COMMISSION ON ELECTRIC LIGHTING FOR THE CITY OF NEW YORK. FEBRUARY 7, 1905. HON. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, Chairman, Board of Estimate and Apportionment, New York City. Sir. We have the honor to transmit to you herewith the first part of our report on the public lighting of The City of New York by electricity. We purpose dividing the work we were appointed to do into the following steps: (4) Report on the cost of construction and operation of an electric plant to supply all the streets and public places of the Boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx that are now lighted by electricity, and to light all the public buildings by electricity that are now lighted either by electricity or gas, or by both. (B) Report on cost of construction and operation of a plant to supply all the electric lighting included under (A), and in addition to substitute lighting by electricity for all other kinds of lighting in the streets and public places of the Boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx. (C) Report on the cost of construction and operation of an electric plant to supply all the streets and public places of the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens that are now lighted by electricity, and to light all the public buildings by electricity that are now lighted either by electricity or gas, or by both. (D) Report on the cost of construction and operation of a plant to supply all the electric lighting included under (C), and in addition to substitute lighting by electricity for all other kinds of lighting in the streets and public places of the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. (E) Report on the cost of construction and operation of a plant to do all the public lighting of the Borough of Richmond by electricity. (F) Report on the cost of construction and operation for all the City's lighting, assuming the City to own transformers, wires, cables, poles, lamps and other appliances, and to purchase electric power in the several boroughs from such sources as may be available. Our general plan contemplates the construction of one power station for the supply of Manhattan and The Bronx, a second for the supply of Brooklyn and Queens, and a third for the supply of Richmond. The stations for Manhattan and The Bronx and for Brooklyn and Queens would be interconnected, so that either station can supply either borough to the extent of its available capacity. The station for Manhattan and The Bronx should be placed on the East river. A site in Manhattan is preferable, and the City should acquire such a site if it can be had at reasonable cost; but as this matter cannot be determined at once, we assume that this plant will be erected on the east side of Blackwell's Island. For the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, an excellent waterfront site is available, sufficiently near to the site of the proposed Manhattan plant IEW AOKK to permit easy cross-connection by way of Blackwell's Island bridge. In accordance with this general plan, we transmit to you herewith our Report A. We are now proceeding with the preparation of the plans and specifications for the power station and the other work incidental to the plant covered by this Report A. We recommend that the City take steps to secure the proposed sites in Manhattan and Queens for the two power stations. Yours very respectfully, CARY T. HUTCHINSON, Chairman. GEORGE F. SEVER. NELSON P. LEWIS. General. System. Report A ON THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF This report is based on the report made to the Commissioner of the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity, by Cary T. Hutchinson, dated May 11, 1903. We have checked the estimates contained in that report, and the data on which these estimates were based. On January 1, 1905, there were in these two boroughs a total of 5 250 arc lamps and a total of gas and incandescent lights equivalent to 210 000 sixteen candle-power incandescent lamps. These were distributed in 640 separate buildings and places. We estimate that by the time this plant is ready for operation, at least 6 000 arc lamps will be required, and a connected load equivalent to 250 000 sixteen candle-power incandescent lamps, requiring a power plant capacity of 10 000 kilowatts. Our estimates are based on the system given in the report of Mr. Hutchinson above referred to; that is, a 60-cycle, alternating-current supply system for both arc and incandescent lighting. We propose to use a 7.5 ampere arc lamp in the principal streets and avenues. The details of the system are identical with those included in Mr. Hutchinson's report. |