Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-11-19
NIAGARA AT WORK.
USEFUL AS WELL AS AWE
INSPIRING HEREAFTER.
Turning Wheels In Bufralo-POwer Is to
Sell at ThIrty-siI Dollars Per Horse
Power-The Greatest Cataract on
Earth Harnessed by Science.

BUFFALO, N. Y, Nov. 1G.-At mid
night last night the turning
of a switch in the big power
house at Niagara Falls com
pleted a circuit which caused Niagara
river to flow up hill, so to speak, by re-
turning fraction of its resistless en-
ergy, which had already swept past the
gates of Buffalo, back into the city,
twenty-sevcR miles distant.
The harness was buckled that bitches
the factory wheels of Buffalo to the
greatest cataract on earth. This morn
ing the street cars of this city moved
by Falls power Hereafter the Falls
must work enough to earn their living.
The distance covered by the line be-
tween Buffalo and the Falls is twenty
seven miles, andthe.expert electricians
who have the work in charge, estimate
that the loss of energy will be less
than ten per cent, and may not rauch
exceed five.
Careful tests are to be made in this
connection, the tests covering both
night and day, and clear as well as
rainy weather, The electricians are
paying particular attention to this
test, as on the perfect insulation of the
carrying line depends much of the
future success of the undertaking.
The line that has been built to carry
the current-bearing wires is of a most
substantial nature. Unlike the ordi-
nary telegraph line, the poles are
placed very close together and are
braced in such a manner as to be proof
against heavy storms. At curves the
poles are set double, and are guyed to
numerous smaller poles to prevent
sagging.
The overhead line extends from the
power house at the falls to the city
limits of Buffalo, where the wires
enter cement conduits. On the over
head line glass insulatOrs are found
unequal to the strain, and porcelain
insulators 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 with carry
ing capacity of 5000 horse power, or
10000 horse power in all. The poles
are of such a substantial character,
however, that this number of cables
can be doubled without subjecting
them to greater strain than is con-
sidered safe.
The only contract made so far for
the delivery of power in Buffalo by the
power company is that with the Buff
falo Street Railway company for 1000
horse power. Under the contract with
the city, the completion of the under
taking of delivering power in Buffalo
was not obligatory before next June.
1t was in order to secure the contract
with the street railway company that
the work was hurried through 50 far
ahead of time. Contracts with others
desiring to use the electrical power
will now be made, and it is thought
that by the opening of spring the
power will be well distributed through
out the city.
Since the inception of the undertake
ing, and during its carrying out, the
company has frequently called upon
Messrs. Edison and Tesla for advice,
and these famous masters of electricity
have been frequent visitors to the
Niagara Falls power house to solve
technical problems. The power will
sell in Buffalo for $50 a horse power
per annum, and under its contract
with the city the company must in
crease its capacity 10000 horse power
per year until the maximum of $4,000
horse power has been reached.