Evening star., 1922-09-26
GRIPPING
FREDERICKSBURG
Electric Power Plant Can
Operate Only "a Hours, as
Dams Dry Up.
FAMINE MENACE LOOMS
Reservoirs Nearly Depleted.
Lightless Nights Seen Unless
R.in Soon Comes.
FAMINE MENACE LOOM!
From a Stan Correspondent.

from stan correspondent.
FREDERICKSBURG Va, Septem-
Der 26.-Breakdown of the electric
power service, which will cripple in
dustrial activities and throw Fred
ericksburg into darkness, will be
complete within twenty-four hours
unless rain ends the drouth that has
resulted in the drying up Of the
Rappahannock river from Its source
to this city.
The big dam across the Rappahannock
on the outskirts of Fredericksburg has
backed up enough water to turn only
one Of the large generators in the
power house of the Spottsylvar,ia
Power Company, and this only for
two days at the longest on low fire.
quency. The power now being gen
Grated is so weak that machinery in
| many of the factories Is turning
slowly and the lights In the city are
growing DINNER
Faced with closing for lack of suffi-
| clent current, number of industrial
plants have adopted emergency meas
ures to keep them in operation in the
! event of a complete breakdown of the
power plant. Small tractors are being
| used at number Of the factories to
1
| plants. while other manufacturing con-
Germs are planning to press steam en-
| slnes into use for this purpose.
Water Famine Looms.
| With the drying up of the river
! Fredericksburg also has been con-
| fronted with a potent water famine
| The city depends almost entirely on
the Rappahannock for the water sup
ply for the consumption of it's 1000
I fov Ind
trial activities, street and residence
| lights.
The altering reservoir is now approx
imately 100000 gallons below its ca
pacity and this condition is causing
grave concern among city officials. AL
though no official warning has been
issued to the consumers. they are ap-
prehensive, and a majority of them have
| voluntarily agreed to conserve as much
| water as possible during the emergency.
; The capacity of the filtering basin.
which is kept filled at all times, under
normal conditions is 100000 gallons.
approximately 1000. 600 gallons enough
to supply Fredericksburg for a week or
ten days. remains in the basin, and
| little additional water is being taken in.
Auxiliary Plant Saves Day.
Complete suspension Of the water
supply was averted yesterday after
noon by the opportune operation of
an auxiliary power plant which has
! been temporarily erected near the
| main power house of the Spotts-
sylvania company for the emergency.
| The auxiliary plant was put into
orator in the main power house slowed
down, Immediately stopping operation
Of the city pumping station where
the water in the filtering basin is
pumped into the reservoir.
The small auxiliary plant Is being
~ God lnIy ~ DtNYN NvNy IN
the pumping station and the city
lighting system. II this plant ceases
ioperation on account of the lowering
of the water. backed up by the dam,
| the city will be plunged into darkness
at night and water famine will be
| imminent.
SO low is the Rappahannock river
from its source to this city that no
water passed over the Spotsylvania
company's dam within the past week.
Under normal conditions 80 cubic feet
lof water flow over the dam per second.
Bass Grounds Now Dry.
The river. just below the dam, in
| the spots where bass fishing should
be at its height, is now arid. Weeds
in the river bed Normally. between
four and six feet Of water cover this
section of the river.
For it's electrical current for its
Industries. city lighting system and
residences. Fredericksburg depends
principally upon two large 1.050-H. w.
H. generators and small 4bo-k. w.
H. generator in the plant Of the
iSpotsylvania company. One Of the
large generators and the small one
have been put out of commission as a
result of the lack of water power to
drive them. The large generator
which remains in operation is run
ming at reduced speed which is des-
tined to decrease as the water backed
tup by the dam runs of.
Aroused over the threatened Grip
ping of their industries. Fredericks-
burg business men. 1t was reported
today. are planning to take some
legal action against the owners o!
the power plant for their. failure tc
supply them with electric current
The question will be discussed at q
meeting Of the Fredericksburg Cham
ber of Commerce next Monday.
Similar action was proposed last
year, when the electric power service
was partially crippled AZ a result OF
a drought at that time. ]. e. G.