Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-26

er lake, space for these pumps must
also be provided.
Mr.. Hersehel, however. contemplates
nitmatel. a development of about twice
this amount. lt is shown that for one
half the average year G60o0 horsepower
OF average power for the twenty-four
hours Is available from the river dis
charge. This would represent a peak
load OF about 100000 horsepower. using
one and one-half as the ratio between
average load and peak load This ratio
errs * a. all. on the safe side :
Not only has the scheme for generating
electrical energy been worked out inN de-
OF power also has been carefully con-
sidered- Briefly this phase of the big
tail but the problem OF the distribution
Improvement project eontemplates the
construction of five substatons sites for
which are designated in the report. No.
L. IS to be the main substatioi "a IL
viii receive the energy generated at tn.
main power house. Ii will be located just
south of the present post office building.
Satisfaction No. will control the district
west of Rock creek Georgetown and
Ticinityl; No } the district east of Rock
creek. including the Soldiers Home: No.
the northeast section OF the city. and
No. the southeast section, including
Anacostia. The substations will receive
necessary and deliver il to immediately
surrounding territory. Underground
transmission through conduit will be used
in all transmission lines. The report pro-
vides for nothing beyond the substations.
leaving to the city the work of bringing
the subsidiary distribution TO completion
for its needs.
Commenting upon the cost of the pro-
posed power development, which is esti-
mated at sa.Si9.OO0 and the economies
that will be effected in the lighting of the
city. II the plan is carried out. Col.
Langfitt states:
Estimates of cost per klowatt hour
are based on operating and maintenance
charges expected. together with allow
ance for depreciation, sinking fund and
interest. What should be allowed for
these various items is largely a matter
of judgment. Mr. Herschel To compare
results of the Leighton project and his
own. fixes his rates for interest and for
sinking fund Accommodations on the ba sis
of u per cent per year OH the capital IN
vested. Allowing > per cent for interest
and 11s per cent Tor sinking fund. we
get 3ls per cent per year for the two
items. The allowance of IL per cent per
year Will return the capital in ~ years.
allowing compound interest at per cent
est and sinking fund estimate will be
then: S.S4atUo. at y: per cent. equals
S3.4115.
Assuming that the plant will not be
ready for operation for. say, five years
from January J. 1913. and estimating con-
serVadvely that the average demand on
the power plant by that time will be only
iu,t-5 kilowatts. the yearly consumption
will amount to 1a,eU.ooo t24 by 200 by
10.GoW kilowatt hours. This gives the
cost per kilowatt hour OF S0i mills. This
is very reasonable cost and Il is be-
iieved that none of the steam plants now
used for production of electrical energy
for government purposes can produce
this energy as cheaply, the same basis
of calculation being used.
THE average price To the government
and the District for all current CON
sumed was 2.0l1 cents per kilowatt hour
for 1912. II interest and sinking fund
charges are omitted, as seems to be the
case in some OF the costs given by Lieut..
Balm. the cost per kiiowatt hour is at
once reduced from 500 90 81 mills II
is evident that no steam plant can APP
proach this figure in cheapness of produc-
ton
i :
1T seems proper to observe here that
for part of the drier years the steam
plant will have TO he called upon but
this i'm no wise detracts from the advis-
ability Of the project the average
additional power from this plant will he
needed on less than sixty-five days in
the year. and the amount varying from
. to 1000 kilowatts. the latter only on
the driest day. The kilowatt hours need
ed from this plant will average not TO
exceed 4O00.0Go kiowatt hours per year
The cost OF furnishing this at the Capitol
power house may be taken at l. mills.
making due allowance for losses. The
average cost for the year would be 81
mills depending upon whether interest
and sinking fund is or is not included.
THE costs per kilowatt hour just given
are sufficient in themselves 10 Indicate
strongly the advisability of the United
States undertaking the work under con-
sideration. The report of Lieut.. Balm
gives further light on this. He estimates
tina: the saving In 1872 to the general
government and to the District would
have been s666OO0 il current had been
free of cost. The above calculations
show that this current-in fact much
larger amount of current-could have
beer furnished from the proposed plant
for $625,0O0. indicating saving of SeG.-
416 annually. This capitalized at per
cent would represent s4,S70,s00. Against
this. however. must be placed the cost
of local distribution and of changing ex-
listing plants so to enable them To
take the Great Fails power. No detailed
estimates OF this cost have been made,
but IL may safely be stated that such
{ ,st Will Le only fraction OF this sum,
gain giving a result favorable to the
project.
Closely associated with the cost TO the
government of the development proposed
Is the expenditure necessary TO acquire
the necessary land and water rights. the
latter including The power rights of all
private or corporate parties. Mr.. Hers
chel estimates that value of the land
and rights that will be required az
81, 800. coo.
Referring to the recommendation of C.
Edward Wright, attorney for the De-
partment of the Interior that the United
States should acquire all rights at Great
Falls Col Langfltt states that in view
If the many owners of lands and rights.
{ is his opinion that no private firm or
corporation could obtain by ordinary
process of purchase sufficient rights to
make commercially feasible the develop
nent of power at or in the vicinity OF
treat Falls.
Certainly such maximum develop
nent as contemplated herein he states
could be accomplished for many years, *
yer. IL this view be correct, il follows
8 result that the rights to existing
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