The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-11-16
POWER OF NIAGARA
Electric Energy Distributed From the
Falls to Buffalo.
IA DISTANCE OF 81 MILES
Was Turned and the Current
Completed is Mammoth
Undertaking
A DISTANCE OF 81 MILES

Buffalo. Nov. 15.-At midnight to-
night the turning of the switch in the
big power house at Niagara Falls COM
pleted a circuit which caused Niagara
river TO flow uphill. so to speak. by re-
turning fraction of its resistleSs en-
ergy, which had already swept past
the gates of Buffalo. back into that
city q miles distant. The harness
was buckled that bitches the factory
wheels of Buffalo to the greatest cata-
ract on earth. Monday morning the
street cars of this city will move by
falls power. Hereafter the falls must
work enough to earn their own living.
The buckling of the harness could
have been done as well IL hours ear
lier, but owing to the fact that the
father of William Brankin of New
York. secretary of the Niagara Falls
Power company, Is a clergyman, and
In Difference to his wishes. the Niagara
falls power was not turned into the
transmitting system at noon to-day as
had been expected. The connections
were made at midnight tonight. The
force OF experts having the work in
charge were busy all of last night and
until late this evening testing the va
rious connections and going over the
machinery to make sure everything
was In proper shape. When every
thing was in readiness for the switch
10 be thrown over. the electricians
were confident that there need be no
cessation of the current set flowing
over the wires Of the Buffalo Street
railways system.
The distance covered by the line be-
tween Buffalo and the falls is q miles
and the expert electricians who have
the work in charge estimate that the
loss of energy will be less than 10 per
cent. and may not exceed s. Careful
tests are to be made in this connec-
tion, the tests covering both night and
day and clear as we'll as rainy weather
The electricians are paying particular
attention to this test, as on the per-
feet insulation CT the carrying line de-
pends much OF the future success of
the undertaking.
The overhead line that has been built
to carr the current extends from the
power house at the falls to the city
limits of Buffalo. where the wires en-
ter cement conduits. on the overhead
line glass insulators are found une-
quail to the strain and porcelain insula-
tors were made especially to hold the
wires The insulators were subjected
TO a current of 10000 volts before being
put In use. There are at present on
the poles eight cables each carrying
capacity being 5000 horsepower or
40 900 horsepower in all The poles are
Of such substantial character that
this number OF cables can be doubled
without subjecting them to a greater
strain than is considered safe.
The only contract made so far for
the delivery of power by the Power
company is that with the Buffalo
Street Railway company for the 1000
horsepower. Under the contract with
the city the completion of the under
taking Of delivering power in Buffalo
was not obligatory before next June
II was in order to secure the contract
with the street railroad company that
the work was hurried through so far
ahead of time. Contracts with Others
desiring to use the electrical power
will now be made, and II is thought
that by the opening Of spring the
power will be well distributed through
out the city.
Since the inception Of the undertak-
ing and during its carrying out the
company has frequently called upon
Messrs. Edison and Tesla for advice.
| and these famous masters of electric
| city have been frequently visitors Ia
| the Niagara falls power house To solve
the technical problems. The power
will sell in Buffalo for s36 a horse
power per annum. and under its con-
tract with the city the company must
| increase its capacity 10000 horse
power per year until the maximum of
10000 horsepower has been reached.
The switches in the Buffalo stree,
railway power house were turned or
| exactly at midnight by W. L. Rem
NETT chief engineer of the General
| Electric company. Mayor Jewett was
| present and held the watch. Every.
/ thing worked smoothly.