Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-04
ELECTRICITY AS THE EMPEROR.
wonders of Modern Application of
the Fluid to lie Exhih1ted.


Governor Morton will open the national ex-
position of electrical appliances in the In
dustral Arts building in this city. Elabo-
rate preparation has been made for this
event and 1t is expected that the attendance
will be large and include some Of the most
distinguished electricians in this country.
The convention is that OF the national cleo
trio light associations, to which delegates
have been sent representing more than 10000
electric light plants in the United States,
whose aggregate capital is In excess of $780,
600, 900. The Industrial Arts building has
been the scene of great activity during the
last ten days and nights and an enormous
force Of electricians and mechanics have
been at work The principal feature of the
opening exercises will be the turning on Of
a current of electricity generated by the
waters of the Niagara river, In the great
power house of the Niagara Power company,
which current Of electricity will be trans
mitted over an ordinary telegraph wire of
the Western Union company. The insula-
tion Of this line is such that no considerable
amount of electrical energy for power pur-
poses can be transmitted, but by the use
of the recently invented two-phase Tesla
system, enough energy Will be transmitted
to establish beyond question, It is claimed,
the feasibility of long-dstahce electric power
transmission upon a commercial basis. This
line will be 462 miles in lehgth The longest
line heretofore established was from the
falls of the Neckar to point ll0 miles dis
tant.
The governor will use upon this occasion
the gold key with which president Cleve-
land put in motion the wheels of industry
at the Worlds fair. Governor Morton Will
also, at the declaration that the exposition
is open, discharge four pisces of artillery,
one stationed in the public square at San
Francisco, one in Augusta, Me-, one in front
of the public building at ST. Paul and an
other in the public park in New Orleans.
This discharge is also to be accomplished
by current of electricity generated in Nj
agara and transmitted over the telegraph
lines of the Postal Telegraph and Cable COM
pany 1t is also with the sanction OF the
secretary of war, the government artillery
service being brought into requistion.
NIAGARA POWER PLANT.
The current of electricity which is trans
mitted from Niagara will be used in putting
in motion a model of the Niagara power
plant recently constructed by syndicate
at a cost of upwards of s5,00O,OOO This
plant consists of tunnel 5000 feet in
length entered by a wheel pit 1S6 feet in
depth, at the bottom of which are mammoth
turbine wheels, operating shaft, on top of
which are immense electrical generators,
with capacity of 50O0-horse power. The
total weight of the Turbine power. shaft and
generator is upwards of 100 tons This
model which is shown and operated with
the Niagara currency, is a cross section view
Of the tunnel wheel pit and machinery, and
also shows a section of the city of Niagara
Falls. with the course of the river and
American falls the island and the Canadian
frontier. Surrounding this model will be
series of telephones, which will be con-
nected with receiver placed in Victoria
park, on the Canadian river. All present, as
they witness the movement OF the machinery
by the current of Niagara, can hear distinctly
the roar of the cataract. There will also be
exhibited and operated miniature section
of the Erie canal, showing the cable way
system Of electrical canal boat propulsion
recently adopted by the state Of New York
and soon to. be put in operation upon. the
Erie canal Floating upon the miniature
canal will be a fleet OF Inodel canal boats
Of recent design, propelled by the electric
motor which travels upon thescanal by means
of the current Another feature OF unusual
interest will be the closing, of circuit around
the world, by which cable message viii
be sent by Chauncey Depew over the cables
to Lisbon, through the Mediterranean and the
Suez canal and the Red sea to Alden, thence
to Ceylon and Australia returning by way
Of the Cape Of Good Hope, the African coast,
the Brazilian cable, the land line to the city
Of Mexico; thence by way of San Francisco
to New York. This message DR.. Depew will
send from table which will be placed i'll
n gallery Of the exposition. 1t will be ad-
dressed to and received by Mr.. Edward d.
Adams president of the Niagara Power com
pany, whose reply will be transmitted to
and read by DR.. Depew, who will follow
with brief address upon the electric era