Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-15

mittel before the library committee
that he was not empowered to make a
study of sites and that he did not rec
ommend the one chosen, nor did he
make any estimates for a central power
station in all the governments require
ments in the District. He also stated
that the contract as now let for
$l,459,000 was not enough to rightly
carry out the work decided upon and
the present power site. No doubt the
experience of underestimate as illus
trated for the present Capitol power
plant will have a good chance of re-
currence for the Mall plant.
THE Treasury's mechanical engineer,
Mr.. Thompson, has not claimed that he
has studied nor has he publicly given
any detailed estimate OF serving all
steam and electric power from one site:
The operating costs of one central
power station against the keeping in
operation of three to do the same work
distances and other conditions permit
the economical distribution Of steam
and electricity from one point.
Saving Of Nearly $4,000.
LAS stated in my letter Of the 5th in
slant to the library committee of the
Senate, there would be saving of
nearly $4,000 a year in favor of an
enlarged central power plant at the
Capitol station, in comparison with the
plant proposed at the Mall in the per-
Torrance of the same service with the
government printing office and the
post Office (new) added to the Capitol
service (These two buildings are not
the Mall plant) Let me make it clear
that this saving Of $4,000 a year is a
further saving over and above all saw
ings made possible by the plant for
which the Treasury Department has
planned. Taking the estimate Of the
1 do with reservation. and only for
purposes of comparison) there is q
claimed economy to the United States
Of $4,000 year by the use of the
estimate is correct. the total saving by
enlarging the Capitol plant, as above
mentioned, would be the sum of s177,-
900 and $4,000. which is $4,000 a
year.
'.The saving of such a sum as $50. 900
. year in itself would justify much
larger first cost for the enlargement of
the power station at the Capitol, COM
to bs the
of the Capitol building and grounds,
Mr. Elliott Woods. makes an estimate
mentioning much less cost. In a
criticism of this estimate, the Treas
ury's mechanical engineer makes his
own figuring show that the excess cost
at the Capitol would be under $1,000
ton that there is a great saving in the
operating cost by doing away with one
Of the plants.
Il fail to see why the Treasury en-.
gineers in their power scheme have not
made provision for supplying power to
the governments printing ohice from
either the Mall or Capitol plants. Ger
sainy here is E,sas chance Of further
Is brought to the freroom in wagons
and two-thirds of 1t used under marine
boilers fired by hand. while the con-
water department after altering.
Estimated Cost of Water.
"The printing office uses in it's con-
densers some two million gallons of
water per day. some of which, however,
is cooled and used again for other pur-
poses in the building, but this, be-
lieve, is less than half of the amount
taken from the water mains The water
department charges the public 40 cents
per 1000 cubic feet, which If charged
against this plant would amount to
1.-The present Mall scheme for deal
ing with the government buildings and
works takes care of only about seven
teen buildings. whereas it is found
from looking over the map Of the city
there are twenty mine points where
electric power and steam are required.
all of which could be supplied from the
Capitol power site.
1.-THE three places using the greatest
power are the navy yard. the govern
ment printing office and the bureau OF
engraving and printing. Although the
bureau OF engraving and printing Is
much closer to the Mall site than to
the Capitol. the navy yard and gov
eminent printing ONCE are much closer
to the Capitol site. There Is no dtm-
Guilty whatever in connection with the
transmission of electrical power any Of
the distances given. The steam con-
Quits are the only features needing
consideration.
Though at first sight desirable. the
consumption of power at the navy
yard Is so great that 1t would require
most careful Investigation before wise
decision could be made as to the ad-
visibility Of its being served from a
central plant. II, however, 1t were
found justifable. there would be no
doubt as to the superiority of the Cap
itol site as compared to the Mall, the
comparative distances being $500 feet
and 10000 feet, or $500 feet in favor
~ Tho 10 pitoJ sta fionn