Show TH BEST ELEVATOR Comparison of the Cost of Electric and Hydraulic As a constant reader of your valued paper and its contemporary in this city we would of course be inexcusable inexcusa-ble to regard with surprise any expression ex-pression or attitude that your contemporary con-temporary might take upon any question ques-tion pending Possibly however its expression In its issue of the 7th is a little more astonishing than usual At the present time bids and specifications cations have been received and opened by the county selectmen and are now under consideration and it seems very extraordinary that any paper should make such an expression and display such an advertisement of one particu lar competitor a is represented in the above article So forcibly does this impress Itself upon even a disinterested observer that one cannot help inquir ing what was the consideration in this instance There can b no question but that the magnificent city and county build ing deserves the best elevator that can be purchased but there should b some consideration for the conditions existing there and especially 3 practical practi-cal consideration for operating expenses ex-penses I is perfectly evident that the Tribune statements on this matter are solely inspired by some agent or representative repre-sentative of one of the electric elevator bidders From a long familiarity with electric as well as with hydraulic machinery I have no hesitation in stating that all I of the claims advanced by the Tribune in favor of the electric elevator are erroneous with the exception of the first one viz That in which they state that the cost of the electric is somewhat more than the cost of the hydraulic elevator Nothing can be more perfect in the way of mechanism than a well installed in-stalled and well built hydraulic elevator eleva-tor The daily expense for coal does I not amount to anything like 5275 for a good hydraulic elevator as can be verified by the numerous users in this city cityWhat What evidence Is there that the Sprague or any other electric elevator will cost less than 1 per day for fuel Seeing that many of the hydraulic elevators running in this city today have not cost 100 for repairs In four or five years the saving claimed of 150 per annum in favor of an electric machine is evidently baseless or worse than baseless As regards the increased speed comfort com-fort and safety there surely could be nothing more satisfactory in this particular par-ticular than the best hydraulic elevators eleva-tors operating in this city and in all other large cities of the United States They have been the model to the entire world and have been copied a closely as possible by English French and German builders as the American hy draulic machIne has come to be universally uni-versally regarded as the most perfect and especially a the safest possible form of passenger elevator I Assuming that mall other respects an electric elevator would present as i many advantages and secure as good a degree of economy as a first class hydraulic installation it must be borne In mind that in purchasing an electric elevator the county will be dependent upon either the street car companies I or either one f the electric light companies I com-panies for the operation of its elevators eleva-tors and when anyone recalls the Interruptions i in-terruptions to which such outside operations are subjected i seems like a somewhat poor reliance to be depended I de-pended upon Furthermore the current distributed over the circuits of the old a well as the new light company are different currents and an electric machine that could be operated by the current from i I one would not be suitable for operation i by the current from the other The two street car companies are using the same voltage also direct current and the electric motor that could be operated oper-ated by the street car companies would not b suitable for operation by the lighting cIrcuit of either of the electric j I elec-tric companies I I takes no less power to operate an electric elevator than it requires to operate a hydraulic or a steam elevator eleva-tor In fact the transformations of power involved in the electric machine if a person will figure back to the origin of the power viz the coal consumption con-sumption will be found higher in the case of the electric machine by reason of the many conversions and recon versions and losses in circuits For instance the engine power is first converted con-verted into generator of electric power with a loss of 10 per cent The current is then sent over the lines or circuits with a loss of from 5 to 10 per cent sometimes much more Thirdly there is a loss of the conversion con-version of the electric current into mechanical I me-chanical power through the electric motor which will again be 10 per cent To say the very least there are two I sides of this Question and i Is certainly cer-tainly very unbecoming of any paper I to publish such a very partial and In fact erroneous statement in favor of I I one competitor while the matter is still under consideration Even in cities such as Spokane Falls and others where electric other wher power generated gener-ated on the spot by water power is available It Is found even in the city buildings that i is more economical and more satisfactory to operate their I elevators by the hydraulic power created cre-ated on their own buildings than by using the electric current I is positively untrue that in all the costly buildings erected during the past year the electric elevator has been put In for the great majority of them have been of the hydraulic type and undoubtedly this type will be used for a long time to come especially a electric power can be combined with it in a way that is much more satisfactory satis-factory and efficient than in what I known as the direct electric elevator I must also be borne in mind that the leading elevator buildings of the country are just as well prepared adjust ad-just as willing to build electric elevators eleva-tors a hydraulic or any other kind I and the electric has the further attraction at-traction for them that the margin of profit is a great deal bigger with the electric machine than with the hydraulic hy-draulic as the competition in the electric elec-tric system has not yet gotten down to so keen a point as in the case of the j hydraulic or team An electric elevator has some advantages ad-vantages over hydraulic or other kinds but the hydraulic system in this case present decided advantages and any expectation of saving in cost for j fuel and repairs by selecting an electric elec-tric machine will naver be realized I is gratifying to note that at least one of our leading papers has selfj respect enough not to write leading articles in favor of one competitor for a pending public contract and I am I I sure that the attitude of The Herald on this matter will commend itself to all our citizens Yours I ELECTRICAL ENGINEER |