The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-14
POWER At SACRAMEN TO.
All Doubt of the Success of the
Electric Enterprise
at Rest.
The Vast Machinery Kept Steadily
at Work for More Than
Two Hours.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, July 13.-All day
the great building of the electric company
has echoed with the hum and rattle of ma
chinery driven with inconceivable rapidity
by the resistless and magical power that
generated at Folsom, has travelled with the
ripidity of thought over the long lines of
copper that stretch their way through the
fertile fields of the broad Sacramento Val
ley. All day have skilled artisans in the
employ of the company carefully watched
every movement of that machinery, tight
ened bolt here and relaxed another in
some other portion, until the whole ran
with nicely and precision.
At half past o'clock this morning word
was received from the electric power-house
| at Folsom that the new quadrant had been
| fitted to the governor and all was in
readiness to start the huge turbine wheels
into life and motion, and orders were i'm
mediately given to go ahead.
| The power arrived almost instantly and
heralded It's advent by smashing two in
candescent lights. These were soon re-
placed, and in an instant the entire row
shone with great brilliancy.
Chief Engineer Blackwell of the General
Electric Company walked to the switch
| board, while Resident Engineer Lighthipe
stationed himself by the side of the
massive motor.
care You ready?" demanded the chief
engineer, as he laid his hands upon the
brass handles of the switch?
| LET her come" was the reply.
| There was quick movement of the
hands, and instantly the building was
| filled with a vast buzzing sound, as
| ! - l.
been overturned at once, but the motor
failed to start.
stop her." cried Lighthipe, and the
noise ceased.
AS the handles on the switchboard were
| thrown up several men grasped the
fange of the shaft of the huge motor and
again the current was thrown on.
| AS the buzzing sound rang out the men
exerted their strength to aid the current,
the motor groaned slightly, then slowly
| started, and the next moment was spin
| ming around with inconceivable rapidity.
"She's off she's off," rang from
| mouth to mouth of the excited crowd of
| spectators grouped around the machine,
and the Duzzing noise of the machinery
| changed to roar and rattle that sounded
| far on the chill night air.
| There came sharp, loud explosion that
caused all the uninitiated to Jump, and the
next instant the room was filled with bril-
| liant lightning flashes that lit the entire
| structure with its lurid CLEANS. The ex-
| plosion was closely followed by another,
and the brilliant flashes of light almost
caused stampede of spectators for the
outer air. But the engineers who have
made life study of the antics of the cleo
trio fluid simply smiled, cut off the cur
rent and informed the startled crowd that
two safety fuses had blown out within a
| few brief moments. They were replaced,
| and again the rattle of machinery rang
out.
| Shortly afterward the connecting clutch
was thrown into gear and the entire line
of shafting began rapidly to revolve. Faster
and faster it spun, while on all sides could
be heard expressions of delight. Superin-
tendent Shock warmly grasped the hand
OF Foreman Francis, Workmen fairly en-
braced their fellows with as much warmth
as an eager youth salutes the idol of his
dreams, while one excited individual loudly
shouted: "See old Betsy! Hear her hunt
Amt she daisy?" referring to the motor.
Then one of the workmen ran to where
superintendent Shock was standing, put
an excited query, received an affirmative
answer, and, followed by a number of
others, rushed from the building, to return
after brief absence bearing in their arms,
with infinite care, the recllning-chair con-
tanning their injured comrade, who had
had his leg crushed by the rolling of a
shaft TIE preceding week. He had waited
fully attired in his nearby home for the
glad tidings that meant to Sacramento
that new era had dawned; that
the old city by the rushing river
leading to the ocean and the foreign marts
of commerce would be merged and lost in
the great manufacturing center of the flu
ture. The invalid's face fairly shone with
happiness as he watched the rapidly NOV
ing machinery and his pains and weari-
ness were forgotten.
For over two hours the machinery was
allowed to pursue its rapid course, and the
glad news was announced TO the slumber-
ing city by the loud roar of cannon. Re-
port followed report until 100 guns had
echoed through its length and startled
sleepers realized the success of the stu
pendous enterprise.