The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-21
GROWTH Of POWER SYSTEM.
GENERATION OF An ELECTRIC Cur
RENT Br WATERFALLS.
tnghoase Company. Tells Of Visit
- Western Plaass-Plans for In

Carries F. Scots. chief electrician az the
Westinghouse Electric Manufacturing
Company. OF Psttsburg. Pa. aas been ia
thu engineers of the Snaouaimss Falls
Power Company with reference TO ,as
| power giant az the falls.
Contracts have been placed with the
Westinghouse Company for the electrical
apparatus 20 be used Fer supplying power
20 tae cities OF Seattle and Tacoma, and
/ the engineers are arranging some OF the
final plans for the installation.
Mr. Scot, has just completed a trip
through the West. in which he has visit
ed most OF the power trans mission plants
In Colorado and Utah and On the coast.
Speaking of the development OF electrical
power transmission. especially with refer
ence to the present plant a. snoaualm.e
falls, AR. Scott said:
II have been much interested to nose
the rapid development; Of power trans
mission during the last few years. / was
In tho designing department OF the West
inghouse Company when the apparatus
Tor some OF the earliest plants was de-
signed and constructed. The ;irst long dis
lance transmission Of large amount Of
power was at Portland. Or. The original
machine was installed a. Oregon City
about eight years ago. and the transform
ers al the siib-s:a.ion in Portland are stsii
In use. doing effective work, and the plant
has been so successful that large additions
have been made TO the first equipments.
The voltage used at this plant was 400
volts al first. which has now been increas-
ed TO COCO. The distance Is about twelve
miles. Tire first long distance high volt
age transmission plant was at Pomona.
Cal. receiving power from the San An.
tonic canyon. The distance Is thirty miles,
and loo10 volts is used On this line. / well
remember the extreme pains that were
taken with this apparatus and the anxiety
with which We looked forward 70 the OPP
grafton at so high voltage. I visited this
plant few weeks ago and found that 4
has been In continuous operation for SIX
or seven years with scarcely mishap.
Rapid Development
These initial installations have been
rapidly followed by others. in many Of
which higher pressures are used and great
er distances are traveTsed. The most re-
cent power plan, which has been started
On the coast Is that at Los Angeles, which
is supplied power from the San Gabriel
river. This plant is supplied with he
WESTINGHOUSE apparatus and Is used COR
Operating alternating induction motors,
which are far superior in simplicity, in
construction and ease OF operation TO the
ordinary current moor. Current Is also
supplied for incande.,ent lighting and for
operating railways. The sub-s;ation in the
city is equipped with rotary transform
ers, which receive an alternating current
from the transmission circuit and deliver
II In the form of a direct current. The d.
and also for supplying lighting and power
circuits In tho central parts Of the city,
IN visiting various power Plants az
have done during the past few weeks, I
have been struck By the confidence in the
operation OF the electrical apparatus which
Is universally shown by those who are
operating the transmission plants There
is In general more apprehension regarding
the fumes, pipe lines and water wheels
than there IS respecting the eeetr! al
part OK the system. At one place there
was a mill which involved an outlay of
$4,000 which was absolutely dependent
for power upon the transmission CT power
for q distance OF thirty-dye miles. This
has been In operation fer over half a
year ard the electrical apparatus has been
found TO be one OF the most reliable n
connection with the operation OF the mill.
Power ON the Coast.
The Pacific coast has much more album
daqt supply Of water power and transmits
sion plants than the East TIE celebrated
plant al Niagara is. however. an exception.
This plan. "a particularly noted for the
very large output OF he generators II
alao illustrates the rapid strides which can
Ne made IN electrical developments Before
Tits plant vas installed there were no
iynsmos 81 more than l"o or e,oso hcrse
power in capacity. These dynamos were
designed for soeo horse power. ard the
operation OF the first three was so sue
cessfui that five additional machines have
Just been completed. which are aInsos. ex-
acg1y duplicates Of ths first three This
great power plsut has attracted 70 itself a
large number ot Industries. which are con-
sl,nserS Of power. Many az these industries
arr rev and In some cases no, even the
process had been discovered az the time
shas sha Mag power plant was he ggin
TIE Niagara current Is used IN the manu-
facture OF aluminium and has greatly cheap
cred tae price. I. IS also used In the man
ufacture " cayforrndar1. the new abrasive
vhich Is replacing emery.
L. - a~e3 III the manufacture % sodium
calcium carbide. chlorine. a bleaching pow
Ser. md phosphorus. The Niagara ctgTent
a also IL use in buffalo for operating raj
wavs. for iighttnk and for operating mills
and elevators TIE (ssest Northern eie-
ya,cr. the largss; IN THE world. Is run hv
he Westinghouse REDUCTION motors and
driven ny .he Niagara current.
Tho Ssc1uais17se Fails Power Company
= r0s urtie~t& king novel ard uusrsei en-
,srVgSse. bart & is installing p plant similar
n general n wHzt has demonstrated Ste
success elsewhere. The machines which
are now IL rau~se - construction for tats
company, have a nominal ospacity cf $50
sc-sa power eaeh. which "a probably
greater than any asher water power plant
~ cer: that at Niagara which IL Ia opera
sson anf n AZ e abe 81 lawrence Cons;ra;c-
ton Company f8r wh}en contract
sor Tftsss1 machines az $50 anrsr ye3wef
each a&s Desn placed aaa 0a which work
= aow su proetess. There VIII - some
navel features in connection With tha
| 1ro>7l aiasse fails y,iant vh5c31 are isan-
:ax@ags in many Ways. TIE larger .sasr-
4ta-s wft; Re placed n TIE ro-c n 81 the boz
torn 81 tAe shafs reariT pa .eet oeiow gre
etg~faoe ~ fhe g-y}vr1. AZ ssv~aSy 5e~
s~~4tsetI . 5ae POSI- utSlls gerrer the wsssr
.fsscen1as throasea ta3s ssaff IL xyea: efsaI