The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-15
CITY LIGHT PLANT
Fke. Blame for the Recent Trod'
bIes Diseased by M. Nc
Kiever In a Letter
to Council

The following letter addressed &c
the Mayor and Council was read al
meeting OF City Council on Tuesday
& night;
Sumter. S. C, May 5. 1920. .
10, The Honorable Mayor and Council:
3 Genble
Realizing how earnestly and SIM
cerely Your honorable body is labor
ing 70. the successful administration
OF the city's affairs and also the try
ing conditions existing since the city
purchased the electric light plant. /
feel very reluctant in calling your at
tention to the poor service which Is
4 being given the public. l would not
now complain We're l not convinced
that justice 10 the city and myself
YOU Investigate the charges herein
contained and If trEe place the blame
where it belongs aud remedy same
or if unfom1ded I would be pleased to
be enlightened and shown wherein |
am wrong.
In the past when the public has
been deprived of ligat and power, we
were Informed thats9t was due to the
run dow,l conditiop.1ofY the plant and
that every thing that could possibly
be, done was being done to keep the
old plant in repair and give the best
service possible under existing cir
cup1stances until the new plant was
built Although IsJand other power
consumers We're put,to serious losses
by the repeated Interruptions to our
business. the delay in filing our obi
cations to our customers and Gin my
own case at least) the pay to idle
rmen for the time While, shut down. we
Z did. not kick to any extent. believing
that the causes Of the shut down
were beyond the control Of Intelligent
management.
This morning upon inquiry. after
finding no current. we were informed
that It might be off all day. Inquir-
ing, later we informed that it was
doubtful if we would have current
tomorrow. Upon learning this I
xhought I should investigate what was
= The trouble in view of the fact that
we were shut down three hours Mon
| day. six hours Tuesday. all today and
4 probably tomorrow, for if the future
I was to be a repetition OF the present
and past experience / should know. SO
7 could decide whether or not to put
! il my own plant.
:. Il went to the office of the plant to
See Mr. Olsen, but found it was loaA-
ed, SO went into the plant. did not
find Mr. Olsen. but found Mr.. Brown.
the City Manager. ! asked what was
the trouble. He said the motor. on
the. circulating pump he'd burnt out.
T. looked towards the circulating pump
and saw steam on the end opposite
from the motor end and was sure that
the pump was arranged so that it
could be-ran either by steam or cleo
tricity. ypon inquiring as TO why the
pump could not be run by steam was
SSinforn1ed that it broke down .,!ast
night. Further inquiry developed the
fact that the steam end had been OUT
sof commission for many months OF
ever since the City took charge. as Mr.
Brown informed me in reply To my
asking how long The breakdown on
avoidable, but was due TO trying TO
run it with tWo worn out gears that
should have been replaced long ago
.and kept in reserve IN case the motor
end failed as it did, Had these gears
been replaced at the proper time ut Il
cost Of less than half days revenue
from current consumers. not only
would the manufacturers and work
men been saved their loss. but the
CITY would have been dollars ahead.
not to mention the Inconvenience 10
the general public
); In order to cur,ail this necessarily
aIong letter / will summarize the causes
of the present shut down and which
could haze been prevented had ordl-
narv efficiency been exercised on the
mart of whoever is responsible. Nheth-
er the blame rests on Council in adopt.
ing q. penny wise and ponnd foolish"
policy IN refusing to spend the peces-,
s:irv amounts keep the. plant in a
reasonably : ..servieeable condition,
Knowing that it will be long. time.
before the new plant will be ready. or
whether it is due to the failure and
foresight OH the part Of the party Il,
charge of the plalpE. to. properly. IN.
form Council of the necessities. or
some one else is for Council 10 inves-
tigate and determine.
Here is t}le cause OF prese:lt shut
down briefly stated:
Turbine engine is useless because
motor on electric end of circulating
pump went bad and the gears on the
steam end pf paDp had been worn
ont months and months ago and al
lowed TO remain So Also the pump
in the yard Chat also connects with
circulating systen) must be in bad
condition as it was not put u work rs
I understand it could have been. The
Buckeye engine. which could haze
heGr~ilsed without ;hc circulating
pump broke some time ago Chow long
= doss't know.} II is nov being 20
paired hut at best can only give u
limited amount Of power The other
larger engine. I was told by MT.
Brown. is ready 10 run. but for th-