The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-27
INTERESTING REPORT
CENTRAL ELECTRIC LIGHT AND
 POWER STATIONS.
Aeyiew ts Issuea by Bureau of the Censms, Prepared by W. M. steuart, Ci.ief Stntistician
 for Manufacturer.


 The Bureau of the Census has just published a report on central electric light and power stations for the year ending June 30, 1909, prepared under the supervision of Mir W. M Steuart, chief statistician for manufactures. It is the third of a series of reports on the operation and utilization of eiec- tric current. In addition to the text, which was prepared by MT. Thomas Commerford Martin of New York City. expert special agent, there are elabo- rate tables and an interesting series of illustrations.
 The chapters of text discuss, respec- lively. the scope and method of the in- vestigation, financial operations. em- pIoyes. salaries and wages, physical equipment, output of stations, fran ehises, and the history and development sf electric lighting.
 The statistics do not include isolated Alectric light and power plants install- cd in manufacturing establishments, hotels ofice buildings, etc. for the pur- pose of furnishing the light and power primarily for the use of the individuals, firms, or corporations operating such establishments.
 Electric lighting dates back only to the beginning Of the last century, while the history of central stations proper D&A0nES OnAy t0 the SSCOuu Hdll otb mora strictly speaking, to the last quarter of the century.
 The development of electric lighting was marked by the work of a series or discoverers and inventors, by whom the evolution of arc lighting from an ex- pensive laboratory experiment to It's present cheap and useful form was ac- complished.
 The progressive success of arc light ing imparted a great impulse to experi- mentation with the incandescent lamp. Many distinguished inventors devoted their attention to this subject, but the incandescent lamp was not commer- cfaliy a success until about twenty five years ago, when Edison's hrst lamps were produced
 To MT Edison the development of the incandescent lamp was associated with the creation of a complete system of electric lighting, a current to be rur- nished from the central station to a large number of buildings in a manner exactly analogous to that in which the supply of gas Is furnished. In 1880 he installed such a system in Menlo Park, The introduction of the Edison Jum- bo" dynamo soon followed.
 The estimated useful life of a l00- Watt l6-candle power lamp made today is over 10000 hours. about twenty times as long as it was twenty-five years ago.
 In the last quarter of a century a total of over 250.0o0, coo lamps has been produced, or not less than 1o,o0O,oOO year.
 Then came the attempt to unify arc and incandescent lighting, the develop ment of the use of the alternating cur mt. the evolution of the later arc laup. the change from open to inclosed lamps, the production of lamp globes, lamp supports, series and multiple methods, appliances, fixtures, fuses and cut-outB. methods of wiring, modern conveniences, and novel types or lamps including the Nernst incandescent, the mercury vapor, and vacuum tube light ing.
 For convenience in study the vari- ous electric stations have been divided into two grand classes: First, those operated by individuals or corpora . tions; and, second. those operated un- der municipal control Each Of these classes is subdivided into. first those doing a purely electric business, anu, second, those operated in connection with other industries. The latter are designated composite stations.
 Further subdivisions have been made one being based upon the population of the place in which the station IS To- cated and the other upon the horse- power capacity of the generating ap- pdkatQb VA luS
 The growth of this industry is shown by the following figures: From eight stations beginning operation in 1881 the number rose to 100 in 1SS6. to 2oS in 1889, and to 247 in 1892. During the following years of depression the mum Der of new stations fell; but in 1895, though a time of financial stringency. 1t again rose to 239. In 1898 1t reach ed 277, or more than the number be- ginning operation in the entire period from 1881 to 1886, inclusive. The num- ber for 1901 was 250, and for live months of 1902 1t was 146. In the twenty years from 1881 to 1901, inclu- sive. an average of 165 private and municipal stations have begun opera tion each year. The spread of the agi- tation for municipal ownership of pulp lie service enterprises is illustrated in a somewhat striking manner. Of tho SIS municipal stations enumerated, only 6S had been installed up to 1889. In that year 40 were introduced, and in