The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1912-02-21

aster following the Installation and
running of such a plant in other
cities of our State. The Leader
takes pardonable bit of pride in
presenting to the public. the follow
ing facts obtained from Mr.. r s..
Purser. superintendent of the
Water and Light Department, Mr..
E. Nj. Bee, chairman of the Power
House Committee. and from Mayor
Charles Heuck Other members
than the chairman of the standing
committee, representing the City
Gouncil, are Messrs. Abrams and
Hartman. who. together, have had
Ian eye to business in the mainte-
nance of the Power House ever
lsince the responsibility was placed
upon them. This committee de-
serves the thanks of the municipali-
ty for their untiring efforts and
enthusiasm in this department Of
our city government and its utiIi-
ties. as will be seen further on.
Attendant upon the inauguration
of the Water and Light Depart
ment. permit us to observe, there
were at that somewhat remote
period. the usual quota of doubling
Thomases and antiquated adherents
to the perennial springs of our
forefathers and the fiiekering tall
low dips Of our foremothers: but
from the start the plant paid; and
that helped materially in every
direction to iengthen our somewhat
reluctant but progressive strides
toward a greater Brookhaven than
had been known before. and a.
greater still in the 70 distant
| future.
The equipment in 1897, when the
plant was installed. was one 35-
light street light machine: one Is
hundred light incandescent MAJ
chine; one Corlis engine. $50 horse
power Tva years later a sfaaIl Is Is
horse power engine was installed
to drive street lights, relieving the
Corlis to drive incandescents alone.
The water works equipment was
two Worthington 600 gallons each
per minute) pumps. one air COM
pressor for pumping wells. two 10
foot wells drilled capacity 200 gall
Ions per minute; two reservoirs. 4
capacity $50 900 gallons; one 140I
foot elevated tank. capacity 10000
gallons: with about ten miles of
water mains.
Shortly before and during the.
first year of Superintendent Pur-
ser's connection with the plant the
meter system was installed on
lighting. which greatly reduced
operating expenses. and the busi-
ness of both Lighting and Water
service continued to grow. SO that
five years ago it was seen that adj
ditionaI capacity would be requir-
ed, with the result that some of the
antiquated apparatus was discard
ed and larger units installed. and
the system under Mr.. Purser's
supervision and by direction of the
City Board, was revised and placed
in the up-to-date class, capacity
having been almost quadrupled by
the addition of $50 horse power
Harrisburg engine, and other val
liable and notable improvements.
These aggregated an outlay Of
$40. 600. which expense. however,
was betrayed out Of the earnings
Of the plant. There are now about
twenty miles distribution on pole
Hines.
Two years ago Supt. Purser in
vestigated the possibilities for "a
hour electric service, to be main
tanned the year through. and
recommended to the Board that
such service be gwen the public
After investigation this was ap-
proved. and with their cooperation
and support. results have been very
Igratifying. In the day service,
1.-TWO large plants. the Brookhaven
| Oil Mill. and the Flint Gravel Co.,
together with dozen or more
small motors. are supplied, averag-
ling in all about 200 horse power
per day. The present monthly
revenue. with day and night
service. amounts to $4,000. with
salaries and average running ex-
penses Of about 81 400.
During the past four years the
plant has earned for the city about
$24 900 or an average of about
|$6, 900 annually. The plant sup
plies the city with splendid sys-
tenn Of street lights consisting Of
10 arcs. and quite number Of III
|candescents. Also we have so fire
|hydrantG distributed over the city
and reasonable estimate of this
service, for which the city would
have to pay # the plant was owned
and operated BY private concern,
is placed at S8. 900 per year. And
this IS low estimate.
Chairman Bee informs The Lead
CIR that the Board expects to install
water meters over the entire city
ia the near future at a cost 0f
about S6500, to be paid out Of The