The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-22
Will Install Additional En- zine and Generator at
 Cost of S1l,0OO
MEANS SAVING OF.
 OVER S5OOO A YEAR
Planned to Enter Commercial Field and Compete With B. R., L. & P. CO.-To Light City Hall and
 Central High School

 Julian kendrick. city engineer, the city commission yesterday instructed him to receive bids for the Improvements to be made to the city's lighting plant at North Birmingham.
 Sometime age W. H. Abernathy city electrician, recommended that such ac- tion be taken and the matter was re- ferred to MT. Kendrick who reported favorably. The action of the city means that it will be able to compete with the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company in furnishing cleo tric light to residents of the Northside and will at the same time be able to save over s5o0O yearly In supplying it's own lights.
 It Is planned to extend the wires of nish light for that building and the Central High school The work will begin within the next 30 days, it Is understood, and will be completed as soon as possible. The installation of another generator at the plant and the extension of the wires will call for the expenditure of $11.000.
 MT. Hendricks letter to the commits sion on the subject follows
 Honorable Board of Commissioners
 City Hall:
 'Gentlemen-Referring to the attached recommendation of MT. Abernathy. city electrician. advising certain improve ments and extensions to the North Bir- mingham electric light plant. which was referred to me for report, I beg to say that concur in the recommendations of MT. Abernathy. At present the plant Is equipped with only one generator, which is capable of doing any work. A breakdown in this generator would cause the shutting down of the entire plant. thus putting out of service all street lights and private light and power serv- ice.
 Tt Is proposed by MT. Abernathy's rec concentrations to install an additional engine and generator which would then double the capacity of the plant and al low one unit in reserve to take care of accidents. He also proposes extending the lines so as to take on additional street lights, take care of the power at the high school and the lighting at the city hall and jail. The estimated cost of these improvements, by using a sec ond-hand engine and generator, is ap- proximately $l1 900. The city is paying for the street lights and other powers, which would be taken care of by these extensions as follows.
 Per Year CA otreet hsnts ...................... .SlS5oV City hall and jail ................... 100000 Central high school power ......... .1225.O0 Total ....................... S4561 %
 This line also passed by lights which have been recently cut out for which the city was paying $658.50. so that when these lights are reinstated. the total saw ing to the city would be s52l9.50 per year on an expenditure of ,0o0. The oper- ating expenses would be increased very slightly, if any, since practically the same force would be required to oper- ate the enlarged plant as now required for the present plant
 These extensions, as well as the oth- CTS recently made outside of the oo corporate limits of North Birmingham, pass through thickly built up residence sections. However, owing to the dan. ger of suspension in the service. which might be caused by accident at the plant, commercial business has not been so- licited along the lines With the plant in duplicate this business could be sought with a reasonable assurance of continued service and the revenues probably great ly increased by such business, with only the additional expense of the connec- tions to the houses.
 T most earnestly recommend that the tions of Mir Abernathy be concurred in. Yours very truly,
 JULIAN KENDRICK.
 City Engineer"