Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-05

| by Henry l. Lea. consulting gas engineer
| oI Chicago.
| Wilmington has grown very rapidly dur
| ing the past two three years and the
| Increased demands that have been made
| upon us have required large expenditures
/ on our part in plant aud distribution
| equipment To take care of the Increasing
| consumption. During the summer or l9it
| we made additions and bctternents To
| our plant amounting to over xip0,W0 which
| were required at that time To provide
| necessary and adequate facilities To take
| care of any demands that might be made.
| On account of the unusual war activities
| In the district which we serve and the IN
| creased population due to this activity, to
| rcther with the severe cold weather OF
| Inst winter and the shortage OF coal for
| domestic purposes had considerable
| additional demands made upon us which
| were not altogether anticipated and IL was
1 with the utmost difficulty during the sc
verest weather OF last winter that we were
able to produce the amount of gas re
uuircd at that time, but at no time was
| the supply of gas shut of from the city.
| and nj no time were we in serious danger
| Of shutting down our plant for lack OF
| raw materials. our maximum twenty
| four hour demand during the winter OF
| 1917 amounted to 2.16S en cubic feet. Dur
ing the winter Of 1919 our maximum de
mand amounted to 3Eta.oW cubic feet q.
an increase of 40 \ per cent.
Realizing our responsibility to the com
munitV which serve aud feeling thnt
the war would continue through another
winter. mud after our experience during
the severe cold weather of last winter.
decided that il would he necessary Tor
10 innodiately place contracts Tor ad-
dtions to our plant and distribution sys
tenn before this coming winter 60 guard
against atty Interruptions in our service
due To the unusual increases in our huSs-
ness Which we were having and Ia con
tinuo to render the same service that had
hcsn customary for MS TO supply
The contracts for equipment which we
placcd last winter ana the additions t-
our distribution system will amount 10
approximately st61.ooo which cover the
Ill to-, fxtu{ {,Nf fta mt
Two Terry Steam Driven Turbine Boost
ers
Additions to our cnudcngnr system. In
Guiding changes tn scruhhers, holder con
nections. cooling coils, circulating pumps,
tar separator and necessary piping
Complete new set Of blast piping for
water gas machines
Additions to our meter and governor
building for the housing of the new boost
Ono f25 II i return tubular boiler to
gethcr with additions to boiler room for
housing boiler and new steel stack for
same
one new Terry steam blower unit for
water rns machines
Ono 200 II L. waste heat boiler
One new Ingcraoll Rand Imperial Com
preFSCr
one CcnnerSville high pressure exhaustcr
Additions 70 engine room for housing
new compressor and new cAhaustcr
RcmodeliuE . o. aud 10 g. water gas
machines.
Emergency repair parts for o q" and
10 g. and II machines.
Steam piping and covering for conne'
tionS To boosters compressor. cNhaustcr
aud pumps
EnIarring take oG connections from the
q e. aud 10 q" water gas sctS from i6
to 30.
one new davidson Water Pump
one new Davidson Tar Pump
New inch water limo from pumps to
enginee room 20 cooling coils
Changes to buildings At Upper Works for
the proper housing Of meter shop. auto
mobile repair shop. automobile storage
Additions to pistrihution system
new s. steel welded main on cast
side of Christiana River e New castle
avenue distance of 695G feet
new s. stool welded high pressure
line from plant t. west side Of river
distance Of 1.Aa feet
new O. steel welded high pressure
line from Lowering avenue and SCo..
street, across II and q. bridcg To 18th
and Franklin to |}rd and Harrison, to
%Rth and Jefferson streets, with /" high
2Gth and Market Installation Of a high
pressure governor at this point tying Ia
Total distance 9g0a feet.
We knew that in order tn secure the
equipment and materials which would he
required before our peak load this fall
nIncdiate'y and we. therefore. proceed
to lay our plans as aforesaid for the ex
tcuSivc improvements which are now uD
der way. AS soon rs contracts were
placed for this equipment NC applied t.
Washington for priority orders as We
knew IL would take several months in
which to get delivery. even with prcterrct
shipments. Even with the priority ccrti
fcatrs more than "a per cent of the work
to he done at our plant is sttll unfinished
as delivery Of material has not as vet
been made We are making every effort
to equip our plant 10 take care Of the *
cesSivc demands which are being made
upon Us. our sales for the nine mouths
euding June 50 l?lS amounting TO 30'.
$50 GtJ Gu. e. show su increase over the
corresponding period of 1915 OF '5,S'9,"oo
Gu. #
for our various equipment. which dur
ing normal times would consider an
extravaganza, but one account of the pre-
cnt conditions prompt shipments oi such
ronatrs are impossible and 10 avoid delay
aud possible Interruptions OF our service
we are laying in such repairs as we deem
necessary.
The cost statements which NC have sub
mitted and the report from Lybrand, Ross
RroS aud Montgomery show that under
the present condition We are operating
at a loss The six months estimated state
ment which is submitted in detail shows
that will have a dchch during this
period of 5000. Under the statement
submitted il would he absolutely impos
sihle for use to borrow the necessary
funds for completing the construction work
now in progress which will require u
sum of considerably more than SlU0WS
unless an increase in cur rates Is per
mitted II will also be impossible for us
to supply the same quality OF gas ana
render the same service and pay interest
charges on our bonds and preferred stock
We. therefore. as war emergency rc
ouest your Honorable Body for pcrmis
sion to increase our present rate - cents
nor one thousand cubic feet making the
net rate 81 80 per one thousand cubic feet
instead OF 81 O5. adding $40 per one thou
sand cuhiC feet 10 all bills unpaid within
Ton days from date rendered also that
We be allowed to charge a monthly min
irnum of $50 per meter on all meters in
service where the gas used does not equal
so
N is needless for ms TO explain at length
the causes responsible for this request ns
we believe that your board Is fully aware
of the conditions over which We have no
control that have necesSitated this
quest for additional revenue. We are only
asking for sufficient revenue 10 meet ex-
penses and fixed charges II is our hope
ihnt costs will decrease rs soon the
present war is over and il is Of course
Understood that We viii reduce cur sell
ing price soon as tic manufacturing
costs 70 down
Yours truly.
Wilmington Gas Company.
II 8 S(FHT-TT