Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-04-23
ELECTRIC LIGHTS TURNED on.
A Great Throng on the Streets Last Night
to See the New Collins" Sc t off.


The electric light plant was set in mo-
ton yesterday afternoon, ard when the
lamps were turned on at O'Clock last
night the streets were thronged with peo-
pie, all anxious to see and examine into
the workings of the new enterprise.
There were 800 lamps in operation, in
Guiding about thirty street lamps. The
principal mercantile houses started in
with from twelve to thirty lights each,
and these establishments were in flood
Of light all night. The street lamps, too,
worked admirably. During the evening
at least thousand people visited the
power house and there took note Of the
magnificent plant that supplies the
power for this latest improvement.
At least 100 more lights would have been
burning last night had the fixtures ar
rived in time; these have already been
wired" and the necessary fixtures will be
here in few days. Within week the
plant will be operated to its fullest capaci-
ty, which is $50 lights. These have all
been contracted for. The success OF this
enterprise has been surprise to all, and
as result, all the lights being subscribed
for so early, the company has deter
mined to begin at once and treble the
capacity of the works. The necessary
machinery for this purpose, which in
cludes an additional 100-horse power
boiler and two new dynamos, has already
been ordered by the company, and,
should the city incorporation movement
carry with satisfactory majority, this
order will be still further increased SO as
to supply the power necessary to operate
a frst-class electric street railway sys
| tenn.
For the splendid success which at
tended the starting of this plant, no little
credit is due to Mr.. VIM. Holloway, the
general electrician OF the Edison company
of Denver, while to G. F. A. Fischer, the
originator of the enterprise, all honor il
due for the pluck and energy with which
he has crowded the work from its verl
inception.
The feature of this system, the Edison
| 10 lt5 dUDOluVO ouiOtyt VI Pnl ILL
portance both to the company and TIT
public, since it induces many to become
patrons of this modern system of lighting
who, with the other and dangerous sys
tens, would hesitate to adopt it.
A brief description of an Edison in
candescent light plant may be of interest
AT the central station are steam en-
gines, driving the dynamos or generators
which produce the electric current. Thi
current is led from the dynamos to tn
switchboard, on which are placed regu
lators to maintain constant potentia
or pressure" Volunteers to measur
this "pressure," ampire-meters, to shoy
the exact current flowing at any tim
land consequently the number of lamp
burning; ground detectors, to Civ
warning of any leakage of current to tn
ground, which might be caused by fault,
insulation switches, to throw the curren
from one line to another, or to cut OF
all the lines, and lightning arresters, tt
side-track any stray flash that may strik,
the line and endanger dynamos or lamps
all are provided. From the switch board
wires called "feeders" and "mains" ar,
strung through the district to be lighted
and from these mains, service wires ar,
run into the buildings to supply tn,
lamps. Each lamp has key by which
it can be Independently turned on or off
and the amount of current flowing in tn,
mains is exactly proportional to tn
number of lamps in use, Will
the power required to driv
the dynamos varies accordingly
AS the current in housewives and main
of an Edison system is of the same low
tension or pressure, and as the danger o
shock depends on the pressure and no
on the amount of current flowing in th,
wires, person may with perfect safet,
handle the wires at any point from tn,
lamps to the dynamos, or grasp the MAIN
leading from dynamo supplying thous
and lamps. The incandescent lamp con
sists of small glass ball from which tn,
air has been exhausted, and which con
tains fine carbon filameEt raised to in
candescence by the electric current.
The light is brilliant, but soft and per
fectly steady, and has the additional ad
vantage over oil or gas of giving off littl'
heat and no smoke or injurious gases.
For convenience, comfort, healthful
ness and safety, it is without question the
most satisfactory light yet invented.