The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-15
kNDERSON'S ELECTRIC PLANT
q Sketch of the Anderson Water, Light
and Power Company The Plant at
Portman Shoals Complete A Big
Success CbeapBess ard
Convenience.


Portman Shoals Complete A Big
Success Its Cneapness ard
Convenience.
'-cry fcw people outside Of Anderson
have any idea Of What los recently been
accomplished III tho development and
anvanrcll'rt cf electrical energy in this
city ~ ti.o ANDERSON Wator. Light and
Power ttu, ,paiN, and tine iniiuoln ili~
Almost unlimited power Will have upon
"a. future hstcry Of :hiS entire section.
Chcapncss Of production is one Of tho
~i3rn demands OF tho times, particularly
~ manufacturing industries, and cheap
n"ss Of power To propol the machinery
H"ed is t!:e greet dcsidcr.tuE,.
At Portrnan Shoals, on Tho Seneca
river, nine miles from Anderson, an cleo
'ric plant has been completed which is
Designed 10 geIuIaio MI electrical energy
OF 3. 900 horse power, M occasion may re-
ouire, and tho plant is now generating
and successfully transmitting to this city
1000 electrical horse power, the creator
portion Of which liz distributed among
important mechanical industries aud
used in Lighting the city. The dam and
;ial rs granite and good masonry can
make them, and the electrical apparatus
is Of the latest iniprOvod designs,
parativcly simple, and the plant as
completed should involve worry small
expenditure for maintenance. In tho
dam arc inserted five "penstocks'' or
fumes with turbines, the shafting or
which connects directly with the goner-
atora.. saving the usual loss of power
resulting from tho use Of shafting and
betting. thus transforming the entire hy-
draulic power into electric energy
Only two of these fumes are being used
at present, the others being held In re-
serve to be put in motion aB the power is
contracted for by manufacturing indus.
t1ies.
ofthe 1000 electric horse power now
being generated and transmitted, the
Anderson Cotton Mills take about l4O0
horse power, q considerable quantity Is
used in operating the water works, driv.
ing large power pumps, - considerable
quantity distributed to various other
smaller industries, and 30 much as is
necessary used to run the arc and incan-
descent lights of the city.
The cost ofthis electrical power AZ com
pared with steam is at least 25 per cent.
cheaper, and when it is considered that 1t
can be delivered at any place designated
by the manufacturer, enabling him to
locate his industry with reference to rail-
road facilities, taxes, healthful locality
and the like, tha advantages Of this won
derful power over steam must address
itself to every thinking manufacturer.
Anderson has tho power. The plant Is
complete. The enterprise Is q success
Thirtv-six thousand Hpindles and twelve
hundred looms arc being operated here
in the Anderson Cotton Mills by this
electric energy, az we'll as many smaller
industries. Cheapness and convenience
is the very essence OF this enterprise, and
Anderson now wants to see manufactur-
ing Industries spring up on every side.
There is no city III the South which can
offer greater advantages. Situated at
the foot of tho blue Ridge mountains. in
tho famous Piedmont region, with puro
air and wnicr. delightful climate tho year
round, and with natural advantages sell
dom equalled, Anderson oilers all that
:h0 most exactinE could demand.
That tho development Of this great cleo
trical power plant and the natural adj
vantages offered by Anderson must
eventually surround this city with IMAM
ufucturing industries, there. can be no
doubt, and we confidently believe that in
less than a decade tho population Of this
city will double. Hut we would remind
those of our citizens who have been sue
cesBful in their business enterprises that
the prompt and rapid growth Of these
new industries will depend largely. very
largely, upon the encouragement and
impetus they extend to them. BY this
we mean not such encouragement as ends
with words, but substantial encourage
ment by the Investment ofdollars. Every
new induatry started will benefit every
citizen. They will furnish work for our
people and prosperity and happiness will
most certainly follow.
Before closing this article few words
concerning MIR. w. c. Whitner. the NOV
ing spirit in tho electrical development of
this city, cannot be inappropriate. lie
was born and raised IN our midst, and his
family is one OF the most prominent In
the State. lie was born Sept. :, 1864,
and; as will lie seem Is still young man.
1t was he who took the initiative step and
laid the foundation for this great enter
prise. In lS9o he established the Auder-
son Water Works and lit tho city with
$50 incandescent lights, generating the
electric current by steam power. In 1904
he conceived the idea to utilize somo |
neighborinE water power to operate Inc |
electric light plant and tho water works.
Mr. Whitner WAS convinced ut the time |
that the transmission OF electric mower |
was success, and was in favor of prr |!
chasing POrtInan Shoals on Seneca river. |
10 miles distant, and developing it. But |
his associates did not agree with him. nor |
was the Anderson Cotton Mill ready at |