[D8936AAJ], Letter from Edison Electric Illuminating Co (New York), James B Skehan to Thomas Alva Edison, March 16th, 1889
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/D8936AAJ
→ View document with UniversalViewer
→ View document on Archive.org
→ Re-use this digital object via a IIIF manifest
Title
[D8936AAJ], Letter from Edison Electric Illuminating Co (New York), James B Skehan to Thomas Alva Edison, March 16th, 1889
Editor's Notes
The Edison Electric Illuminating Co. of New York, New York, March 16th, 1889####Thos A Edison, Esq., Orange N.J####Dear Sir,####The enclosed letter of Mr. Trask, should have accompanied the copy of his Attn to Mr. Beggs sent you yesterday, by oversight it was omitted,####Yours truly, J.B Skehan####[Enclosure: New York, March 15, 1889####Thos A. Edison Esq., Dear Sir####Mr. Beggs informs me he has arranged to meet you tomorrow to discuss certain questions relative to our Co in New York.####I have written him a letter, a copy of which I enclose, [concerning?] certain points on which his Board desires information.####I find you the questions to you may have an opportunity of giving them thought in advance of the Conference.####We want to determine on our action at once, but you can readily appreciate that not only for our own sake but for the general interests of the entire Edison system, we want to be pretty certain before or privately decide upon a course of action.####I trust you will be able to determine favorably upon plan.####Yours truly, Spencer Trask, President####[Enclosure]:####New York, March 15th 1889####Mr. John I Beggs, Gen'l Man'g & v. President, Dear Sir:--####In the proposed conference tomorrow with Mr. edison and Mr. Krusei regarding a contemplated new station in the 1st. District and the practicability of successfully and economically connecting the present two wire system, with the new standard three wire system. I desire that the following statement of what we want to accomplish should be presented and that, as far as possible explicit answers should be obtained for presentation to the Board with this letter next Tuesday, 19th inst.####1st. We want to extend the present limits of the First District so as to include from the Battery as much as possible of the City below Canal street.####Can we sucessfully cover this area from one Station? If not, how much of it?####2nd. What would probably be thes best location for suh a station, no regard being paid to our present underground system?####How would a location near Astor House suit?####3rd. In case we build such a station, in order that it may ultimately be properly situated for the entire new enlarged District, its location at first would be necessarily be outside of the present underground system,####The plan would then be to extend with the 3 wire tubes from the new station to points divergent from, but which afterwards would balance our present system, [see note] and then from time to time connect the new system with our present two wire system, till finely we could dispense altogether with out Pearl St. station and then the entire District be supplied from the one New Station. Is such a plan practicable?####4th. Can we thus economically connect the three wire system with a two wire System?####5th. What main features would be inoled in the change?####6th. If the Connection of the systems can be arranged for, will it be necessary to rewire buildings now wired, so that they can receive the current from the 3 wire system?####This is a very important consideration, since we cannot ask or expect our present customers to rewire for our benefit, nor be put to inconvenience even should we want to rewire at our expense.####6th. Can we economically utilize cables for portions of the length of feeders?####7th. Can we aarrange, in such a new combined System to dispense with feeder equalizers?####By [deciding?] answers to the above seven questions, our Board will then be in a better position to determine their future action./ The necessity of haste in such a determination is apparent.####Yours truly, signed, Spencer Trask, President####Note to 3rd Point,####Suppose a new station was built outside of present district, say in the neighborhood of the astor House. We would then supply all the customers north and west of that point until we had a fair paying load. IN mean time, the Pearl St Station would be supplying, as now, our present customers and none of the power of the new station would at first be wasted in supplying what can be supplied from old station.####[name mentions: Edison Electric Illuminating Co., J.B Skehan, Spencer Trask, John Beggs, Thos Edison]
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1889-03-16
Type
Subject
Folder/Volume ID
D8936-F
Microfilm ID
126:313
Document ID
D8936AAJ
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University