Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-13

batteries for central station work. and station
superintendent give extraordinary reports OF
their value. The batteries were primarily in
tended TO help out the station ut the time
that the greatest amount OF current was
needed. Steam plants were formerly used for
THIS maximum load service, but ID Is now
foUnd that batteries OF the same capacity
come much cheaper. The reason for this is
that they are ready for use at all times. aud
as they can be switched on during the one or
two hours OF the maximum load, they do
away with the necessity OF running the
steam plant too hard at any time. On Sun
days when tho output Is small, they come In
most handily, as they carry the entire load,
thus saving much labor. Another advantage
is the saving In wear and tear Of the
engines and dynamus by the evening up Of
the lead. This Is a point of great Importance.
AS the battery current is always available, It
Is never necessary TO force the machines.
which can run easily all the time at never
more than three-fourths Of their capacity.
This gives a saving which much more than
counterbalances the cost OF the battery cur
rent. At one large station the records show
conolusively that Notwithstanding the fact
that tho batteries have only 75 per cent CT
iciency, the actual cost of the coal used Is
less than 1t would have been II the batteries
had not been installed. The company has
therefore been rcaping all the advantages OF
the service and providing effectively for all
the exigencies OF the maximum load for
much less than a steam plant would have
cost tnern. More than once when the station
has been shut down for fifteen hours or more
the batteries have satisfactorily furnished
current for the whole extensive system. The
makers Of the batteries evidently have the
utmost confidence In their quality and eff
cheney. They undertake to insure and keep
in repair the whole plant at 4 per cent per
annun Of the original cost.
ELECTRIC POWER IN STEEL WORKS.
A notable utilization Of electric power Is
about to be made at Duquesne. Pa, where
six blast furnaces will be erected for OPP
GRAFTON in conjunction with the extensive
steel works located there. The furnaces
will be the largest ever built, and the
plant Will be so equipped that most of the
work will be done automatically by cleo
trio or steam power. AS showing how en-
tirely old methods are being superseded,
there will not be a single belt in the whole
power station, as the generators will be
connected directly to the steam engines,
and the arc machines will he similarly con-
nected to the electric motors that will
drive them The electric peer station is
to generate about 3, 000-horse power for light
and power. Among the many applications
of electricity that will be seen in this es-
sentially modern installation are thirty
very powerful electric cranes, three or
more electric travelling bridges over $50
feet span, the largest ever built for unload
ing ore, about fifteen electric motor cars,
half a dozen electric conveyors. and q large
number of stationary motors for driving
miscellaneous apparatus. In the Home
stead steel works electric motors are al
ready running up to an aggregate of 1000
horse power, and in the Bessemer works to
about 2,00O-horse power.