Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-29

has a ACoOAhtAOh 81 49,
council inquiring into the question
OF street lighting for the city; also
inquiring as to the capacity OF the
Alexandria Electric Company's Plant
for the demand Of service in Alexan-
dria and suburbs.
Feeling that your committee would
desire information on this subject,
take the liberty OF writing for the
purpose of submitting the facts in
the case.
AS to street arc lamps the contract
between the city and the Plant calls
for street arc lamps of 1000 C. p.
capacity The lamps installed are
known as rs ampere series street
lamps. These lamps are rated at
1000 c. p. and said rating is accept
ed by engineers central stations and
municipalities. There has been a
number OF legal decisions which
have arisen over the definition of the
term candle power. The Colorado
Springs case is probably the most
noted and most widely quoted. Here
il was decided that rs ampere series
arc lamps we're equivalent to 1000
candle power. To my personal know
ledge, / can state that since July LIST
the arc lamps have been on an aver
age of rs ampere, which Is shown on
the daily log kept at the plant. AS
to what was done previous to that
time, | have only the statement of
Mr. Belts, electrical engineer, and
Mr.. Kirby, the superintendent. Mr..
Belts informed me that prior to our
purchase of the plant, the lamps COM
piled with the requirements of the
contract.
might further state we have three
regulators, and these three regulators
have $50 arc lamps, where as there
are only 81 now installed, so we have
ample capacity for the increased
needs Of the city.
The company employs one man,
whose duty it is to trim the lamps
and make hourly rounds of the city
at night to see that all lamps are
burning. During the last six months
there has been no deductions by the
town for outages, which, think,
shows that the service is satisfactory.
AS to the capacity of the plant,
when we took the management of the
plant on July 1st, | found the max
imum peak almost equal to the total
capacity installed, which was $40
kilo-watts. We desired to enlarge
the plant, believing there would be a
considerable increase in the use Of
electricity for lighting power, and al
so feeling that with the large surplus
of power manufacturers could be in
duced to come to Alexandria and also
with the idea of giving service to the
suburbs. We decided to put in a
steam turbine which rates 625 kilo-
watts, but has capacity of $50; in
other words we have more than trip
led the capacity of the plant, which
has involved an investment of nearly
$30,000.00.
Our present capacity Of plant is
considerably above the average for a
city with the population of Alexan-
dria.
We estimate with the addition of
Fort Washington, Del Ray and other
suburban load, our total peak will not
exceed 500 kilo-watts for lighting.
Our day load peak or motor load
at the present time is about 800 kilo-
Walls, 81 We Will nave d sui VI
power at night sufficient to operate
10000 more incandescent lamps, and
many more factories in the day time.
We shall be glad to have your COM
mittee and also the members of the
City Council make inspection of our
plant, and feel sure they will be con-
yinced that it is the company's de-
sire to give satisfactory service and
to be ready to meet every demand
for light and power. | might say
tinct circuits will be run from the
power house to supply the suburbs,
and this will not interfere with the
town service. Any break down in the
suburban line will not effect the city
line. II is necessary, of course, to
greatly increase our present business
in order to pay return on the large
additional investment.
| shall be pleased TO appear before
your committee and furnish any fur
Their information you might require.
Respectfully submitted,
Alexandria Electric Co.,
BY F. r. Weller,
General Manager.
Mr.. Spinks: Did you get a reply
to that letter?
Answer: Mr.. Uhler acknowledged
that to me and he said that | need
not bother about it.
Question: Did you buy any gas
caps for the arc lamps?
Answer: Yes, on several occas-
ions.
Question: You have heard the rec
concentrations which Mr.. Belts read
regarding the improvements he rec
commended and which he said ought
to, be made; do you know to your
personal knowledge that those i'm
provements had been made?
Answer: Except the trimming of
the arc lamps. ! could not get Mr.
Kirby to trim the lamps in accord
ance with those directions. He said
that Mr.. Belts was a theoretical man
and that he knew better. But when
we got our new superintendent | gave
him instructions to trim the lamps in
with Mr.. Belts report.
Question: Have you had any ex-
perience in electrical matters in cities
other than Alexandria?
Answer: Yes, sir. | have been
engineer for number Of
cities. | am at the present time
building a plant, where am consult
ing engineer, at Bedford City.
have been consulting engineer for
the city of Richmond, Virginia. and
for four or five towns in North Caro-
lima, and | have had various expert
ence in power plants and electrical
work.
Question:: In the electrical world
what is the generally accepted 1000