The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-10

From The Journal Bureau, Colorado Building
Washington.
Washington, Feb. lot seems diff
cult to realize, SO familiar have we
become with them thru use, that cleo
trai electric station supplying
cially as recently as 1876, and that it
was not until 1879 that the first cen
trail electric light station SUPPLYING
currents to such lamps, was installed
incandescent lights were not intro
duced commercially until 1881, and
the first 1ncandescent central station
put IN an appearance in 1882. BY
1880 the Industry had not sufficiently
developed to be enumerated in the
census. Men and women of less than
middle age can easily remember
when they saw their first electric light,
arc or incandescent
Official figures showing the develop
ment of this industry in the United
States. up to and including the year
1902, have just been issued by the
census bureau in bulletin form, and
they make an interesting study.
During the tWenty-four years since
1880, electricity has outstripped many
industries which are much older. The
urban population of the country is now
largely, and in some localities abso-
lutely, dependent upon it for transpor-
tatlon~ facilities, artificial light and
power for manufacturing. OF the 1892
towns In the country having more than
$500 population each, in 1900, 1911
have one or more central electric sta
tons and electric railways and 1850
smaller towns have similar stations.
In addition, there are number of
large stations which furnished current
to surrounding cities and towns.
Increase in Plants.
A striking feature of this industry
iror in =,
and Importance Of the plants owned
and operated by municipalities. In
| 1902 the city and town governments
operated 22.5 per cent of all central
electric stations, and the horsepower
of their power and generating plants
formed S.9 and 9.4 per cent, respec-
lively, of the total power reported for
all stations. The output Of munich
pal stations was per cent of the total
kilowatt hours reported for all sta
tiOns in operation, and their arc and
incandescent lamps wired for service
formed 1872 and 81 per cent, respec-
lively, of all lamps. ....
Central electric stations have be-
come active competitors for purposes
Of illumination with plants for the
manufacture of gas, but this competi-
ton has been neutralized to some ex-
tent by the control which, in many
instances, gas companies have secured
over competing electric stations; yet
Notwithstanding this, and the fact that
the gas industry in this country dates
from 1906, while electric stations have
been in existence only since 1879, the
latter industry is becoming the more
important. -.
AS showing how electricity is dis
tancing gas in the race for supremacy,
the census bulletin says that there
were last year $500 electric stations
in the country, and SIT gas stations.
The income of the electric light plants
was 100000, as compared with
SIS, 100000. for the gas plants. -.
Seventy-five per cent of the CEN
trail. electric stations are in towns of
5000 population and less, as compared
with 22 per cent of the gas plants. g
There are in the entire country 419,-
SCI arc lamps, the income from which
is S27,500,G0O, or an average of Sos
per lamp, regardless Of the number of
hours burned per day. There are 49,
194,593 incandescent lights in the
country, of which SO per cent are used
for CONNIE rcial purposes, or other
private lighting, and per cent for
public lighting.
The foregoing are only few figures,
taken at random, from the census bull
letin. This wonderful development
in the short space of twenty-five years
goes far to substantiata the remark
often heard that this is the age of
electricity.
Ins