PART FOUR 



I. ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND HEATING PLANTS 



SOUTH PARK COMMISSIONERS 



The South, West and Lincoln Park Boards are now operat- 

 ing about 3100 arc lamps along the boulevards and in the parks. 

 The annual operating charge is about $100,000. The number of 

 lamps equals 25 per cent, of those now in use by the City of Chi- 

 cago and will equal one-seventh when all the new city lights are 

 installed. 



During 1903, 1904 and 1905 ten small parks widely scattered 

 over the South Park system were being improved and buildings 

 of considerable size were being erected. It was apparent that 

 more electric current would be needed for lighting these addi- 

 tional buildings and grounds than could be supplied by the central 

 power plant at Washington Park. Consideration was therefore 

 given as to the advisability of either (1) enlarging the central 

 plant and distributing power from this to the various small parks, 

 (2) equipping each park with an electric lighting unit, or (3) 

 purchasing power for the small parks. 



In May, 1905, upon the recommendation of a committee con- 

 sisting of the president and another member of the Board and 

 the general superintendent, a contract for lighting the small 

 parks was made with the Commonwealth Electric Company. 



The Trustees of the Sanitary District, in a letter to the 

 South Park Board dated February 14, 1906, stated that elec- 

 trical energy would be delivered to the city limits by January 

 1, 1907, and quoted prices per horse power, on a basis of actual 

 cost of production and distribution. Since the plant was to be 

 operated by water power, it was probable that it could produce 

 current at a very low cost. 



Notwithstanding the early prospect of purchasing power 

 from a municipally owned water-power plant at a cost of produc- 

 tion which should be much lower than that for which it could be 



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