The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-08-08
ELECTRIC SITUATION
CONTRACT LET FOR REPAIRING
DYNAMOS-ENGINE EXPERT
HERE NEXT WEEK.

At a meeting of the city commits
sion yesterday afternoon a contract
was let to the LeBruns Electric COM
pany, of Omaha, to rewind and re-
pair the dynamos at the electric light
plant recently destroyed by fire.
Machinists will be sen to this city
from Omaha for the purpose and the
work will be done here. In the work
of rewinding the dynamos the system
will be changed from a two phase to
a three phase system, the former
having been in use before the fire.
This has been made necessary in view
of the fact that the two phase system
has practically gone out of existence.
1t has been necessary the past several
years for the Madison plant to buy
specially made two phase fixtures
and appliances at greatly increased
expense over the three phase equip
ment now in general use. The
change of phase will necessitate a.
change of all the motors in use in
the city, which are of the two phase
pattern. This hardship on the part
of motor owners will be reduced to
a minimum by the city commission
ers, the LeBruns company 4 taking
over the motors now in use and re-
placing them with three phase mo-.
tors. The company will rewind the
old motors, converting them into
three phase machines and again plac-
ing them upon the market. The cost
between the machines will be the cost
of rewinding and a probable rebate
on the part of the commissioners.
The new motors would be Installed
and the old machines taken out as a
measure of saving time to the user
in the matter of transfer. The Lee
Bruins company agrees to have the
repairs to the dynamos completed
within a period of 80 days.
The change from a two phase to q
three phase system will enable the
city to remove one aerial wire from
the wiring system throughout the
city, thus returning a considerable
salvage from this source.
The Diesel Engine company. of st,
Louis, has assigned an expert ma
chinist to the work of rebuilding the
Diesel engine at the plant and he
will arrive in the city early next week
to commence the work. 1t is esti-
mated that the cost of rebuilding the
engine and rewinding the dynamos
will not exceed $1,000.
Insurance adjusters have made /
survey of the fire ruins and allowed
the city the full amount of the insur
ance carried-$18,000. The city
electric fund contains about $13, 900
giving the city approximately $31.
600 for immediate use in reconstruct.
ing the machinery of the plant ant
other purposes.
The matter of housing the rebuilt
machinery and putting the plant in
to operation is still under considera
ton. Under war conditions ii is no
deemed advisable to ask the citizens
/, for a bond issue which would be nee
/ eSSary were u IlFepTooI pullclnS uh
dertaken. Besides it is doubtful |
, suitable building materials could b
obtained at this time or the many flu
' ture months to come. A bond issu
: needed for the building would prob
ably reach well toward $4,000 an
' it is deemed doubtful IL such an is
: sue could be floated within any rea
! sonable length of time in the face o
n the proposed Liberty bond issues
So the general discussion of the con
; sioners is to house the machiner
with a suitable temporary buildin
s and await more favorable condition
/. for obtaining building materials fc
a permanent structure.