 question about the city
having water power which, as stated
above al the present stage of the
water, which the expert says is unus-
ual,y low, represents a net horse pow
er efficiency OF r~wenty-six, after de-
Quoting 20 per cen. from the rated
horse power for friction and other
causes. This estimate is based on a
How of two and o~ne-fourth inches OF
water over the crest OF the dam. which
was the depth Lambert's report says
he found the water when he measured
it Tuesday.
The equipment he recommended had
a maximum net horse power efficiency
Of 100 and a pumping capacity OF q
600. coo gallons a day. This is about
500, coo a day more than the city pump
ing station is now pumping.
Gives Statistics of Power.
Embraced in the report were sta
]tistics of the water power in the river
a, the proposed site, based on the
height Of the dam, the presumed TO-"
Of water over the crest at various
stages Of depth. the head of water II
he fall. He says the head OF water is
! six feet, eight inches, and that a fall
of eight feet can be developed by
building a wing dam near the power
plant site. Taking into consideration
these details as part of the basis for
estimation he reported that when the
water was flowing at a depth of two
and one-fourth inches over the dam
/! the city would have twenty-six horse
mower. When it was three inches deep
! he horse power would be f~orty-seven.
When it was four inches deep the
horse power would be seventy-five.
when it was five inches deep the horse
! power would be 10, etc.
As to the Saving.
I Mr.. Lambert figures that it takes six
and one-quarter pounds Of coal per
1000 gallons Of water pumped. This
| coal at the price OF $40 a ton would
take s3.e3 worth for 100000 gallons. or
s1.434 for a year OF 365 days. This, he
estimates. 10 be the gross saving in fuel
at the minimum power Of the plant, at
the sta e Of the water as 1t Is. The net
saving Is less the estimated amount OF
the yearly depreciation OF he plant.
Continuing his figures on the same
ba sis. he estimates that were the stage
Of the water sufficient to generate fifty
Ave horse power six months Of the year,
which would pump 1000, 900 gallons Of
water daily. and 100 horse power the
Other Six mOE1NS OIL the year, DO tNAI x.
900, 900 gallons could be pumped daily,
the net saving would be $3.50. This
net amount allows for a yearly depre-
citation on this performance Of the ma
chinery Of s74o.
Recommends Triplsx Pump.
Professor Lambert recommends
equipment consisting OF two forty-four
or forty-hve inch turbines and a trip
lex duplicate pump OF a maximum ca
pacity Of 1000, 900 gallons daily. The
pump Is a three piston machine. All Of
the pistons suck and pump on
both the forward and backward stroke
can be operated at once. or any one Of
them can be operated separately, the
others being disconnected. Such q
pump Is described a. flexible, the num-
Der Of pistons operated being depend
ent upon the power had to operate
them with.
In his estimate for the plant complet-
81 .here arc three items totai!ng $500.
which are an estimate OF the cost OF
tho construction Of the wheel pit.
cleaning the tail race, and building the
wing dam.
Il was explained to the council that
the water that would be turned into
power would DO only such water ~