Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-03-07
POWER SUPPLY CUT Off.
Accident Whose Effect was Felt
in Buffalo.
NIAGARA FALLS PLANT.
Lightning Bolt Caused Little Fire Which
Destroyed Cables-InduStrial
Establishments Closed.

All who have visited the great power
plants at Niagara Fails, or know of their
magnitude, will be interested in serious
accident which occurred Al the plant of
the Niagara Falls Power Company. on
Thursday. January %. Lightning struck
and started fire among the cables lead
ing from power house No. ! 70 the
transformer house; on these cables prac.
tically all of the current output OF power
house No. l, $4,000 HP.. IS carried. The
current Is generated at n voltage of 300
and sent 70 the transformer station,
where portion of the current = raised
10 1000 volts for transmission 10 Buff
falo and other distant points.
The power house and the transformer
| station are located ON opposite sides of
| the headrace or inlet canal y bridge
, crosses this canal, and the cables fifty
| TWO in number, are carried over on this
| bridge. At 10:45 p. III of January %
the bridge was struck by lightning, and
| the stroke short-circuited some of the
| cables, and set their insulating covering
on FIRE
Every possible effort was made to put
the fire out, but the flames succeeded in
getting good start on the bridge and
| extended into the transformer station.
| All the generating machines were shut
down. The tiremen poured great volumes
of water onto the bridge and into the
| transformer station. but despite their
quick work all of the cables on the bridge
We're destroyed. The bridge and trans
former station We're badly damaged by
the fire. and the water thrown into the
transformer station wet several of the
big transformers rendering them wholly
useless until dried out.
The destruction of the cables cut on
The Niagara power supply of Buffalo. the
| TonaWandas. Lockport, and the ma j0rity
of the tenants of the Niagara Falls
Power Company, Ia Buffalo the street
lights went out, the trollcys StopuCd until
the International Railway Company's
storage battery was thrown in, and the
cars on the Niagara Falis-Buffalo line
aud The Iockport- Buffalo line. as wei
as ia Iockport. ceased Is run. For al
hour or more after the fire the are light,
of Niagara Falls were our and the eleC
trlc cars stopped. Every customer OF the
Niagara Falls Power Company was with
out power for short time nj least, iol
until an examination was made after the
fire. alI current was shut off from boil
stations q. e., power house No. / and
power house No. >, the latter having
been only recently completeth, The frs
service To be restored was thar of the
Niagara Falls electric railway and tn,
are lighting system. Tor this service
comes through the rotary cOnverters il
power house No. /. All patrons Of thu
company who received current tina
passed over the cables ON the bridge were
forced to wait until the temporary re
pairs were made.
The fire was hardly under control be
fore Supt. Barton was preparing TO maxi
repairs. Every man ii was possible L
put ON the job was Immediately set L
work. Carpenters repaired the roofs o
the bridge and the transformer station
| The debris of the fire was cleared away
New cables kept on hand by the com
pany, also some intended for use il
power house No. >. and some the Genera
Electric Ompany had on the ground wer,
brought TO the scene, and tho electrician,
Of the company hustled them into place
by daylight Friday splendid progress had
been made. and il was expected that Buf
falo would be connected M by noon
However. n short circuit caused further
trouble aud ii was I 30 y. m before cur
rent was flying over tho transmission line
To relieve Buffalos distress. Before il
was necessary 10 turn on he street lights
| Friday evening. Buffalo was receiving
10000 Hp.. and soon afterward the full
amount Of Niagara power used In Buffalo
was again passing over the cables
From the time Of the fire Thursday
night until late Friday afternoon all Of
the industrial establishments IN Buffalo
that use Niagara power were idle In
some cases the men were kept in the
plants hoping that the current would
| come from Niagara. while in other cases
the men had a honday All Of the fac
| tories in the Tonawandas that use the
| Niagara power were also forced 10 idle
| ness. and the same may he said Of the
| situation in L0ckpOrt In Niagara Falls
| the majority Of the tenants OF the power
company were without current, but few