To Cheapen Electricity

TO CHEAPEN ELECTRICITY

Electric Light Co are Rebuilding Their Plant

WILL SPEND $15,000

In Putting in New Plant at Geddes - New Lamps for the S reet Light Service

The Washtenaw Electric Light and Power Co. have been busy for several weeks making changes in their plant made necessary by the transferring of the central station to Geddes and in doing so have taken occasion to substitute for the antiquated system of furnishing electricity, used in their Washington street power house, the most modern system that can be procured. It is well known that the furnishing of electricity for commercial use has been a business of a few years standing and that much of the appliances used for that purpose in the earlier stages of the business were largely in the nature of experiments, each new device marking a step in the advancement of the knowledge of electricity and the science of its economical manufacture.

The plant in the city was one of the first put in and, while it was as complete as was possible to make it at that time, is now completely out-of-date and ready to be relegated to the junk shop and its place filled by machinery that not only furnishes better service, but does it at a large saving both to the manufacturer and consumer. To illustrate - the company supplies in this city electricity for incandescent lighting, commercial arc lights, the city lighting system and for power. To do this in the old plant, it has been necessary to run three dynamos, or as might be said to furnish three kinds of electric fluid, the incandescent lights being on the alternating current, while the arc lights and power circuits used direct currents of different intensity. This rendered it necessary for a customer wishing to use power and both kinds of lights to have his premises wired with six wires so that he might have all the service he wanted. But when he did this he was not always suited, for the company, for economy's sake, only ran their arc system at night and their power service during the day. So that if he desired power at a late hour at night or an arc light during the day he was unable to secure it without telephoning the power house.

But through the changes made at the Geddes power house this is all done away with. The will-o'-wisp of the electrician has been a method to supply all these varied wants from one machine and after much seeking the inventors have succeeded and it is now done through the alternating current, and it is dynamos of this type that the company has installed at its downriver plant. All the electricity used in the city will be furnished from this one type and it will be necessary to run but one set of initial feed wires into any place of business or through the streets. Three of these new dynamos have been put in by the company and it is thought that they will be equal to all demands. With this change as soon as it is completed, customers will be enabled to get any service they desire - power, incandescent or arc lighting - at any hour, day or night, by simply turning the button, thus making it available whenever needed.

In connection with the other changes in the company is arranging to thoroughly overhaul and put the street lighting service in the best possible condition. To do this they have purchased 150 new arc lamps of what is known as the enclosed arc lamp and will replace all the old lamps now in use with them. This lamp was on exhibition a few weeks ago in Detroit, when that city was selecting a new lamp for use there and was chosen as the very best thing offered. While the lamp gives no stronger light than those now in use it is steadier and more reliable, not so apt to get out of order and will give a better service in every way. The new lamps arrived last week and will be installed as soon as possible.

The installing of this new service, through its economy, will also enable the company to make quite a reduction, thus further benefiting the consumer. In fact they have already cut the price of power service in half wherever the new service has been put in, thus making the price of electricity for power 5 cents per watt instead of 10 cents, as heretofore. It is thought that they will also be able to make a material reduction in arc lights for commercial use at a later date. Altogether the company will expend $15,000 or $20,000 in improvements to its plant, and when completed will have one of the best in the country.

A colored man giving his name as Leslie Ferrell and claiming to reside at Plato, West Va., created a good deal of excitement at Milan, yesterday, by attempting to throw himself in front of the fast eastbound Wabash train. He was repeatedly pulled away from the track by bystanders, but as repeatedly returned. Finally, the village marshal arrived and took him into custody. He is thought to be insane.