Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1898-10-28
CHICAGO'S BIG MOTOR.
IL is OF GOO Horse Power and Drives SIX
Miles of Cable.

Miles of Cable.
The biggest electric motor in the
world is working twenty-one hours a
day in Chicago. This piece OF ma
chinery has other claims to fame than
i's mere size. 1t is the pioneer in a
branch of labor never before entered
by motors of its class. 1t is pulling
SIX miles OF wire rope. moving the cable
trains on the most important line OF
the South side of the city. This me-
chanical prodigy is only 10 feet high
and about 10 feet square at the base.
but II is whole power-house in itself.
This statement is not in the least ex-
aggerated, for large power plant. ca
pable of giving out enough power to
run an enormous factory, is shut down
entirely when the motor is put run
ming.
Boilers, engines, pumps, coal bins
and machinery, covering several acres
in all, are idle from the time the big
motor begins to hum it's working tune
1t is marvel OF compact force. In
one corner of the big engine-room of
the Fifty-second and Stats street plant
the motor Is located. One of the two
great 5O0-horse power engines there
has been partially dismantled and its
huge 24-foot fly wheel removed so as to
give room for the belt which connects
the pulley wheel OF the motor with the
cable-driving drums. This belt is made
or inch-thick-leather, is feet wide,
and moves at a velocity OF 5,440 feet
minute, so some idea of the huge scale
on which things are done In a cable
plant can be obtained.
On the other side OF the engine
room is the engine which takes the
place of the electric motor several
months of the year. 1t is a great.
sprawling piece OF machinery occupy
ing 72O square feet OF floor space and 20
odd feet high, as against the 112 square
feet of floor space and 10-foot height OF
the tight little motor. A great line OF
shafting runs across the end OF the
room, and to 1t is attached the cable
drums and cog-wheels which give the
great wire rope its motion.
For many years this Fifty-second
street plant was operated by steam.
The two big engines, each of 500-horse
the cars moving with great satisfaction
to the public. Then the big electrical
power house in the rear was built and
began supplying all the South side troll
ley lines with current. In winter this
plant was crowded to the limit with
work, but in summer easier running
conditions made nearly one-third of its
capacity idle
The engineers OF the company
studied these conditions. They knew
full well that a plant running at It's
capacity is much mere economical than
one which has machinery idle. Also,
they knew two plants are much more
costly to run than one for given
amount of output. So they figured that
If the excess capacity of the electrical
plant could turn the cable in summer.
much more economical working could
be obtained than with the two power
houses both going. The proposal to
put motor in the cable plant followed.
1t wash ridiculed at first, then studied,
and finally decided on as an expert
ment.
The chief engineer was told to figure
out what he wanted. He decided on a
600 horsepower electric motor OF a
certain speed, which would be able to
stand a so per cent. overload. There
was no motor of any comparable size
on the market, and several Of the large
electric companies were asked to build
one under a guarantee. All refused.
Finally one agreed to undertake the
experiment of building a 600 horse
power electric motor, but refused to
guarantee the results. The machine
was delivered and installed in the
spring of 1895. July &c. 1895, the big
motor was started
1t ran until September without the
slightest trouble and then gave place
to the steam power, as the stormy
weather and winter cars began to
crowd the electric plant to it's limit
Since then each summer from May l to
Sept. 1 the motor has done the hauling.
Not a cent Of repairs has ever been ex-
pended on it, and no trouble Of any
kind has been met.