New-York tribune., 1905-07-09

it does all that it aims TO do and furnishes
high speed service under close headway in a
safer and much more effective operation than
steam give. it will revolutionize suburban
train operation.
Though the first trains tits week will be run
on the Rockaway Beach Division merely, seventy
miles of third rail have been laid. and a
responding length Of track is ready for the cleo
trio operation. The zone practically completed
includes the road from Flatbush-ave. 70 Belmont
Park. and from Jamaica past the Metropolitan
Racetrack to Springfield Junction and the Far
Rockaway branch, via Valley Stream. as far as
HammeTs.
In addition to the electrtfcation already COM
pleted it is planned to electrify the Manhattan
Beach line and the North Shore branch to
Whitestone and Port Washington.
POwERHOUsE HEART OF SYSTEM.
The most important detail in the scheme of
electrifcation is the great powerhouse. which
bears the same relation to the rest OF the system
as the heart to the rest of the body. It's arteries
are triple conductor cables of 250.O00 circular
mills each, and through these it is constantly
pumping out an electric current of $4,000 volts
In the engine room of the powerhouse three
1850 horsepower turbines capable of carrying
from $4,000 to $4,000 horsepower under pressure)
and three $500 -klowatt generators have already
been set up and are ready Tor operation. Inc
building was constructed, however, TO hold six
of these generating units and two 1000 horse
power turbines in addition, making total of
SO 600 horsepower. The additional units will be
installed as the electric operation is increased.
The great surface -condensers, attached each
to a turbine, are the largest known. The con-
densers are on the floor below. the power room
and connected with the turbines by system Of
16-inch pipes. Each condenser contains $500
tubes. an inch in diameter and Is feet long, and
uses 1000 gallons of water a minute to cool the
exhaust steam. Each generating unit weighs
250 tons.
All the elaborate apparatus of generators,
buses and other apparatus required in cOnjunc-
tion Herewith, for the operation of the station.
is completely under the control of one man. who
stands before the switchboard In the operating
gallery. The operator is in direct communica-
ton by a signal system with the engine and
boiler rooms, and private telephone system
connects him with each of the five power sub
stations ard with practically all points along
the line.
THIRTY TWO GREAT BOILERS.
Not the least interesting place in the building
is the boiler ROOM with it's double tier of thirty
two 520-horsepower boilers. There is space for
sixteen more boilers of the same size
The coal handling apparatus illustrates to
what an extent mechanical ingenuity accom-
plishes the work of man. Coal is brought to the
bunkerS from a pier five hundred feet away over
a steel trestIe 10 feet above the street 1t is
scooped out of the barges by clamsheu bucket
holding 5000 pounds, operated a hoist, and
after passing through crusher and a Weighing
machine. it is fed into steel cars holding three
tons each, which form a cable railroad over the
trestle, and carried into a bunker where il Is
dumped into the proper place by means OF an
automatic tripping device. This whole machinery
is automatic to such extent that two men can
handle ii and deliver from barge to bunker five
hundred tons day.
From the powerhouse the great three-con
ductor cables bear the electric current to the
various Sub-statiOns, five in number where the
iz,oou-Voit alternating current passes through
buses and rotary machines and transformers
and, changed to a 600-volt direct current goes
out in smaller cables and is distributed TO the
third rail along the route by means of feed wires
Another novelty of the electrincation is the
transmission line. which the heavy cables
bearing the current TO move the trains are car
rled, not on the familiar type of wooden poles
but on structural steel latticed towers This
transmission line is the only one of its kind i'm
the world So strong are these poles that hur-
ricane cannot harm them.
complete new car equipment was necessary
Tor the electric road. Accordingly $50 hreproof
steel cars have been ordered. and as fast as thew
are received from the manufacturer they are
equipped al the temporary car shops at SPRING
HELD Long Island, Fifty of the steel cars are
now ready.