The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-23
Engineer Johnston Says Plant
Will Start January |.
HOW THE EAST VIEWS SEATTLE.
Prominent Aluminium Manufactures
Says This City Is TO BE Acfropo-
lis of Pacific Con-t-Heasy snip
menfa of Aluminium Fints Tor
attic to Japan-Faith in West.

Thomas r. Johnston, chef engineer Of
the SnoaualGule Fails Power company, ae-
compa MED BY Arthur '. Davis, general
manager OF he PfitsUurg Reduction I1H-
pany arrived froHu the East yesterday
morning Mr. JQhnstons present visit ia
Seattle is. as fBlgaJ be supposed. in coz
uection with tbs work or the construction
OF Tie power company'E plant az sno4aaI-
ME and tse building Of the conducting
lines between the .sf4s and Seattle. Ar
Davis. whore company supplied she
aluminium wire used by the power com
pany. is out West for pleasure principally
and incidentally Only To learn something
OF the business conditions generally on tne
North Pacific coast.
Mr.. Johnston said yesterday that by
January the company would have ine
first current In Seattle from the power
plant at snoqualmle. fie said mat the
!. frat generator had been shipped from the
East, and that the water wheel Vii be
placed upon the care for Seattle At Con-
nersville. Ind, villain week. The wire.
amounting IN all to something Ike cn
miles. IL here now. aad the work Of
stretching it upon the poles VII begin
within a few days.
The company IL BOW building sup-sga
flon at the corner OF Main street and
Second avenue south. as has already been
told In ths Post-InteiligenceT. OF the
and the falls. twenty-five have been con-
strncted. The company has obtained q
franchise for the entrance Of iis lines into
the city at College street. and extending
thence To- the sub-station al Main and
Second avenue south.
Power in seattle January i.
''Unless the Unforeseen happens ne VIII
have electric power generated hy the Sno-
qualmie fails in Seattle by January l."
said Engineer Johnston at the Butler yes-
terday. Everything - progressing nice
iy with us. and We are satisfied %ith the
progress thus far made iu the erection Of
the plant ard the tire between the fails
and this city. The generator has already
been shipped to Seattle and vii be due
In q short time. The wafer wheel wilt
he loaded on the ears AMI billed to Seattle
from the factory at Ccnuersville Ind
within the nexf fen days The we is
already here. and construction work ON
the line and n the fails has progressed
so far that we can the end already"
Mr.. Johnston, accompanied by General
Manager Charles II. Baker and Az Davis.
left yesterday afternoon for the fails.
They Will return Thursday or Friday
Arthur '. Davis. who came West with
Chief Engineer Johnston. OF the Snoqualmle
Fails Powe: Company. to whom his COM
pany sold large amount Of the aluminium
wire TO be used in the construction OF com
Quoting mains between Snoqualmie and
this city. Is also At the Butler.
aluminium has decreased in c0et from
xi& TO b cents per pound during the ten
years siucs we became established in the
business Of its manufacture sand MIR
DAVIS yesterday 'la that time the area
OF the, uses of aluminium has greatly eN-
tended. For instance. shipped l,tst
month. Via Seattle and the Japanese
Steamship Company, something like five
cars OF aluminium plates to be used by the
japanese government In the Constru ton
or torpedo boats, oar contract with tho
Snoqualr1ie Falls Power Company Is III.
first OF Its kind on record. Aluminium ~
NOT in general use as wire for the trans
mission OF electric power. bat is adj
ssntages over copper wire have become
so thoroughly understood by electrical en-
gigeors that II Is rapidly entering tia. field
In opposition 10 copper
Aluminium wire il light a good eou-
uuetof, dufahl" and not more expensive
than copper wire. + has some advantage
over copper wire which makes IL general
use for the long-tlistance franetnfssi,n "a
electricity certain II IN go nlt,ch lighter
thah copper tnat pnleS can To set II wider
Intervals than FOR copper and the ros, -
repairs and ma!nt aaanca Of the line 10 ,..r,,
much less than where, conner VSfya j. s,sof
Improved meth 0ds OF rqan,ifacf,fr. an,
continually grtwinr a.ruana a. 80
causes which have sn much ,,efrasr,s 49,
price ~ aluminium We arr ,omsf,,,,;,
smppf'k the product of our factory ~
tle orient, and Seattle handles n i,rr.
percentage Of oar shipments ~ Iapan