Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-12-01

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Saturday night until this morning
on account OF the Ice. The plant
started up this morning, but its
capacity is reduced about one.
half.
Arsenal Plant Affected.
Two OF the wheels at the arsensl
power station were brought to .
standstill last night and the Peo-
pies Power company today is fu--
nishing the arsenal with 1900
power units, being about 500>more
than before.
The power stations on Rock river
and at Moline are furnishing only
5000 power units today. Normal
state is 5000.
The failing Of the water power
stations proved an exceptionally
serious handicap at this time, due
to the necessity for the power COM
pany to draw upon it, fast decreas-
ing coal supply to make MP the loss
by extra loads ON the steam power
generating equipment, It Is claim
ed.
Mr.. Macdonald said that many
persons have been laboring under
the false impression that the wa
ter power stations furnish the
greater part fof electrical power
used here. He said that the power
company has one-steam generating
outfit that alone furnishes more
power than the arsenal station, and
the one on Rock river and the one
in Moline combined. The steam
equipment furnishes 10000 power
units and the water power stations
furnish only about one-flfth Of the
entire amount Of power sold by the
company.
During the war the company ran
its plant at full force and furnish
ed the Rock Island arsenal alone
1000 power units q day. Other in
dustries we're furnished more pow
er than at any time during the
history of-the company. However.
this was only accomplished by the
burning Of huge quantities Of coal
to generate the steam for the big
steam driven equipment.
1T is not matter Of not having
the equipment" Mr.. Macdonald
said. 1--WE have the finest kind Of
equipment, but there is no coal
and this we must have. The pub
lie must understand that we can
not burn our last ton of coal to
furnish power to industrial plants
We are obligated to protect hospi.
tails and other public institutions
! in case the coal shortage is not al.
leviated soon. Not only this. but
it will take . large amount Of coal
! TO keep our plant from freezing. II
case the situation should get thai
serious.
"Our supply will allow Us Il
keep industries supplied with pow
or for 10 days or two weeks. Aftel
this we shall have have to reduce
about one-half, and only supply
the absolutely essential industries
This we can do for two weeks
leaving our supply Of coal practic
ally exhausted by the end Of ont
month from now, and allowing vi
only to supply hospitals and homes
and the like for another month Of
six weeks.
However, it is an impossibilit,
to foretell just what Is going t.
happen in the coal situation. AMI
the power company does not carr
to cut OF power only under . plal
that will be suitable to all, W.
want the manufacturers, bushes,
men, city officials and civic organ
fzations to decide with Us what l,
tbest to do IN this situation. s1ld !
was for this reason that We callel
the meeting at the Rock ISLAM
club this afternoon. We want t
satisfy everyone as far as 1t i
within Our power. I believe tina
the best plan for this communit.
in the present situation will b.
worked out at the meeting this aft
ernoon."
| Consider OH Burners.
A large number of factory own
ers are considering the installation
iof oil burners for plant heating
purposes. However, such installa
tons would only serve as protec
ftion Of the plants from freezing a
lit Is not practical to use the bur
ners in any power making way,
lis said. A number Of plants ar
nearly without coal for heatin
purposes. but could install oil bur
J ners under furnace boilers for heat
ing purposes that would allow tn
companies to run their plants ful
blast as long as power could be OF
tanned. However, without powe
the plants will have to shut dow
and the burners will then serve fo
Ino other purpose than to keep tn
plants heated.
| Installation Costly.
r. W. Lea, vice president and pxt
duction manager for the Molin
Plow company. stated today that th
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