[D8937AAA], Report from William Dennis Marks to Edison Electric Light Co of Philadelphia, January 1st, 1889

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Title

[D8937AAA], Report from William Dennis Marks to Edison Electric Light Co of Philadelphia, January 1st, 1889

Editor's Notes

Philadelphia, Jan. 1st. 1889####To the President, and the Board of Direectors, of the Edison Electric Light co. of Phila.####Gentlemen:--####In accordance with your Resolution:-- *RESOLVED that The Treasurer in conjunction with the supervising Engineer be requested to furnish the members of the Board with a Statement of the amounts due, or to become due on the outstanding contracts of this Company*, passed Dec. 18-1888, we beg to report as follows: Assuming that you desire to learn all the amounts yet to be paid, whether due on contracts made, yet to be made, or for labor, incidentals, salaries of Engineering Departments, etc., etc.####The amounts expended for Charter, permission to get into the Streets of Philadelphia, payments to Edison Company of N.Y Salaries of President, Counsel, sec'y, etc., as being outside of the proinces of your Engineer did not appear in his original estimate and do not in this final estimate of the cost of the works ready to start with 16,000 lights capacity.####Estimated cost for 8000 lights at start, $523,000.####Added to increase to 16,000 lights at start, 13,600./$536,600.####There remains yet to be met the payments upon machinery to increase our capacity to 24,00 lights during the coming summer, but these liabilities will not arise until we have been running for some time, and your Engineer has therefore not taken them into consideration at present.####The building as originally designed contemplated the construction of a coal storage room for 1000 tons and general Office aboe. In order to keep within the first estimate of cost these two stories were omitted for the present and a temporary roof put over the boiler floor. This completes all the building necessary for machinery, but temporarily compels us to store coal in Wm. Bryant's yard and to hire offices. The Memo of payments to be made has been arranged so as to show the earliest date at which payments can be called for, and does not cover payments outside of the engineering work.####The Final Estimate will cover the cost of Works running with 16,00 lights capacity. If the Mortgage $25,000. is counted in it exceeds estimated cost, $536,600. by $14,000 or leaving the unpaid mortgage out $11,000 less will be spent than was called for by the estimate given.####[Next two pages: Chart of PAYMENTS TO BE MADE and FINAL ESTIMATE 16000 LIGHT STATION, Edison Electric Light Company of Philadelphia]####Your Engineer desires to again call your attention to the fact that the right to extend under the Charter of the Penn Electric Light Co. expires Feb 26, 1889 and to request your thoughtful consideration of means for further extension as required, should the Penn Electric Light Co. fail to get a prolongation of time.####We have at present underground sufficient copper, to carry nearly 50,00--16 Candle Lamps. We shall have an ultimate capacity in our station of 100 to 120 thousand Lamps and will probably desire to increase our machinery to that amount. The field is at present unoccupied and the demand for Electric Light will prove practically unlimited at the same price as poor gas. While it is wise not to depart from precedent in other cities and we have therefore fixed the price of lights at 1 1/8 cents per lamp hour, we may after six months or a years experience deem it wieset to meet the present price of gas $1.50 per M squarely and charge 3/4 cent per lamp hour and load our station to its fullest capacity with great profit to the Company.####This can be presented for the consideration of the Directors after the actual cost of producing light in this Station has been practically reached.####WE have on hand some $10,000. worth of Electrical feeders and mains which we have been preented from using because of our inability to get into Chestnut Street from 9 to to 3rd. We have made temporary arrangements to feed the Chestnut street District as far as 5th from 9th be means of Callender cables drawn into the Penn Conduits costing some $5,000. or over.####For services $5,000 smnall tubing has been reservved and is now in stock.####Your Engineer vvisited the Edison Machine Works, Schenedctady, Dec. 28 and 29 and tested two Dynamos of 1000 Amp and found them well made and efficient giving 93% of the electricity generated in the outside circuit. They will be shipped to-day, The Omnibus Wiring is promised Jan. 15th. At Bergmann & Co. the ampere meters are nearly completed and shipments will begin this week. I am,#####ery Respectfully and Truly Yours, Wm D Marks, Supervising Engineer, and General Manager.####[name mentions: Wm D Marks, Bergmann & Co., Edison Machine Works, Edison Electric Light Co of Philadelphia]

Date

1889-01-01

Type

Folder/Volume ID

D8937-F

Microfilm ID

126:341

Document ID

D8937AAA

Publisher

Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
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