The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-12-14
BULLS BRIDGE POWER
HOW IT WILL BE UTILIZED IN
 WATERBURY AND VICINITY.
Coming on AIumIaum Wires Over 30
 Miles of HtII and Dale to be Trans fomed in that City's West End sub

fomsd in that city's West End sub
 StaIIont
 The local application of the electric power generated at Bulls Bridge and transmitted to this city over thirty miles of aluminium wire is interesting alike to electrical experts and the pub lie, in view of the fact that the whole scheme is more or less of an experiment as yet. . -s5.
 Having carefully watched the bed of; the Housatonic river for the past two years, the promoters of the scheme have come to the conclusion that the river is able to furnish the necessary water under all conditions. The sum mer of four years ago was somewhat dryer than any duly observed, how ever, and as no one watched the bed of the river during that summer, it is impossible to say just whether this point is well taken or not. Therefore, the experiment begins with the river bed. ...-i ..ss sg1ssss, @7 -3
 The New Milford Power company first damned the river at the little Vil- lage of Bulls Bridge. A canal was then cut along the side of the noun tain for two miles, carrying the water on a level with the dam. A power house was built at this point, a work ing fall of 110 feet having been at | tained. . ..ss a=5 sZ E5ss55
 Six water wheels have been installed at the power house, each being con nected with it's own generator. Eacn generator is of 10000 kilo watts, or about 1000 horse power, and generates electricity at a voltage of 1,eSO. The current is then taken through step-up transformers, where 1t is raised to q voltage of 33,000.
 Having reached this point, the cur rent is transmitted to sub-station No. at the west end, in this city, over thirty miles of aluminium wires. Six cables each containing seven wires, are used in transmitting the current. These six cables form two lines of transmls- sion wires, the poles paralleling each other at distance of 25 feet. The holes are about 100 feet apart on the line.
 These aluminium wires are another experiment. It is claimed py those lwho advocate the use of aluminium that these wires will not retain the Ice I like copper, and for that reason there lis no possibility of their being affected by an ice storm. As they are light, l and poles with light weights resting thereon are practically safe from dis l turbance by high winds, there can be
 no danger from winds. The only prob l able danger must arise from trees
 which may become heavily laden with
 ice or torn up by high winds, falling
 across the lines. The company has
 therefore acquired right of way fifty feet wide in order to keep this space free from ali trees.
 Each cable is five-eighths of an inef in diameter As aluminium cannot pc E welded the seven wires are pressed into
 tube by hydraulic pressure. The
 other end of the tube is right or Jeff thread, into which is fited a coupling
 with mele thread This couplins fast
 ems the right and left threaded tubes
 together and makes the cable solic
 mass of aluminium, each part being oi
 the same conductivity.
 The current is taken by the Con necticut Railway and Lighting compa
 nv at the county line. Having reached sub-station No 1 1t is carried into th'
 building, meeting first the lightning ar
 resters. a.ts... . 5.,s.a4,. 49#s The current, still at 33,O00 volts, il then distributed by three-phase sets Q oil switchers. A portion of this curren is retained at high voltage and contin ued on it's way to Cheshire and Ney ! Britain. The remainder is carried t step-down transformers, where tn voltage is reduced to 2S0O.
 One set of oil switchers operates ; set of step-down transformers to pre-
 pafre the alternating current for light ling in the outskirts of the city and il Watertown and Naugatuck. Anothe $ carries the transformed current to thre tub transformers, which furnish tn , constant current for street lights. Sti : another carries current at 2,300 volts t
 sub-station No on Field street, wher 3 rotary transformers prepare the curren = for the direct lighting; the Edison di l rect lighting system about the cente 7 of the city.
 = For the street railway current a spe l cial set of six-phase transformer = chane the current of 33,000 voltage . an alternating current of 375 voltage 3 This is placed upon rotary transform
 CTS, which change the alternating cur 2 rent of 375 voltage to a direct currer y of 600 voltage. This is used for TUT f ming the cars of the electric railway. $ portion of this current is carried S storage batteries (2SS cells), frol f which it is discharged during the ever
 ing, when the strain upon the ystem - the greatest. .s s The current, which is sent along g MiIldale, is again separated at ths
 point, portion being sent north t New Britain and the remainder sout e to Cheshire. At New Britain an
 Cheshire the same operations are gor
 through to reduce the high voltas
 current to a practical voltage for worl
 ing. ..E-:a-. J. It is expected that the local plan
 will be in operation soon after the ne n year, at least in part. It is probabl k however, that they will not be in flu ,- working order before early sunme
 The present power house of the Col D. necticut Railway and Lighting comp;
 nv on Bank street will be held in r ,- serve until such time as it has bee
 proved beyond a doubt that the Ne
 Milford Power company's scheme Is e,oones