The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-28
ELECTRICITY IN MODERN LIFE.
From the Chicago Record.

From the Chicago Record.
An idea of the extent to which electric
ity has entered into the everyday affairs
or American cities may be gained from
the experience of Paterson, n. j., last
week, which for two nights and two DAYS
had the misfortune to be deprived Of
electric service through an accident to the
plant Of the local electric company. When
The company cor structed its new power
station. from which the city of Paterson
and the surrounding country are supplied
with electric current for lighting, railway
and power service, ii placed at the TOP
of the building an enormous bin having
capacity of a thousand tons of coal
This bin had beel filled, and it seems that
the strain was too great, for the supports
gave way, precipitating the contents to
the engine room. The steam plant was
entirely wrecked and the machinery al
most completely buried.
The accident happened at o'clock Sat-
urday afternoon: as result business
was Immediately suspended in the town,
and was not resumed until the damage
to the machinery at the power house had
been repaired and the plant again started
up. All the stores were closed at night
fall, and this Of itsei means much in a
city like Paterson, where the entire pop
ulation goes uptown" on Saturday night
to look into the shop windows and settle
accounts for the week. The streets were
In darkness and the trolley cars stalled
In all parts of the city and on the lines
extending out into the country and con-
Meeting neignborng towns. The young
people were deprived of the pleasure of
trolley parties, which are very popular
in New Jersey, and electric fans, which
might have stirred up refreshing breezes
for those who were compelled to remain
in the sweltering city, refused to turn.
And all this time many were in ignorance
of the cause of the trouble, as the even
ing paper of the town were among the
sufferers, and, being deprived of power
with which to operate their presses, were
forced to suspend publication temporarily.
o
So general was the inconvenience aris-
ing from this temporary shutdown that
considerable public interest was mani
Tested in the affairs Of the electric COM
pany and its relations to the community
II was found upon examination that, in
addition to furnishing current for the
operation of the street car system OF the
city and the lines extending into the sur
rounding country and connecting several
villages, many local industries depended
upon the electric company for power
Among these were silk and rug manu-
factories, machine shops and printing
plants. There are 1872 motors of various
sizes employed In furnishing power In
this way, and 1900 fans for ventilating
purposes. Three churches employ motors
for pumping their organs, and on this oc-
casion the service was conducted with
out music. Probably the most important
feature of the company's business, and
at any rate the one in which the public
was most directly Interested, was the
lighting of the streets of the city and
country. For this purpose 900 arc lights
are employed. In addition to this, the
stores and offices Of the town are liberal
customers of the electric company, and
many private residences are supplied
from the same source. All told there are
clal lamps used In the town. 1t must be
evident to central station managers that
the utmost care and the best engineering
skill should be employed where the ser
vice is oflsuch great importance.