The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-23
CONSUMED AT THE MINES.
Electrical Energy Generated Where
the Coal Is Found.

Electrical Energy Generated Where
the Coal Is Found.
The theoretical advantages of consum-
ing coal directly at the mines mouth and
converting 1t into electrical energy to be
transmitted TO distant points where power
is to be used have been pointed out many
times by eminent electrical engineers IN
the last ten years For some reason or
other few. If any, such installations have
actually been made. One such test
was worked out not as n demon
stration of the probability of this the
DRY, but because such a system offered
the only solution of this very difficult
problem The plant of the COcniti Gold
Mining Company, in New Mexico, Is To-
Gated in THE centre of a rather desolate
region. The only fuel available at the
mines is wood costing 81 to 50 a cord, and
a limited supply of that, as it has TO be
packed in on the backs of burrOs.
When. therefore. il was decided 20 en-
large the power plant in order to increase
the output of the mine a series of dif-
ficult engineering problems were present
ed. which have each been solved in an
almost unique manner The plant as
completed embodies all the latest ideas
Of mechanical. electrical. and mining
practice.
Aside from wood. con; was the only
apparent other sourcc sc power. as there
were no running streams within radius
of forty or fifty miles that could be
found with a flow of water sufficient 10
run hydralic electric plant, except by
the construction of prohibitively expense
reservoirs Coal there was in the neigh
borhOod. but the nearest railway station
was twenty-five miles distant and it
a rough mountainous country 1t was ac-
cordingIy decided to burn the coal at the
mines. about thirty-two miles distant,
and transmit the energy electrically by
high tension alternating currents.
According to an article in the '-EIectri-
cal World. by the engineer in charge Of
the installation OF the plant, this scheme
proved entirely satisfactory from a com
merciaI point of view. The total cost Of
supplying power with the original small
steam plant, burning wood, was S218 per
day- for twenty-four hours. hosting and
M ing 2u0 tons THE cost of doing the
work with electric power generated ar
the mine, and transmitted thirty-two
miles IS 81 20 per day for hosting and
treating 800 tons, which is 80 per cent
more ore than was handled by the old
plant These figures are exclusive of
ment-
4 serious difficulty presented itself
when the location OF the plant at the
coal mine vas first suggested and that
was 10 obtain d supply Of feed water
as there was none within miles. the coal
mines often having to haul water tE-eT1ty-
nVe miles in tank cars This was ever
come Dy drilling an arteSian Well three
miles distant the geological structure At
liT thltieS making We'll there inpracti-
tahIe, and running-a pipe line four inches
IN diameter TO the plants An electrically
~ pumping outfit was installed 10
mt The water to the surface and TO pump
II 70 a SufncleEt elevation TO permit II
10 HOW by gravity to the feed water
tank at the powerhouse
tIlFen the water and he coal the next
SERIOUS obstacle to be 0s-er.tsTrfs- WIS q he
erection OF the transmission line <,,-cr a
mountainous region. where there we've
neither trails nor roads Holes for tho
poles often had to be blasted in RE -
OF bluffs where there WIS bsr.FI,- y-a(,9
Tor q man 10 stand w:Ifle friliines rim
again. POLES had TO be halI,i Dt- tackle
Sc era hundred feet mp thu I'D : of the
canyon ana material had to be carried
on men : backs over long distance
Whefe Il was Impossible II ...t r,..kr
mules In addition 4 right n r. -,
several miles had to be cut through a
pine forest, neeessItatinS the telling of
over s. 80 trees -
Such were some of the natural r,hv-
Slcdl dlfh1ultIeS in cla way If tho in
stallation Of a powec plant. A. crectej
however IL IS typical of the best rod
eIn practice The powerhouse itseIE
- d SISsi -IaIne 'ONefed 'V'f2
"iIe netting, asbestos pAp-- and CORN
gated iron Coal Tor the boiler; is cil
Feyed Y mechanical c1ny..,-.,rs = rlcfly-
70 The boiler fronts. and tha ashes are
SIIIlLIarlS delivered TO storage f,ia
ABOUT SD4-horSe power Is Delivered At
the mine. the loss in transmits on F.e:ffe,
about 81 per ceHt. The t.ansmftJir
pressure Is 1880 volts. which Is re-
cuced 10 working pressure Of C.5 volts
II Is almost needless Ia add in view
OF the above IN II high speed ett,,tric
holStS lift the ore TO the surface where
II Is treated by che R0ds-rn CYANIDE
process. and that all the auxiliary ma
chinery, mining. milling md treating Is
electrically operated