The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-08-08
Power Plant Has Reached Limit
Special Election Called for Aug.
27 to Decide Upon Needed
Improvements.

For the last two or three years it has
been known among the men in charge
of the water and electric light plant
and others who have the interests Of
the city at heart, that repairs and i'm
portant changes in the system were
badly needed. The constant increase
in the numl er of users of both elec-
tricity and water has brought the pre-
sent plant to a crisis, point where
some needed changes will have to be
made or dire consequences will follow.
The present plant has been main
tanned until its capacity has reached
the limit and now the time has come
when existing conditions are no longer
adequate nor profitable. Under the
excellent supervision of Fred Il. Pal.
mer, city commissioner, the electric
| light plant has been brought up to a
| high standard of service and equip
ment. The old lighting system had
outgrOWn itself and no one could pos
sibly complain Of the change made in
this part of the city plant Likewise,
| the water plant has become inadequate
and every citizen Of Yale should rea-
| liZe the need OF improvement. 1t
seems impossible that anyone who
| knows the present condition should be
aVerse TO improving the water plant of
the city, but for the benefit of those
who are perhaps unfamiliar with the
problem the following facts will be of
much interest:
The Committee on Public Works has
| had an engineer here iigdring on the
equipment and expense that would be
entailed 10y making the proposed i'm
provements. The full report of the
engineer as made TO the council last
Monday, and which may be found in
another column of the current issue,
calls for an expenditure Of $1,000. 1t
will be necessary to bond the city of
Yale to cover this amount and it is
this question which will be voted upon
at the special election on August 9th.
81, 600 of the present water works bond
have been paid off and in consequence
the incurring of the extra expense will
only increase the city's indebtedness
$4,000. Furthermore, these improve
ments will make the plant three times
as valuable as il is now. The water
works plant at present is on paying
basis and will more than meet the in
terest on the bond The extra amount
will be met by the saving Of fuel which
will be- possible by the stokers rs pro.
vided in the bill Of Improvements,
These stokers will also do away with
the smoke nuisance az the perfect com
bustion which will result consumes all
the smoke. 1t will also be possible to
use much cheaper grade of coal with
this new appliance.
The greatest argument in favor Of
the installation of new fixtures ut the
power house, however, Is the lowering
of the fire risk and its attendant reduc-
ton of insurance rates. A the present
time the underwriters do not recognize
the fact that we have any fire prOtec
ton. This has been tho true condition
of affairs during the past two years,
I'm times of drought during this period
there has been absolutely no fire pro-
lection. The patrons have used all the
available supply and there has never
been reserve to be ready in case OF 4
fire within the city. There is an emer
gency pipe from the river but no one
Would want to use the city water for
household purposes after the cOntamin.
ated and BIthy creek water had been
pumped through the mains. buildings
might far better burn thfn TO have
Yale placed i'm the throes of a typhoid
fever epidemic such as has prevailed in
Port Huron all summer as the result of
conditions much more favorable than
would exist here should we ever allow
the citys sewage to enter the water
pipes. With the addition of the new
equipment as planned there would be
no Are risk to speak of and there would
always be abundant water to fight a
conhagration without ever resorting to