The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15

uHtlbi VIZ BoNNA WIN iS . y IN FlVfth
saving OF 5000 of tho original cost; and ut 60
per cent. will DO ST5 Z M = Rl25. q saving Of
500. 90 per horse mower per year.
Therefore n plant using 100 horse powor would
make a saving thai In Il reasonably few years
would pay for the installation Of electric ma
chinery In place Of the old shNfting and betting.
or course tho above calculations nre crude.
but they will serve to show the relative costs Of
the two agencies.
In a paper read before tho American Society
OF Mechanical Engineers in December. 1896,
Prof. Benjamin of the Case School Of Applied
Science showed tho results OF experiments and
tests on sixteen different plants using mechan-
ical power applied through shafting and betting.
OF these plants six were doing heavy machine
work, the largest having a capacity OF 400 horse
power, the smallest 80 horse power, and the
average for the six being lac horse power.
He found that OF tho whole power developed
at the engine cylinder an average Of but SO per
cent. was used in the mnchlnes; In one case 81
per cent. of all the power being consumed in the
shn ftinE and bolting.
In ak other plants classed In his paper as
light machine work a somewhat larger percent
nge Of the power was useful. 40 per cent. being
consumed by the machines, tho plants n veraE.
ing III horse power each.
In four others OF varying capacities tho loss Of
power in the transmission was 46 per cent. Of
the total produced.
Other tests have been made, md In plants
using large machines tho loss Is considerably
more than those in which smaller machines are
used md are kept going moro continuously.
Taking a case with which tho writer is ac-
uuaintct, in which over 100 electric motors are
nsoi anr,,n,,in, 4, o,n,,,,r . oon -, no,rn.
"7cu aesrcgnt'hs IN c"p"ci'y ''ooo morse po"oi'
very widely scattered md used for a number Of
,prpOcn n lypntno nf 200 hnrao oyn p,nyt.
mum conncity ia annie for tho SUNNY Of cur.
rent for the whole 5000 horse power. With
shuftinu this transmission would hnvo been i'm
,assthro ~ Observation-Disclosures ma ro,n,o.Ir nav,
Of 1t was done with small steam engines. the
steam being carried to them from great dis.
tHhCcs "or s'c'h p'plhE', anu inc waste must
have been something fearful to contemplate. to
s'y nothing of tho much larger repairs needed
TOT inc steam apparatus.
Among other applications in this particular
r."n' . "n.yn II elec,.ie moor IS better n'.su
.han is any DINER distributor OF power is the
which machines over thirty nro here in use,
Th ~. I'M. =, o,es n', W w nero III -
loads t"S ss Of ten or Ti twenty M9' or more noT 1ons snSscs sn" the
accounts or inc employment or elephants TO
move t,mhor IN lnain.
to the general public is In the operation, OF pas.
senFer nnd freight elevators: although IN gen
''s' 49, w - ~ = w ''''N' NV 'SAs 'isb ny
p%licntion OF electric current for power purposes
mace s,o in in New y ork CITY was upon a freight eie-
.lhc statement ms been made that IN, New
York city perhaps ms many, people travel n,er-
pend,cu,nrly as hpriynnialIy; however this
employed, and he s]Greeuards generally adopted
to wonder how accidents Of any kind can be
possible. IL thc stntemcnt O., ne amount OF
lFaNei ne nnylhlhS flkn correct ne percentage
or IN lurlcS 10 those using elevators IL probably
smaller than to those adopting any other
mCihoI OF transit:
ecmpnny: after hsTins tshen q large part 9! Il
lhe new contracts for elevators in New York
don and has carried away the largest contract
Tor elevators ever given, ana that in competition
pani"s in the business.
Although the applications Of electric power on
the other side OF the Atlantic aro ridiculonsly
small, as compared with those in tho United
Engiishmen arc alive to It's benefits, md when
makers OF mnchinerr in the British Isles can
ret 1t through their heads that it Is much
onearGr 10 maze i'nehines or any KIN by the
or any othor staple article of commerce.
then. and only then; will, they begin to use
electric power freely. In passing it may
that gave this large order for elevators also
awarded to American firms "A very largo order
committee Of the Board of Trnde made the
statement hat the company could not do other.
Wis.,, IS Incle WIS. no urn Ut HTilS IN prcht
Britain able to fulfil the contract in the time set
for the completion OF the road.
Outside OF the lo"al distribution OF power by
electricity in factories. &c. mnny schemes for
distribution on n much larger scale and for all
general uses have been Developed. notably the
installations at Niagara Falls and in tho eX-
IRENE West. At Portland. Or. the street cars
and electric lights nrc supplied with current
generated by water power oyer ten miles from
the city. at Willamette Falls: The same kind
OF power supply is now heing furnished to Sacra-
mento. Cal, from Folsom, moro than twenty
miles away. md one could 20 on. naming and
describing other similar plants: including those
Mt San Bcrnartino and Telluride, to the number
Of perhaps Ilfty or sixty.
The methods of charging and tho prices
charged for power supplied from thes" sources
vary according TO. local circumstances. 1t has
been unfortunate In much OF The electrical bust
ness, Of the past that. where the mower was sup
piled by water. prices have been made so low as
entirely to prevent profit. hut in the later pc
RODS of the past two or three years this has
been to n great extent overcome, so that Gus.
toners are now willing TO pay n fair price for
this muoh better power.
When The customers used power In but small
units. say from 2.horse power to 20-horse power.
with an occasional 30 and 10 horse power mo-
tor. II was n comparatively ensy matter to me-
ter The current, as ordinarily Is done for lighting:
hut since the distribution and use has become