The record-union., 1895-07-15
SACRAMBNTO'O new MOTIVE POWER.
Scene at the Sub Station When 1t
Reached Here.
How the Power Is Created, Sent and
Distributed-The sub-Station
and Its Workings.

Saturday morning the RECORD UNION
was able to announce that the Folsom
electric power was a reality in Sacra-
mento. 1t was the first paper to carry
the news to the people, and to do so a
special edition was run. The engineers
gave the signal for the firing of the salute
at All A. NJ, and thirty minutes later
the city edition of the RECoRD-UNION
was on the streets with the news. 1t was
not until after 3 o'clock in the morning
that the machinery was moving so well
that the engineers felt warranted in say
ing that the power was coming with en-
tire satisfaction.
All day Saturday the machinists were
at work lining up shafting, correcting
stiffness in the machinery and attending
to the hundred and one details related to
the inauguration of the new system. In
the morning I. 0. Blackwell, the en-
gineer of the General Electrical Com
pany, with headquarters at Schenectady,
New York, went up to Folsom to exam
inc the power-house and see that all the
machinery was in apple-pie order. He
returned Saturday afternoon well salts
fed aud Immediately prepared to apply
the power to the running OF Street-cars
yesterday, which was done very success
fully Not all the cars were put on yes
terday, and portion of those run were
operated from the old plant, which will
be retained for some weeks, perhaps all
summer, as relay, for the safety OF the
system while the additional machinery
to be put in the power-house and sub
station is being placed.
Ii is here to be remarked that the large
sssembage at the sub-station on IL street
Saturday morning in the low gray hours
were treated to q splendid exhibition of
what master mind and thoroughly edu-
Gated and experienced engineer can do.
Mr. Blackwell is young man of such
modest bearing, youthful appearance and
unpretentious manner, that those who
saw the tall and silent man moving care
lessIy about the works, apparently but
little more Interested than were any of
the more Indifferent spectators, could not
understand that he was the engineer sent
on from New York, arriving here Sun
day week, To inaugurate the great work
and direct the opening.
But when the time came and the teIe-
phone announced all in readiness at Fol-
som, this retiring young man, whom
most people took for very simple one,
suddenly developed as q master ut TO
command.
The way in which he took charge. with
scarcely word spoken, not nerve
tiSnlD1lilS, WuGu Ali lu6 OkAGAo iOAahS0 W
the works were In a fever OF anxiety
they could i'll conceal; the GOODNESS with
Which he handled the force at command,
the strength and vigOr with which he
manipulated the machinery, the skill he
displayed at the most trying moments,
ana the way in which he brought order
out OF seeming doubt and confusion, ex-
cited the admiratioA of all onlookers,
won Tor him commentator on all sides,
and many personal congratulations from
people who were total strangers to him.
ms morning nearly all the street cars
Will be started under the new system. but
few will receive power from the old plant
as a matter OF precaution, until ali the
new machinery is in, only one-third of it
now being in place. The dam creating
the power originally IS absut twenty-four
miles from this city on the AMERICAN
River. A little over mile and half
below the dam is the power house of the
Sacramento Electric Power and LIGHT