The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-13
AII-Night Watchers Rewarded
for Their Patient
Vigil.
BREAKING OF A QUADRANT.
1t Prevents the Starting or the
Vast Machinery In the
PoWer-HOuse.

streets would have the power applied to
them and give even one revolution. Those
wheels meant so much to that waiting
group OF men, composed as 1t was OF all
GRADES. from the humble laborer to the
wealthy capitalist.
To the laborer and artisan it meant lu-
crative employment; to the merchant IN
creased patronage; to the capitalist return
for the immense capital invested in work
whose beginning dated back nearly ten
wears. To him it meant the realization of
the object, to the perfection of which he
had bent every faculty at his command,
enlisted the best talent available and de-
voted ali immense amount OF valuable
time; to residents it meant city of the
future, a manufacturing city that would
spread and increase in all directions, in
Producing new industries and correspond
ing increase in the valuation of property.
There were other watchers in the city.
Out on the green, near Suffers Fort, was
bivouacked a detail from the artillery COM
pany awaiting the signal to herald to the
sleeping city the glad news that meant so
much to all, with the cannon roar. And
in the carhouse near by watched a body of
men whose daily salary depends upon that
power and who were more than anxious to
send their cars speeding over the various
street lines.
Within the power-house the scene was
picturesque and well worthy the brush of
an artist, partially illuminated by huge
locomotive headlights that cast broad
streams OF light across the floor, only serv-
ing to make the gloomy corners more
obscure. The huge machinery loomed up
in ungainly forms like some misshapen
slumbering giant, only waiting a call to
activity. Scattered in all directions about
the immense structure, in almost every
conceivable position, were doing bodies
of men, waiting for the first ring of the
telephone bell that would indicate that
operations at the further end OF the line,
twenty-five miles distant, were complete,
and that the moment had arrived when
the slumbering giant would arouse and
bend his strength 20 move the wheels of
manufacture. There was one watcher in
that building who displayed as much in
terest in the proceedings as any one pres
ent.
Over a week ago one of the employees
sustained serious injuries by the slipping
of one of the massive pieces of shafting.
that he be conveyed from his home to
see the initial movement Of the wheels;
despite all persuasions he persisted in his
demand, and at last his request was &C.
ceded to. A reclining chair was procured,
and the sufferer, carefully covered to pro-
tect him from the night air which blew
chill from the waters of the neighboring
slough, was carried bodily by strong arms
to the interior of the power-house.
As the hours dragged on more and more
of the watchers, overcome by WEAKNESS,
dropped into slumber, and from distant
corners came those nasal sounds that in
dictate so truly that the cares CT life are
forgotten.
At last the welcome sound of the tele-
phone bell rang out, and in an instant all
was excitement and hustle. Sleeping men
sprang into activity, lanterns were lighted
like magic and cluster of men pushed
and crowded to gain foothold near the
telephone-box. AS Engineer Leghthipe
answered the ring and uttered Hello"
everything became silent.
Hello. Jewert. Are you all ready?'
Eyes, with the exception that we can
only admit three-fourtbs of the volume to
the pipe"
well, that's sufficient. Let her 60
slowly at first, and don't exceed 200 revo-
buttons"
"All right" was the response, and
twenty-five miles away the water-gate was
opened, the huge dynamo began turning
and the fluid which means so much to
Sacramento was turned on to the copper
pathway leading to the waiting men.
Early in the afternoon six incandescent
lights had been arranged on a board and
connected with the distributing wires to
indicate the first arrival of the power be-
fore its voltage became sufficiently strong
to move the lever Of the indicator. Before
this board was gathered group of men,
while another group surrounded the volt
age Indicator on the distributing switch
board.
But before the first faint glimmer of
light arrived to herald the approach of
the mighty agent there was a demand of
"Way therel' and, borne by six strong
men, the reclining chair of the invalid was
carried through the group of expectant
spectators and deposited before the row of
incandescent lights.
The next moment a glimmer of light
tinged the fiber in the glass globe, and the
cry rang out, Here she is" Gradually it
grew brighter and brighter. One of the
fibers in the adjoining globes began gIeam-
ing, until at last, as the entire number ac-
quired brilliancy and lighted the interior
of the immense unfinished structure,
throwing into relief the numerous pulleys,
belts and machinery of the plant, the long
tension of waiting and suspense was
broken.
The success of the enterprise assured
and the result which was awaited with ex-
pectancy in all portions of the civilized
world was proven to be success. Long
distance transmission of electric power
was no longer theory; it was reality.
One more step was taken within the doors
of the electric world whose threshold even
the Wizard Edison, that master of the
magic fluid, admits has been but barely
crossed
For nearly two hours the current was al
lowed to gather strength, while various
switches and inductors were tested, and
then, just as the hand of the engineer was
lifted to the switch that would open the