Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-07-16
tistical bric-a-brac should have been
stopped years ago.
THE HARNESSING OF NIAGARA.

stopped years ago.
THE HARNESSING OF NIAGARA.
The current Casters Magazine ap-
pears as a Niagara Power number with
the complete story of the immense en-
terprise undertaken by the Niagara
Falls Power Company through which
the world of engineering industry and
of steam electric power may be revolu-
tionized and transformed in the next
century.
The Company's power house, with Its
herculean equipment. stands ready to-
day to deliver 15OOO-horse power in
electrical energy, with an ultimate ca
pacity Of 5O,0OO-horse power. The
current is one Of 3, 1000 alterations min
ute and a force Of about 1000 volts.
Nearly 5.OOO-horse power has already
been contracted for by the Pittsbmg
Reduction Company and the Carborun-
dunn Company, also of Pittsburg, which
have established new plants within the
square mile of industrial territory
mapped out by the Electric Power Com
pany in a circuit around its works and
by the electric road at Niagara Falls.
The two Pittsburg firms manufacture
aluminium and emery respectively. 1t
is a fitting coincidence that two such
novel enterprises should be the first
to avail themselves of this up-to-date
project. The Carborundum plant,
furthermore. is said to be unique, both
on account of the way in which the
electric power is utilized and also on
account Of the size Of the static trans
former and regulator which are the
largest pieces of apparatus of the kind
ever built.
The utilization of power within the
ten-milec ircuitwhich just includes Ton
AMANDA, does not present any novel
engineering problems, however, and the
circuit is itself denominated as the re-
gion Of nearby distributes" The
transmission Of the power generated at
the Fall to Buffalo however, and to
cities beyond opens up a vast field for
speculation. experiment and invention.
Buffalo is 10 miles away by wire. For
the transmission of the first 10000
horse power to that city it has been
practically decided to use 10000 volts
at the delivery end. with arrangements
for an increase, if desired, of 10000
volts. For points beyond it will be nee
essary to raise this delivery pressure
still higher. For a distance of 200
miles the maximum Lauffen-Frankfort
pressure Of 10000 volts must be
eQualed. A pressure and line of trans
mission for 800 miles would carry cleo
trio force from Niagara Falls TO Phil
adelphia and light all the streets with
the transformed laundering energy Of
the far-of cataracts.
Buffalo now uses 30,OOO-horse power
Of electric forcs. Both the Westing-
house Company and the General Elec-
trio Company of Schenectady, n. Y,
have submitted competitive plans for
the transmission Of electric power to
that important city on Lake Erie. How
much farther such power may be trans
mitted at a commercial profit remains
to be seen. Messrs. Houston & Ken
nelly. well known electrical engineers,
independently reached the conclusion
that even so far away as Albany "a dis1
lance OF $50 niles electrical power
with a steady load Of "A hours per day,
can be delivered at s2214 per kilowatt
which is cheaper than it can be pro-
duced by triple-expansion steam en-
giues, though the cost would be pro-
portionately greater for 1O-hour power.
Engineer Greene remarks concerning
this estimate:
While time alone can prove the truth OF
these conclusions. che writer is of the
opinion that with the present cost and
efficiency OF steam generators, they are
substantially correct IT, on the oJner
hand. method Dee discovered for trans
forming the heat energy OF coal into cleo
tricity direct. az am efficiency comparable
with that of modern electrical apparatus,
the area OF influence of Niagara electric
power viii. undoubtedly, De contracted.