The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-02
CULM AND ELECTKICITY.
DR.. Louis Bell, in Casters Magazine.

Dr. Louis Bell, In CasSlerS Magazlne.
The first and most natural question Is
| Can electrical power be distributed cneap-
| ~ over large areas! In the Ilrsl pace, we
| nray note tnat nearly every Iaree cay Is
PROVIDED Witn u network OI eiectrlc rail-
| ways that stretcn lar out into the suu-
urus. Inc horse mas placticaiiy been
| uriven out or the business. These rail-
ways adopted the eiectrlc system not IoI
humane or aesthetic reasons, but because
1t was cheap ana effective. Passing IRON
this special ciass OF WORK, We ind the
kdlSon central stations for the supply Ol
electro light in New YORK city now uper-
ating over Its entire lighting area, electric
motors to the aggregate capacity OF some
tnlng like eight thousand horsepower
an amount that has been steadily lncreas-
ing for years. These motors are empicyed
in Almost every imaginable kind OF SER
vice and place. These stations turnish b
electric power because 1t is profitable, any
the users employ 1t because 1t Is cheap
and by far the best power to be had. In
every large city 1t will be found that elec-
trio power Is being used with growing fire.
quency, in large amounts ana over areas
OF many square miles. Those who sell
electric power, md that 1t pays to do SO,
and those who buy 1t lind it to their in
tereSt.
-:Il:--
But, granting this, is electric power re-
liable? Well, people are not in the habit
OF using unreliable power when there Is
better to be had, and the growth of eec-
trio motor service shows that experience
has answered the question In the affirma-
tive. You frequently hear of people TAX
ing out steam engines and putting In elec-
tric motors, but you seldom find them
throwing those motors out because they
are unreliable, or for any other reason.
Now and then motor may be indisposed
and laid up for few days in the repair
shop, but in general, motors do not go
lame, or cast shoe. or have the blind
staggers, or the epiZootic or anything of
the sort. They are not perfect,-few ma
chimes Of human construction are,-but
they are perfect enough to have assumed
the responsibility of the rapid transit
work in nearly every American city, and
to have acquitted themselves WELL II this
Is not enough evidence that the electric
motor Is trustworthy, we may cite some
of the newspapers that run their presses
by electric power and generally manage to
come out on time; and a couple Of big
cotton mills, one at Columbia, s. c., and
the other at Pelzer. In the same state,
that have no power but electric to drive
their looms and spindles.
-:ll:-
But granted that the distribution of elec-
trical energy from central stations has
proved Its advantages, how about trans
mitting it long distances, so as to supply
large districts not from somn central
point. but from distant so's-ce of power?
OF the mere fact Of transmission and dis
of evidence. For couple of years there
has been power plant supplying electri-
cal energy to the city of Genoa, In Italy,
from point eighteen miles distant. 1t
has done steady and excellent service,
supplying several scores of motors en-
ployed in all sorts Of industries, and this
although the methods are, from our pres
ent standpoint, somewhat crude. For an
equal length Of time power has been regu-
larly supplied for the driving of the cleo
A.,tD nsrIf M tt.a IN fx.Nl
from a water-power eleven miles away;
for working the machine shops of the
Oerlikon company, at Zurich, Switzer-
land; for running the ore mills in Tellu-
ride. Col. and for operating an artificial
ice factory and doing miscellaneous light
ing and power at Rediands, CAL, at dis
ta:1ces only slightly less than the above.
In all these cases the power has proved
to be steady and economical. For periods
of time ranging from two years down to
transmission plants have been working
regularly In different parts of the world,
ranging in magnitude from Niagara down
to fifty horsepower and in distance from
having an extreme length Of about twen-
ty-five miles down TO mile or two. All
these plants have been singularly free
from trouble, and have done their work
well.
-.Il:-
Admitting that distances up to twenty or
twenty-five miles can be successfully over
come, is there reasonable probability
that the transmission of power can be ex-
tended over distances much greater? Yes,
II necessary. We have no plants over
twenty-five miles, but the methods and
apparatus for longer transmission have
already been thoroughly tested, and up to
at least fifty miles we arc sure of our
ground,-perhaps up, to a hundred miles
The transmitting apd receiving machinery
would be quite Identical whether the line
between them were twenty or fifty miles
long, so that, as regards apparatus, the
ground is well trodden. For very long
transmissions, high electrical pressure is
necessary to keep down the cost of the
line. since the amount of copper required
to meet given conditions decreases with
the square Of the voltage. And we have
already experience with the voltage just
ages ample for a fifty-mile transmission
For example, without count ting the famous
Lauffen- Frankfort experimental plant,
with a line 10S miles long, and operated
part OF the time at pressure of nearly
30. 900 volts. there are now In commercial
service four plants, running steadily and
successfully at pressures Of 10000 volts
and more. Chief among them is the Ger
likop installation in Switzerland, work
ing at over l4,0Oo volts; then come Fol-
Mexico at 1000 each; and finally the San
Antonio canon plant, at 10000. The first
and last mentioned have been In operation
nearly three years without having en-.
countered any appreciable difficulty from
the very high pressure. The other two
have been operated some months without
a trace of trouble. From these expert
ences there is the best Of reason to be.
lieve that voltages up to fourteen or flf.
teen thousand are entirely justified by
present practice. While the feasibility Of
covering far greater distances at much
greater voltage is more or less q matter
OF speculation those who know most
about the difficulties to be met fear them
the least. t.
But, after all. does this sort Of thing
pay? This Is the real crucial question,
and the future Of power transmission de-
rends upon the answer. With most Of the
transmissions mentioned. In fact nearly
or quite all of those which have been run.
ming long enough to draw any conclusions,
experience has said "Yes" In unmistak
able tones. So far as has yet appeared,
any lack Of commercial success has been
due to other causes than the cost of elec-
trical transmission. The first thing to be
dono IN studying the problem OF the
Of power from cheap coal at
the mines ID to get At some common basis
Of comparison between carrying the
energy In bulk and sending Il over wire
Knowing that a large centre station can
power economicalls, can II the