The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-08-31
PUT WIRES UNDER GROUND
Power Plant is Enlarged and Modern
Switch Board and Satisfaction is Be
ing Installed to Make Handling of
Business Easier and Satisfactory.


The Wisconsin Gas and Electric
Company is going to expend a quarter
Of a million dollars to improve its
light and power property in Kenosha.
This announcement is authoritively
made by the officials of the company
and it is made with the further an
nouncement that the business in Keno
sha has increased with such leaps and
bounds during the past year as to make
this investment necessary to properly
meet the demand and the demand Of
an immediate future. A portion of
this great sum, approximately $125,000,
will be expended in meeting the, de-
mands for underground wires in GER
tain territories in the city and the
remainder of it will be used in con-
verting the present power plant at the
foot of Main street in what will be the
most modern plant of the kind to be
found in the state. The plant of the
company was rebuilt in 1912 and at
that time the engineers Of the com
pany thought that they had made pro-
vision for the demands of the company
in Kenosha for the next fifteen years.
Within less than four years the plant
has proved too small to meet demands
and the new plant is going to be ex-
pressive of more forethought on the
part of the company.
The work Of laying the conducts to
carry wires under all the down town
streets of the city has been started
and men are now at work on Pearl
street installing the ducts The work
will go forward just as rapidly as pos
sible but the nature of the construc-
tion is such that it will be hardly pos
sible for the company to complete all
the work demanded under the city
ordinance by the first Of June of next
year. The company will make no OBJ
Jectlons to any provisions for under
ground work in what is known as the
underground district and while the
cable will not be put in this year the
ducts will be ready for the reception
CT Il just as soon as the company can
arrange to cut over from the aerial to
the underground systems. The work
is being done in the most modern way
and with view of making it perma-
nent. It is not thought that there will
be any attempt on the part of the city
to force the company to act faster
than the present plans provide for.
The work ON the building of the
power plant includes the installation
of the most modern switchboard to be
found in Wisconsin. This will repre-
sent the last word in the distribution
of electricity for light and power and
the cost of installation will be $4,000
for the board and extensions to the
building. These extensions are now
well underway and the work is being
rushed just as rapidly as possible
In addition to the switchboard
sub station is being build within the
plant to be utilized in the distribution
of current brought into the city over
the high tension lines These two
changes in the plant will greatly i'm
prove conditions surrounding the sup
ply of electric current in Kenosha. It
is possible that within a short time
some announcement of a new schedule
of rates will be made for Kenosha, but
no public notice to this effect has as
yet been given out by the company.
1t is declared by the local managers
of the company that with the compile
ton of this work Kenosha will stand
at the very head of Wisconsin cities
from the standpoint of electric service.