New-York tribune., 1901-04-21


brought down to a conduit. and run therein
to Il terminal station in the suburbs of the city,
What is known the three phase system
of alternating current is employed for trans
mission purposes. and accordingly three separate
cables are required for complete circuit.
When the line was first constructed six years
ago only one set OF cables required but
with increasing demands for power and light it
soon became necessary To string a second trio
Of conductors along the poles. Finally as
a preliminary To furnishing the exposition with
a large supply Of current entirely new cir
cult was constructed. thus raising the number
of cables between Niagara and Buffalo TO nine.
The six older OF copper The three
ones Of aluminium, that material having
proved adequate to afford the requisite conduc-
tivity at less cost than copper during the re-
cent prevalence Of extremely high prices for the
red metal
POWER USED IN THE CITY
The corporation which undertakes the whole
sale distribution of electricity in Buffalo is the
Cataract Power and Conduit Company. of which
George Urban. jr.. is the president. and Charles
r Huutley is manager. The company supplies
something like $500 horsepower To the local
street railway company. and 1000 TO the Buffalo
General Electric Company for lighting pur-
poses. Nearly dozen other customers re-
quire from 10 To 1000 horsepower. These con
Surners are elevators. foundrymen tanners
bakers and other manufacturers The total
amount OF current now being supplied slightly
exceeds 12Gm horsepower Arrangements have
been made for furnishing 5000 In.re to the ex-
position, and contracts have Iren closed with
halt dozen big concerns for amounts varying
from l2I to 800 horsepower in the near future,
These latter items in the aggregate will add n
"A nj RI tbtaa
the facilities Of the Cataract Power and Conduit
Company
Each Of the three three phase circuits now
running from Niagara to Buffalo is capab,e of
handling about 1000 horsepower provided that
the current be sent at a pressure II II GOD volts
Up - the present time this has been the prac-
uce. But both the Niagara and Buffalo corpo-
rations have long had in contemplation the
doubling Of the voltage. Such a change once
fully effected. viii put ;.nO00 horsepower at the
service of the Queen City. The transition will
be made gradually however That is to say
the voltage will be raised the three circuits
not simultaneously. hut successfully 1t was
hoped that the first doubling would occur some
time during the last week The change will be
made on the other two circuits a little later in
the
The new transformer house of the Cataract
Power and Conduit Company. where the voltage
~ 10 he reduced from 22.O0O to what
ever level is required is a unique institu-
ton. There is no installation of the same char
acter in the world where big amount of
current is handled. and handled in the same
manner. Electrical experts Will find this trans
former house point Of great interest when
visiting Buffalo
MANIPULATING THE VOLTAGE
The voltage of the current which is to go from
the terminal station just mentioned tn the Ex-
position will he reduced at the former point
from 22.OO0 to 1900. A special transmission