Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-07-16


Building it is not the purpose here 10
speak, for, while almost countless ana
very interesting, they do not begin 10
reveal the tremendous power OF
this new force In nature as does
the wonderful plant which Eliminates
the grounds nightly. On Fourth OF
July night thousands stood In the grand
basin and watched the beautiful ribbons
OF light which decorated the white pal
aces. How little they thought OF the
tremendous energy required to produce
that effect. The electrical plant which
produces these nightly illuminatlons,
which supplies light to the Interior OF
the buildings, which Eliminates the
grounds from the nothern to the south
ern limit, which turns Midway plaisance
into an oriental dream Of light is the
largest electrical plante ever brought into
being.
TREMENDOUS FORCE.
II is no wonder that the fire authori-
ties and the insurance companies stood
aChast when this stupendouS and
highly dangerous enemy TO their In
terest was being placed In position.
That there have been no more disasters
resulting from the application Of this
dangerous force is proof that the sclen-
tifc minds who have mastered 1t In all
its details Observation-Disclosures their
business. The electrical plant at the
Worlds Fair may be divided into
three sections, controlled by as
many different companies. One COM
pany has the illumination Of the
grounds and buildings, including
Midway plaisance; another company
supplies light for the Electricity Build
ing and also the power for the electric
launches, and the third company illu-
inmates the great Terminal railroad
station. 1t is in the Illuminating plant
that the people have the most interest,
for that Is constantly before them. This
plant is wholly located and operated in
Machinery Hall. When every light IS
on and every feature OF the nightly illu-
mination is working at its best there
are employed twelve $4,000 light
power dynamos, driven by ten 1000
horse power compound condens-
ing engines, conformity with the
great Allis engine, which, In add
ton to It's other duties, drives two Of
them. That is TO say, it takes 1000
horse power to drive each $4,000 light
dynamo. All these machines are in a
group, and they form one OF the grand
est exhibits in Machinery Hall. To run
this machinery there are employed
thirty-six steam engines, twenty dynamo
engineers, ten oilers, and fourteen men
on the switch board, which is the dis
tributing point of all this tremendous
force.
The great electrical current genera
ted by these dynamos Is transmitted
over huge copper wires, which are In
cased in leaden tubes through the lower
floor OF the ,two-story switch building,
whence it is distributed to each division
Of the park, as it may be required.
Each dynamo has in the switchboard
building a panel and set OF instru-
ments, with which to measure the
quantity and the pressure OF the cur
rent. On the upper gallery are panels
to which are attached the outside dis
tributing currents. The construction
of the switchboard Is such that any
machine may be operated at any one
time, and any number Of circuits or
distributing lines may be placed on it,
the only limit being the power OF the
machine TO generate.
The distribution OF this tremendous
electrical current and its effects may
Justly be regarded as one of the won
ders OF the great exposition. In those
beautiful ribbons OF fire, which consti-
tute the Examinations Of the buildings
in the grand basin and which all be-
holders so greatly admire, comprise
IL, 900 lamps, each one OF sixteen can
die power. Many people would think
that there are more than this, but when
one comes TO reflect $4,000 lights are a
good many. But In addition 10 these 49,
900 Illuminating or ribbon lights there
are 10000 similar lights cleaning in
various portions of the grounds. One
building alone, the Art Palace, has H.
600 lights, and there are many exhibit
ors who in their pavlions require from
200 to 800 lights. There are, all told,
when everything is on at full blast,
SIS, 600 incandescent lights being sup
piled by these tremendous engines. To
carry and distribute this tremendous
force requires the heaviest and best in
Sulated wire that can be manufactured
and the most expert electricians that
can be found for the work. There has
been a good deal Of complaint at the de-
lay in completing the distributing
forces, but 1t is difficult TO believe that
this was the fault of anybody. SO great
an electrical plant had never before
been conceived, and it is but natural
that there should have been bitches and
distractions impossible to avoid
In addition to the $4,000 incandesceut
lamps there are distributed about the
grounds of Jackson Park 500 arc lights,
all supplied by the same dynamos. In
addition 10 the electrical Illuminating
display there is the power which runs
the instramurAl trains and, again, the
power which runs the electric launches,
the same electrical force is supposed 10
run the movable sidewalk on the pier,
but as that institution is scarcely
ever in working order it does not cut
much Of figure in consumption. The
electrical launches are charged every
morning from big dynamo In the
northern end Of Machinery Hall. Each
charge is good for q twelve-hour run,
say, seyenty-five miles OF distance.
The little boats come in, attach cop
per wire to the dynamo and proceed to
ill themselves up, very much like a
thirsty man might tap beer ksg with
3 siphon.
NOVELTIES WHILE YOU WAIT.
Electricians at the fair are constantly
devlsing something new in the way Of
electrical exhibits. Some OF the experi-