Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-30
DOOM OF STEAM POWER.
Electric Motors Crowding Engines on
Every Side.


The success of the experiments made re-
Gently on the Ninth Avenue Elevated Rail
road for running locomotives by electricity
led reporter for the New York Maa aud
Express to make inquiries yesterday of the
electric company making the experiments
as to how far electricity has superseded
steam, and the outlook for the immediate
future on the subject. Said the manager
of the company:
Several companies have lately been or
ganized, all of which have turned their at
tention to the practical substitution of
electricity for steam in various ways 1t
is found that whenever steam is used to
obtain twenty-five horse power or less, cleo
tricity is more economical. The advan-
tages are A smaller space occupied, much
less noise and no heat, and the fact that
the power can be turned on orstopped at
will There is no boiler required and no
fire, as the power is supplied to the motor
by wires from a central station, on the
same principle that gas or steam heat is
supplied.
Where are these companies located"
There is one in Massachusetts, which
has already in operation power-plant
running 50-horse-power generator 1t is
| distributing power to seventeen different
customers, among which are those using
printing presses sewing machines lathes,
etc. This company has just ordered sec
ond generator and their distribution will
be largely extended, the demand for cleo
trie power in the neighborhood being very
great. In this city there is sub-company
which has plant of from 80 to 60-horse
power, which will be started in few days.
II will supply from to 3-horse power up
to 90 The demand for this is already
greater than expected and there has been
f1a IL.
wires underground. In Spruce street there
is an electric plant which has for some
time been successfully running two freight
elevators, each lifting about a ton. There
| are also motors in place to run two large
| printing presses in Beekman street, which
are expected to be started within week
They are of is and 20-hSrse power 1t is
proposed to rapidly extend the distribution
! of this power, it being estimated that at
least 5000-horse power will be required be-
low Canal street"
How far can this electric power be sent
from central point?"
Over an area of two and two and half
miles without practical loss of over So to
40 per cent. In other words, there can De
| recovered 90 per cent. at the point of deliv-
cry of the initial power, and there is, of
| course no shafting or betting of any de-
scription. Why, you can't carry steam
power 900 feet without friction so great as
TO be improbable"
How about repairs and expenses"
Repairs on the motors amount to little
| or nothing. At our works we have been
| running carpenter shop by an electric
motor of five horsepower for three years
1t has run a saw that has cut thousands of
feet of heavy timber, and it has not been
! taken out for repairs but once, and this was
something very slight, not costing So and
! not taking up one hours time. As to eX-
pense, a man is not required to be in con-
slant attendance, for all that is to be done
is to keep the motor clean and turn on or
of the power as it is wanted. As to the
| original expense of the motor, it is not
more than that of an engine, besides the
saving of fuel, etc., makes the running 80
per cent. less. There is an electric motor
| running the elevator of the Garner cotton
mills at Newburg, which never yet has had
| to be repaired, and which hoists up all the
bales of cotton used
Where else are they in use?''
Besides those used to run the electric
street railway in Baltimore, which has
already been described in the lIda and Er-
press there is one in Nova Scotia used in a
gold mine where the motor is mile from
the mine. The power is applied the same
as steam for lifting cages, running the
pump, etc. W nave Just received an order
| for q 50-horse power plant from Colorado
also to be used in mining-a large silver
mine. Here the power will be transmitted
three miles, and will save the cost of the
plant IN fuel alone in one year"
What is the greatest weight you have
known electric power to lift?"
q One half tons, 40 feet a minute The
greatest weight hauled on track is 60 tons,
which was done on the Ninth-avenue Ele-
waited road, on grade OF 80 feet to the mile.
This is the greatest weight ever hauled by
electricity in the world. Under this system
the motors are run in multiple, each re-
ceiving its quota of power independent of
the other, the dynamo responding only in
operation at any one moment, and the de-
mand made upon it being thoroughly auto
matte, not even requiring a regulator. A
special feature is that resistance coils are
not used, as they consume power uselessly.
There is no possibility of explosions, the
tension of current being in all cases abso-
lutely harmless. A wire one-half inch
thick is capable of carrying 300-horse power
from two and half to three miles, New
York Mail and Express.