New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-12
A HUGE POWER PLANT.
THE LARGEST OF IT'S KIND IN THE
WORLD.

" TIoN COMPANY PROGRESS OF THE
PRELIMINARY WORK OF sUBsTI-
Tr-rING ELECTRICITY FOR HORSES.
The substitution of electricity for horses on d
colossal scale in the propulsion Of strcetcars on
H,.rhot.ap Island by the Metropolitan Traction
Company will call for a notable consolidation VI
facilities for developing power in the near future
Tn MANY cities where the trolley is now prac-
ticaUy supreme and where at present the street
railways ara controlled by a single corporation
the change from the older to the more ihouei"
methods Of traction was erected by sePa'a'e
companies and came about by degrees. Hence
there were different power-houses TOT uihere'''
routee J,,, when the five north -and-south roads
and two crosstown lines on which the Metropoli-
tan company has announced its intention 10 use
electricity are at last being operated under the
new system. they will all derive their power
from a single station, whose plant VIII DE '''e
biggest Of its kind in the world
The detailed plans for the building nave not
vet been completed. Nor have the contracts
been let for its construction. Some MINOR ques-
lions regarding the mechanical and electrical
equipment are yet to be determined But II is
already known that the station VIII DE d.
Ninety-sixth-st and First and will be capa-
bile of meeting a demand for seventy Thousand
horsepower. The site Is not. to be sure CEN
trally located, as is customary IN such service
But 1t has been chosen with special reference 10
the huge coal supply that will be required ior
its steam engines. 1t is directly on the water
front therefore and the carriage OF fuel through
the streets will be unnecessary.
TO SET UP ELEVEN STEAM ENGINES
It is proposed to set up eleven steam engines.
each of four thousand horsepower nominaly,
of carving additional lOau OF
90 per cent in other words each engine Will
nave q maximum output OF G. 400 horsepower
Every one familiar with the use Of electricity on
street railways is aware that the amount OF
power required varies greatly. The hour OF the
day, Of course, is an important factor IN TINS
variation; but the weather must also De con-
sidered When there is fall OF snow to I'M
pcde progress power Is needed than IN
fine dry weather. Shrewd engineers always
leave a certain margin for safety In their calcu-
latons so that it is not likely that In any
emergency there will ever be a call for the full
70400 horsepower at the disposal OF the COM
pany but it will be there just the same.
No doubt each engine will have its own dyna-
mo- directly connected to the crankshaft and
carefully designed to transform the mechanical
power of the former mechanism into electricity
But the precise type OF generator to be employed
has not yet been selected.
This much, however. is certain: On lines
where now about twelve hundred cars are being
operated fully twice that number will be run
These will be larger. heavier and more commo-
djous than the ones they suppIant, and they
will make better time. Roughly speaking, the
great power plant at Ninety-sixth-st. Will repre-
sent at least four five times the number of
horses which are displaced.
The great station he'e considered will not be
. ha in fttll
operation until about year hence. BY that
time it is believed, the Sixth and Eighth ave.
lines will have been rebuilt and equipped for
electric service, in addition to those which are
To be compile ted this fall. These latter include
the Madison Second and Amsterdam-ave lines
md the Fifty-ninth and Twenty third st. roads.
Two temporary power-hOuses will he established
within the next two or three months one In
Twenty-ffth-st. and the other in One-hundred-
and-forty -sixth-st. to meet immediate demands,
and will each have capacity OF from five thou
sand to ten thousand horsepower. The former
station will operate the cTosstown roads and the
lower sections Of the north -and-south lines, and
the other one will serve the uptown sections 1t
Is expected that both will be ready for business
By or before the opening Of the new year.
RAPIDLY PUSHING THE WORK.
One Of the mos gratifying phases of the work
IN hand is the exceptionally rapid way in which |
It is being pushed. The construction in Madi- !
ion-ave. and in the Bowery is probably without |
O parallel in this particular IT is scarcely more |
than five weeks since the streets were first torn
up Yet several miles of track already |
completed, and the pavements are relaid 1t is
probable that by October this route will be
finished from end to end so far as the Interrupt
ton to traffic is concerned. There will still be
some underground details to be attended to. but