The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
a congressman's Electric Farm Plant.
Farming by Electricity Abroad.
Wonderful, Yet Simple.
Especial Corrcspondcncc.l

ly. 1t may serve rs the model for farm
ers i'll the United States.
The motive power on the farm in
Mecklenburg is furnished by small
brook, which passes the farm at n dis
lance of about $50 feet and drives n
turbine wheel. About 1, 600 feet above
the wheelhouse dam has been erected
In the brook for the purpose of obtain
ing the necessary fall and forcing tho
water into canal lending to the tur-
Dine. This canal is partly cut into the
ground and partly banked, so that mt
the turbine fall of 90 feet is obtain
ed. The volume of water changes from
Is cubic feet Il second i'll very dry sea-
SONS TO 106 to III cubic feet second
III very wet seasons. With an average
OF 30, cubic feet the turbine is guaran-
tecd to furnish 16 horsepower, while i'll
reality it furnishes is, and ut high wa
ter 81 to 22 horsepower
Distributing the Electricity.
Tho turbine drives small dynamo
machine, which develops all the cleo
tricity needed. From this dynamo the
board, whence it is distributed to the
various stations. Wires of different
sizes, strung or poles, conduct light and
power currents to the yard, thence to
the dwelling and main building, sta
blcs, barns, other farm buildings and
garden. There are in tho dwelling and
main building 100 incandcscont lights,
i'll the other buildings 20, and III tho
yard and garden -, besides arc lamps.
In the turbine house there is also an ac-
cumulator-a battery consisting of 66
large glass cells, with plates of lead in
dlifused sulphuric acid-which serves To
accumulate electricity. During the day,
when the machines are not i'll operation
on the yard this accumulation is loaded
and contains then sufficient electricity
to iced the lights from evening, after
working hours, till the next morning.
a small machine can also be attached
to the accumulation and worked from its
power. BY careful handling the accu-
mulator has furnished sufficient cleo
tricity to last five days without being
reloaded. To operate the machinery
there arc two electric motors, one of 10
horsepower and the other of = l-2 horse
power
Work of the Motors.
The small motor is fixed and drives
the pumps for the stables, Il straw cut
ter Il turning lathe, Il grindstonc and Il
large band saw, which can cut logs of
thickness up to 17a4 inches, tho latter
however, only with the aid of the larger
motor. The larger motor is mounted on
iron wheels, and, together with the
thrashing machine, can be nut into any
barn, to be connected there with the
electric current by Il small cable. The
silos are built III semicirclo around
the last barn and can be reached, to n
distance of 800 feet, by cable attach
ments. The distance of the motor from
the turbine is then about /, 500 feet.
The system of handling the motors is
30 simple that any farmland can rea(li-
ly understand it. The turning of lever
admits the electric current, which i'm
medlatcly puts the motor i'll operation
TO its full power. One machinist, who
is stationed ut the turbine house, super
intends the entire plant, handles the
turbine and dynamo, and from time TO
time inspocts the motors when in opcr-
alton. One farmland can attend the
thrashing machine and the large motor
Low Tension Currents.
The cost of the works was $12,37G,
of the electrical plant $7,140. The
working expenses, including interest,
wear and tear and $3.50. GO salary for
machinist. We're 81, 42S year
Therefore the "a, 900 horsepower used
during the year cost SLIPS, or l-5
cents per horsepower per hour. And as
ten incandesccnt lamps represent one
horsepower, the burning hour per lamp
costs about four tcnths of cent. AS
with an average working time of l-2
hours, 10, 000 horsepower could easily
he developed during the year, if there
were any use therefor, the cost per
horsepower could be reduced one half
Formerly $500 hundredwcight of
grain was thrashcd by steam, requiring
400 hours, or 10 days, and ., $40 hun
dredweight by Il Goepel machine, re-
curing S horses and GOO hours, or 20
days. The time occupied for pumping
and straw cutting was about the same
For saving logs into boards and kin
ding wood $23S year was paid on an
average. The total, including light,
was 81, 713. 60. This shows Il difference
of $685. GO IL year i'll favor of the cleo
trio plant. Another advantage is that
now four horses can be dispensed with
and the remaining horses are always
ready for use How great this advnn-
tagc is, especially during the harvest,
or while the fields are being manurcd
and prepared for the winter. need hard
ly be mentioned. Other advantages are
that the electric light is cleaner, safer
and more agreeable. The fact that pow
II is always ready enables the farmer
so cInDiOv his hands ut oura in thrash