The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-10-22
Binding New Power Plant.

At the present time the Mononga-
llela Valley Traction Company is en-
gagged in the building Of new and
modern power plant at Hutchinson.
a few miles from the city, at cost
5f something like $35O,0O0 and
which will place the company in po-
sition to afford all the power need
ed in the district for the perfect
conduct OF their traction lines and
for mining and manufacturing pur-
poses, as we'll as domestic use. This
new plant was made necessary
through the failure of the old plant
at cayenne. where acid conditions in
the water supply made impossible
successful operation. N
The new plant at Hutchinson will
embody several new features as re-
suit OF close study of the failure OF
the old plant. In architectural de-
sign the new plant will appear very
much as the old one, though the con-
crete foundation will be different.
Pushing the Work.
Work on the new plant Is being
pushed as rapidly as possible. On
August 10 an order was placed for
the delivery in four months OF four
1850 kilowatt single tandem gas en-
gines, the first one to be delivered
here December 10. The use of these
engines will eliminate tile possibility
of corrosion from the chemically in
vested river water. Orders for four
generators were also placed and
these will arrive at the same time
with the engines.
Switch-bo and transformer
contracts were also placed with the
General Electric Company. the new
transformers to change the genera
tor voltage from $500 volts to 2S,-
900. or ten fold. This high voltage
will be reduced at sub-stations to
$500 volts for traction and lighting
purposes.
Another important feature in the
new plant is the plan for the install
lation of four units instead of three
as provided in the old plant. A unit
consists of an engine and its gener-
ator,a nd this fourth unit will insure
bcttcr power service in future. 1t is
also proposed to use the old cayenne
plant for the generation of power
exclusively for the coal companies
and thus a big load will be lifted
from the new one, as the Traction
Company supplies immense power
for coal operations in the district.
/ Extensions Contemplated.
NP tho
plant at, Hutchinson is not the only
big Improvement which the company
has under way or contemplated. A
magnificent combination passenger
and freight station is TO be built"a
Clarksburg, and the companies lines
are to be built into Philippi and
Salem, and thus will be added to
Fairmont's traction trade territory
very valuable connections. There IS
no positive date fixed for work to be-
gin on these extensions, but semi
official announcement has been made
that the work has been fully deter
mined upon.
These improvements and extern
sions by the company are but carry
ing forward a policy of construction
which has marked its career from
the beginning. It was but ten
years ago that the people of Monon-
gahela Valley had no traction con-
vcniences as now enjoyed, and when
"a visit to the county seat was con-
templatcd by the farmer there were
no tit highways, and so few trips
were made. Town and country seem
ed as widely separated as the gull
and the great lakes, insofar as con
vcniences were concerned.
| Building Started in 1908.
/, twas May 13, 1908, that the
Fairmont & Clarksburg Traction
Company, the parent company of the
present Monongahela Valley COM
.pany and the pioneer traction COM
pany in this section of the state, re-
ceiyed its charter from the state
! Older residents remember how the
idea of connecting Fairmont and
! Clarksburg by traction line was ridi,
culcd, and predictions freely made
that it would prove the financial
ruin OF those undertaking the prob,
lem. However, the cool; wise heads
of the projectors gave no attention
Ito the pessimists of that day, bu
looked forward toEa greater future
tan ,just, how wise they were instheil
Sitldeme emit remai In 81 Vet h to- VI be- seen