The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-01
LIGHT POWER CRIPPLED
ACcrnRNT nENDE1s THE 1IAIN
 EN0INE UsELEeS.
Expected That Arc Lights in Certain Sections Will Not Burn Between 6 and g O'clock-Cars
 Affected.

A serious accident--an accident vitally affecting all portions of the city--occurred yesterday morning at o'clock at the power house of the Montgomery Light and Power Company. The main engine at the power house was rendered useless by the breaking of the spider on the piston in the cylinder.
 On account of this accident. the task of generating electricity to light the city and propel the cars of the Montgomery Street Railway Company devolves upon two smaller engines, whose combined power is not equal to the work. The broken piston will keep the engine out Of commission for at least three nights. On these nights between the hours of 6 and will be turned off, half the cars of the Montgomery Street Railway Company will not run, and a large part of the tn- candescent lights will not be turned on.
 The cause of the breaking of the 'spi- der" on the piston Is not known. It Is supposed to have been brought about by a continued strain. When the break oc- cured there was danger that serious damage would be done the power house by the pounding of the broken piston. Night Engineer Noble. however. who was on duty, quickly stopped the big engine and the two smaller engines were put to work immediately. There was no break in the lighting of the city at that time. The task of furnishing lights and power at ? o'clock in the morning is much light CT than at o'clock at night. The two smaller engines took up the work where the accident to the main engine left 1t. The greatest load on the engines oc- CUTS between and 9 o'clock p. m. Be- ktween those hours the two small engines cannot furnish lights for the entire city or sufficient power for the Montgomery Street Railway System to run all its cars. Between those hours half the lights in the city will be turned off and | half the cars of the Montgomery Street Railway Company will be stopped. | At 9 o'clock the load begins to tighten. As the load decreases, the arc lights in the city will be turned on circuit by cir cult. The accident will affect the city 1 only betw cen those hours at night. | A number of prominent machinists will | be taken to the power house today to see | if the break can possibly be repaired. Ii | not, the big engine will remain useless until the duplicate Of the broken piece ! can be shipped to Montgomery by ex- 1 press from Hamilton, Ohio.
 | This is the first serious accident that i the Montgomery Light and Power Com pany has had in the entire ten years oi | its existence. The officials of the com. Fl pany are sparing no effort or expense te
 have tho accident repaired at the earliest possible moment.
 Superintendent R. J. Chambers of tn, Light Company said last night:
 "The accident to the piston will put thu
 big engine at the power house out of us for three nights, unless a plan can b
 devised today by which the break cal
 be temporarily repaired. The accidsTi was caused perhaps by the constan
 strain on the piston. A duplicate piec has been ordered by express. The great
 est loads on the two small engines is be
 tween the hours of 6 and o'clock a
 night. I informed Captain J. w. Dim
 mick, President of the Street Railwa lCompany. that on account of the acci
 dent, we would be unable to furnish pow CT for all his cars, and he consented t
 stop half the cars of the company. Mayo
 Joseph was also notified that for thre hours we could not furnish the full mum Der of lights, and he appreciated full 1.-the position in which the accident ha left us.
 'In the meanwhile. the lights in us j in the early part of the night will not b } as strong or as brilliant as usual'