The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-06-03

what the guarantees were for the oil
engine, and the engineer stated that
the manufacturers guaranteed great
er efficiency than called for by the
specifications. The oil engine, he
said, would start in three minutes
from nothing to full load.
G. w. Gibbs Jr., of the Gibbs Gas
Engine Co. of Jacksonville, agent
for the De La Vergne engine and sue
cessful bidder for the oil engine. and
cooling tower, told council that the
De La Vergne people were the largest
manufacturers of oil engines in the
world, and that they would make good
every claim and every guarantee. The
De La Vergie engines, he said, are
used almost exclusively by the United
States government, and by such large
concerns as the Standard Oil COM
pany.
Mr.. Gibbs said that the De La
Vergne was the only engine that
would burn the cheapest grade of
Mexican crude oil. He said that the
engine was in use in something like
% plants in Florida. He pointed out
that the bid of the Gibbs Gas Engine
company was for the oil engine and
the cooling tower. Leave the cooling
tower out, he said, and his bid was
right in line with the other bids made
to the city.
Mr.. Gibbs discussed the questions
which had risen with regard to the
plant of the Daytona Light & Power
company. He said that it was true
that there had been much trouble
with the De La Vergne engines in this
plant, but that the engines were now
running smoothly. The trouble was
due, among other causes, tie the use
of an engine too small for the work
and in connection with machinery
not adapted to the work, and he said
that at one time the engines were
operated by an inexperienced negro,
and at another by mere boy.
Mr.. Gibbs said that Mr.. Sholtz,
president of the Daytona company,
had threatened to warn Ocala and any
other place contemplating the install
lation of De La Vergne engines. This
threat, Mr.. Gibbs said was due to
Mr.. Sholtz' anger at the De La Vergne
company exerting pressure upon the
Daytona company in the carrying out
of a contract. Mr. Gibbs told coun-
ell that Mr.. Gilmore, engineer for the
Qaytona plant, had said that he had
been given a paper to sign to the
effect that the De La Vergne engines
were impracticable. Mr.. Gilmore said
that he knew this to be inaccurate and
did not want to sign the paper, ac-
cording to Mr.. Gibbs.
Mr.. Gibbs said that the De La
| Vergne engine had been used in COM
petition with the unafow steam en-
CINE. He said that the oil engine was
more economical than any steam en-
CINE, with the exception of certain
large steam turbines. He said, that,
with all due respect to Mr.. Henney,
| the oil engine in the new plant would
prove to be very much more econom-
| zeal than the unafow steam engine.
Mr.. Henney said he hoped that this
would be the case, but that he still
believed that the oil engine would
have to hump itself to keep up with
the steam machine.
In answer to a question regarding
the cost per K. w. hour of producing
current in the new plant, Mr.. Henney
stated that the oil engine alone could
not be considered in the matter. He
said all the overhead costs would have
to be taken into consideration. Ask
ed by Councilman Tompkins whether
there was any guarantee as to what it
would cost to make current, Mr.. Hen
ney stated that obviously no one could
make any guarantee of this kind, say
| ing that there was no certainly as TIC
how and by who the machinery
would be handled.
Mr. Meffert called attention to the
fact that when the subject of building
a new light and water plant was first
discussed, the light and water com
mittee, of which Mr.. Roess was chair
imam at that time, in connection with
Iengineers employed by the city, had
worked out the approximate cost OF
current per K. w. hour, which, he
stated was matter of record. The
lcommittee estimated that current
could be generated at three-quarters
of cent per K. W. hour.