Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-20

world. 1t is now in the car works at Pull
man. III. doing daily duty. At Chicago
n .000-horse power was necessary, and the
biggest engine, furnished by company of
Milwaukee,, developed 3.0O0- horse power.
At st. Louis about 5O,000-horse power is
available, and little more than $1,000 is in
daily use; but here it is all electricity
The grounds are lighted by 4.000-horse
power Allis-Chalmers engine and a Bullock
generator. Eight engines like 1t have been
built for the elevated railroad system in
New York. and eight more, of twice the
size, for the new underground system in
New York city 1t is the largest engine of
its class ever made, and furnishes a cur
rent for nearly 100000 eight-candle incan-
descent lamps every evening During the
day, from 2 o'clock in rias afternoon until
power to operate streetfears between the
exposition grounds and the city
The Westinghouse Company, which was
awarded the contract for furnishing power
for the main service plant, has installed a
complete model central station, with four
Westfnghouse-Corliss vertical cross-coD,.
pound reciprocating engines of 3,5OO-horse
power each-altogether 14000-horse power
which have been in continuous opera ton
since April 10, furnishing power for all the
machinery in motion on the ground for
lighting 1,24 0acres for pumping water fol
the lagoons cascades and fountains and for
other purposes. This plant Is almost a du-
plica ton of 10000 horse power station re-
Gently completed at Kings Bridge New
York city, for the Metropolitan street rail-
way system, and 73,O00-horse power sta
'ioh Tor the New YORK Edison Company.
Advance in Electric Engineering.
The advance in electric engineering since
the Chicago exposition Is strikingly illus
trated by this service plant. The great CEN
trail station at Chicago. which was also
equipped by the Westinghouse Company,
was of about the same total capacity. 1t
had twelve generators, the largest poly
phase alternating current machines ever
constructed up to that time, each having
1,0OO-horse power. The generators here
however, although furnishing 3,5O0-horse
power regularly, are considered only of or
binary size these days. Indeed, everybody
who enters the service plant must pass
through a full-SiZe plaster model Of 35-
foot stationary armature, eone Of seventeen
IU0-horse power generators recently in
stalled for the Manhattan Elevated railway
In New York. Eight generat9rssof similar
size are row being installedfQI one of the
underground railways in London, and the
Westinghouse company has under construc-
the Ontario Power Company at Niagara
Falls. Ten years ago 1000 horse power was
the limit Today 0,000- horse power engines
are not uncommon.
Another noticeable feature is economy OF
space. The plant here occupies only about
10 per cent of the space required for the
same capacity at Chicago.
At the centennial exposition the high
est steam pressure required was sixty
pounds. At Chicago the limit was 10C
pounds. Here all around you in the power
palace you can see engines working with
a pressure of Dds, $50 and even 300 pounds
Near one of the entrances to the building
is French engine of 1,5o0-horse power
using 300 pounds of steam superheated 20O
degrees. 1t is an object of great interest
to American machinists.
1t is easy to see the reason for the econ
omy of space. The generator has become a
part of the engine. Its wheel has been put
on the same shaft as the f1ywheel, while a
few years ago the piston of the engine
drove a crank which turned the fiywheel on
a shaft, while a belt carried the power to
another shaft which turned the wheels OF
the generator. I'M ave.
But everything in this Wonderful power
palace must not be judgetIby its bigness.
Under the very shadow Of the monstrous
s. COO horse power engines ahave told you
about is a little one of only one-eighth of
the strength of a horse. running sewing
machine 1t was made expressly for tired
seamStreSSeS.