BOROUGH ELECTRIC LIGHT SCHEME.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 130517, 20 January 1906, Page 2

BOROUGH ELECTRIC LIGHT SCHEME.

_4 SUCCESSFUL IN AUGUJi AVION, . Another-^ step' in the advancement oi New Plvpatfuth, land .of' the progressive policy which is providing 1 tht iown ; with all the. "modern conveniences, r was witnessed' 'on Friday, when the ceremony of' <switching-oQ " the electric , light for use was .carried out. The i inauigtu*ation was. highly successful \ and created' a great deal of inlfcerost 5 in the town. i VISIT TO TJHE POWER HOUSE. The first part of, the ceremony consisted of an inspection of the power•house, *J where the generating f)ower was set in. motion. At - the invita- • tion of Mi-'Haes, me representative o the Electrical Brush Co., contractors for tlie installation, a large party drove out to the site iri the after' noon. The visitors comprised th« Mayor (Mr R. Cock), Mr E. M. Smith, M.H..R., Crs?. W. F. Brooking (Chairman of Electric Light Committee), F. E. Wilsor', L. M. Monteath', W. N. Ewing, F. Stohr, and D. Huicben ; Mr Cffaes, representing thf contractors, Mr Fenn for Messrs Steuart and Fenn, sub-contractors; Messrs W. E. Richardson (managing director »of the Inglewood Electric Light Co.), E. R. A^ Haworth and E. Nopps (directors of the same Co.) ; .Mr Blackley (brother of Dr. Blackley, and a member of the Glasgow Corporation Electric ' Tram and Light Service) ; Messrs W. Ambury (President of the Taranaki Chamber oi Commerce), A. W. Reid (representing the Stratford Electric Lighting Co.), G. E. Mannering (New Plymoutl manager of the JJnion Bank), Captai* Hood, Harbourmaster ; Mr E. A Craig (Auckland), the Town Clerli (Mr F. ,T. Bellringer), the Borough Electrical Engineer (Mr H. Black), the Borough Engineer (Mr E. Harvey Gibbon), Mr Henry King, from whom the power house site, was purchased. Messrs A. Sandilands ' (enginedriver in charge) and S. Edwards (switchboai'd attendant) -were present, i An inspection' of the fine plant was made and its • working explained tc I the visitors. The powerful and substantial nature of the turbine machinery certainly created the impression that the power is ample for New Plymouth's requirements for majiy years to come. At Mr Haes" request, ithe Mayor- sei the No. 1 turbine in motion, and thi current was turned' on, illuminating tithe ibHiilding 1 . A few minutes' latei ;'the power ,was shut off, and No. S 'turbine, an exact replica of the oth ;er, was put in 'motion by Cr. BrookThe company ■n'ex'fc partook of re freshmen-ts^ arid % the Mayor proposed the health of Mr Haes. His Worship spoke in congra-tula'tory vein of the completion of the sehenJe, and took the opportun:ity^K|f modifying, his re cent statemeai'tg throwing the blami for th© delay w<hich-'h»dv occurred up on the Electrical .Brush, ( Co. Aftei going into the matter more fully, h« found -that the strictures passed hac been to a great extent undeserved, and he took this opportunity joe mak ing the acWowledgment. There har •been various reasons for the exten sion of the 'time, the enlargement o the scheme upon what w«as originally intended, and the necessity for new plans and equipment, being the prin cipal causes. First, number oi street lights ' wai" 'increased to 101, arid latterly 'to 128, to comply -witl , public requirements. However, the scheme was now under way and they all anticipated % a great success with it. I Mr Haes, in ■ responding, thanked th« visitors for their attendance on thai auspicious occasion, and on behalf oi the Brush Co. acknowledged the Mayor's graceful withdrawal of his previous statements made' under a misapprehension. . As showing thf Company's earnest desire to push 1 or with the work, Mr Haes said thai the whole of the machinery was- delivered in New Plymouth last May, and had it not been for the subsequent extensions and things that caused delay, the plant might have been running by July. He considered the plant, a credit to the town, and he was sure that under the able supervision of the Council dt would be well managed and speedily become a thoroughly profitable undertaking. This concluded the initial ceremony. SWITCHING ON THE LIGHT. The practical part of the proceedings, that of switching on the, light for the town supply.- took place at the distributing station, Liardet-sU'eet, at 8 o'clock in the evening. The precincts of the building were thronged, and the transformer room was comfortably filferl with invited guests. Mr Haes, manager of the Brush Gomp.oiay, addressing tih'e gatiielriu'g referred to the events of the afternoon, and said that the turbines which bad ooen put into operation tha/t afterxoon by the Mayor and Cr. Brooking i'ad no doubt generated sufficient cur--?nt to illumiua'te the town. He had nuc.li pleasure in asking the Mayoress Mrs Cock) to switch the light on. The Mayoress* first turned on the switch, brilliantly lighting up theiV.s--ribfuting station, and thto in rotaLion the light was switched on in tho radons circuits which. eoii:trol the listribution. The streets were at «n«|e brilliancy illuminated, the final

'act showing. the successful completion lof the scheme being signalised by hearty cheering from the assemblage. . In=. honour, of., the., evmt, W&. "MLayoxr, ess^was--H^--reGipient~-fro!m- the Brush CoJ of a unicjue gold v mounted switch, designed in the form of -aW ornament, and bejarin^f the inscription I:—"Presentedl :—"Presented to" the (Mayoress of New Plymouth on the occasion of the in auguration of the electric lighting oof. f the town, January, 1906, by the Brudh Electrical 'Engfmcerfing . Co., Ltd." The Mayor suitaibly acknowledged the gift on behalf of Mrs Cock, t»nd expressed his satisfaction at the manner in which the trial of thtscheme had passed off. Vehicles were in waiting for the ladies, : and the 'guests then proco -d>*.. to. inspect the effect of the lightim in town. On all sides ' there were expressions of approval.; Though the night was* raiher bright for ar, effective display, • there is no doubt the result exceeded , expectations. Devon Street ,'wias, of course, the centre of attraction. In th© central portion, the fine arc lajmps sheme out with a beautiful soft brilliance. The same at thr : principal intersections, but ovidantty a few more arc lamps are inquired when funds peiftnit: The 129 streot ; lamps of 32 candle power each lit up the streets excellently. : The Town Halt'" w»as a blaze oi , light and colour. All through the installation the work of Messrs ■ Smart Bros, has 'been 1 executed in • first-class fashion, the Council Chani > ber fittings being exceptionally good