The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-28
POWER At LONG RANGE.
Experiments in the Transmission
Of an Electric Current One
Hundred Miles.
Fully rs Per Gent of tho Energy
Preserved and Used for
Lighting.
Ii Apparatus Described without tho
Use OF Technical Nomenclature-Ts
Harness Niagara's Power.

The consul general Of the United State.
at Frankfort. Mr.. Frank III. Mason, has
ssnt q report to the state department. at
Washington of the latest experiment at
transmitting a powerful electric current
over q distance of more than 100 miles
upon baked metal conductors of small
diameter, strung above the ground on
poles,'' like ordinary telegraph wires. The
points which it was sought to be determined
were whether this may BE- done with safety,
without excessive loss Of current through
inadequate insulation, and with sufficient
economy to make the plan practicable in a
commercial sense. The most important at
tempt of this kind previously undertaken,
explains Mr.. Mason, was at the Munich OK
hibition in 1882, 'when a continuous cur
rent of 1000 volts was transmitted without
conversion from Miesbach to Munich. a
distance of thirty-seven miles. The motor
used was similar in construction to the gem
Grating dynamo. but as the method of in
sulating was imperfect the loss OF energy in
transmission was over so per cent"
The specific attempt, a description of
which is mads'the basis of this report, was
10 create a current Of 200 to 800 horsepower
by a dynamo driven by w~ater-power at
Lauffen, on the Neckar, 10S miles south of
Frankfort, convert it into q current of
intense pressure by specially devised trans
formers, transmit is to the Frankfort OK
hibition, there r%etransform it to a current
of ordinary pressure, and in that form apply
it to motive and lighting purposes" After
an elaborate series of tests as to safety and
efficiency, the replacing of defective
machinery and the like. 1t Is reported that
frpI1~ ~ MAR nnnt nf fhn nrnrrv Nrnofn0 ~ !
Lauffen is available in Frankfort. 1t ia
added that part OF the current thus secured
10 used to illuminate 1000 arc lights, while
the remainder drives \ rotary pump which
draws water from the Main and forces it
to the top of an artificial hill, whence it
grounds. Thus the falling waters at Lauf-
fen, 1OS miles away, are reproduced at
Frankfort by u current lover three delicate
copper wires" Divssted as far as practi-
cable of technical nomenclature, the ap-
paratus ID described as follows:
At Lauffen q Girard turbine wheel of 300
horse power, under u twelvs-foot head of
water, is coupled directly to a dynamo of
the multiple current or rotation cur
rent" type, manufactured by the Oerlikon
company. The turbine makes at ordinary
the dynamo Ave times that number. This
produces a thres-phase rotation current,
whose three componsnts have, in technical
phrase. IAN elsctro-motivs force of fifty
volts and 1,400 amperss each, giving
an output available for transmission
the generator strong cables lead to
a switchboard provided with the ordinary
measuring instr nj for current and mo-
tive force, and thence into q transformer
specially constructed for this purpose by
tho Oerlikon company. Besides the large
dynamo already mentioned, \ continuous
current machine, made by the Berlin com
pany and operated BY q special turbine,
as an EXETER for the principal gensr-
atsr. In the transformer above noted the
current il converted int n of intensely
high pressure n mail strength. For the
reason that the air is not a competent in
for currents of high intensity, the
transformer is immersed in 4 large, closed
tank filled with oil. The converted cur
rent, having now q motive force of 1900 ]
volts at twelve to thirteen amperes, is
transmitted from Lauffen to Frankfort on
three light, naked copper wires four milli- 4
meters in diameter. strung upon poles TWEEN c
by-ive feet in height and 100 feet apart. They =
are hung upon porcelain insulators of the Z
Johnson d Phillips pattern, each of which q
provided with one or moro trouRhs filled :
With oil. For a current of such high in ;
Eensity ordinary porcelain is a sufficient
nsulator in clean, dry weather, but in {
lamp weather moisture condenses on the {
surface. and this. holding dust and dirt I
comprises the insulation. To overcome !
his difficulty the oil bearing, with t
'roughs inside the insulator cup, was dc. !
used. and operates with entire success. a
The copper wire conductors necessary for .
ne experiment. are $50 miles in length, and
Weigh 1872. 900 pounds. 4.
The result of the experiment is declared Il
mean the future utilization OH u practi- !.
unlimited scale of the water-power (
now throughout the world is
mostly running to waste''-the illumination
cities and towns. and the running of O
always, elevators. and other machinery .
without animal labor or the consumption :
fuel. To borrow tho verdict of an cleo
ilcal engineer who went from England to
tudy this working of this SYSTEM:
In my opinion. the Lauffen-Frankfort
transmission is tie most momentous ex-
,erlnent made in technical electricity since
hat mysterious natural force which we call
has been made servicsabls to
ST
The success attained is said by Mr.. Mason Ct
0 have fulfilled the expectations of cleo il
rlolans In Germany, and "the way is now
pen for Americans to harness the wasted
nergy OF Niagara and q Thousand smaller
ascades and rapids in every part of our II
reat country to the varied purposes of j
ally life." 4
That Returned Manuscript. 4
1t may seem to you the strangest thing in G