The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-08-15
City Fathers Met
With The Experts
From Tuesdays Daily.


in secret by the city council yester.
day afternoon together with the Com
mercial club lighting committee and
Engineers ]. b. Harris and J. F. Dru-
ar in much the same manner that
the propositions were discussed with
Earl d. jackson in the forenoon
session The engineers wished to bid
on plans and specifications for the
construction of a new municipal light
plant, and it was necessary for them
to know the needs of the city before
making their plans. They were ad-
vised of the present status of affairs
with the Consumers Power company,
and given data regarding the number
of lights needed and the equipment
OF the pumping station where it is
proposed to have the new plant They
will figure on 1875 regular arc lights
for the residence portion of the city
and 100 luminous white way" arcs,
like the ones used in Owatonna's
white way"
The engineers described plants
used by other cities of this size to
give the councilmen and committee
members an idea of what the needs
of the city call for.
Cleaned From Interviews.
This information was cleaned from
interviews with some of the council
men yesterday afternoon, and when
interviewed this morning on the sub
ject, Councilman A. G. Lack declined
any further information and in the
midst of the interview was whirled
away with Chief of the Fire De-
partment Phil Leas for visit to
Sibley park.
Mayor Meyer said this morning
that the cost of municipal plant
was estimated at between $4,000
and 100000 and that it was estimated
that the cost of electricity for the
city would be less than it is now, if
the new plant was built He refused
to give out anything in the line Of
details
However, it is reported that plant
adequate to fill the needs of the city
was estimated at. from .SS5,000 to
100000 and that after this there
would be calls for future appropria-
lions. 1t is said that the question
of duplicating the plant now in the
city and owned by the Consumers
Power company, also came up at the
meeting, and that the engineers said
that this plant could not be duplicated
for less than $1S5,000 to 100000.
Cost of Connecting Up.
1t is also said that the engineers
were questioned on the cost of con-
Meeting up the new plant to private
consumers, and that the answer given
was that a meter for each consumer
costs about SO including wiring
and labor, and a transformer
about So AS it was figured that
there are from 100 to 1900 of these
in the city, the cost of connecting
up was estimated at from $4,000 to
$4,000 This, so it is reported, was
considered quite an item, as the city
would probably have to pay it, be-
cause the Consumers Power are pay,
ing for the same articles now. If
the private consumer wished to con-
meet with the municipal plant it
would cost him from 500 to $50 to
change his system, according to these
figures, and he could not make this
up in the cost of his electrical light
in a considerable length of time.
All the engineers, it is alleged
thought that the rates offered by the
Consumers Power company were
fairly reasonable, and that the three
cent rate to the city was low rate
it. However, it seems that the engi
neer stated that the city might be
able to sell commercial Juice" tt
private consumers for eight cents.
Cost of Plans and Specifications.
As to the cost of employing the
engineers to make plans and specifi
cations for the new plant, it hal
been stated that about 5000 would
cover the cost of these, and that thu
cost of experimenting the construc
ton of the plant would be about
per cent of the cost if it was person
dIIy oupCllulSlluOu ny ChO CASiilOC
himself, but if he merely stayed il
Minneapolis and sent out direction
to another superintendent paid b,
the city, the price would be reduce,
to three per cent of the cost of tn
plant. If the plant cost 100000, tn
engineers fees would be from $500
to $1,000 according to this report.
1t is said, that in the discussion o
the luminous arcs in use in Owator
mas white way" the cost of insta
ling a block of this kind of lightin
in Mankato was estimated at abou
$500 per block. One of the engineers
however, said that it would only cos
$500, according to reports receive
and according to these reports a
some of those present questioned hiI
more severely on the subject, it deve
oped that it would cost $500 for eac
side of the street per block. 1t !
said that it was proposed to put tn
lighting plant in conjunction with tn
pumping station, if one was built.
Producer Gas Plant.
One of the engineers, it is reporte
brought up the matter of produce
gas plant. This is a system of bur
ing coal, to get the gas, using the GO
thus liberated to run gas engine
which in turn will run the dynamo
which will nroduce the electricity