The Elbert County tribune., 1909-06-10
TRINIDAD POWER
PLANT BURNED.
STREET CARS, MINES, MILLS AND
FACTORIES ARE LEFT
IDLE.
LOSS IS over 100000
BLOWING OUT OF TRANSFORMER
CAUSES EXPLOSION THAT
scATTERs BURNING OIL.

Denver.-A news special from Trini-
dad Saturday night says:
Practically every branch of industry
in this city and neighboring towns Is
at standstill as the result of the de-
struction of the new power house Of
the Southern Colorado Power Com
pany today.
The city electric railway and inter-
urban line are at standstill and to
night Trinidad Is lighted only with kerr
osene lamps and candles. The loss on
the plant alone will exceed 100000.
and the loss to the business interests
Of the county can only be measured by
the length of time that this city and
adjoining camps will be without cleo
trical power of any sort.
Not cent of insurance was carried
on the big plant. 1t has been in the
course Of construction for the last
eighteen months.
The fire started few minutes be-
fore o'clock and was caused by the
the blowing out of huge transformer
which was used to reduce the voltage
from the main generator into the gen.
orator which supplies the current for
city lights. F. A. Warfield, electrical
engineer for the company, and a force
of men were working near the trans
former when they heard something
give way.
An instant later the steel cap blew
off and 1t is supposed that flying oil,
which was contained in the transfor-
mer, became ignited from an electric
spark. The force of the explosion was
sufficient to throw several barrels of
burning oil to the rafters of the struc-
ture and in an instant the whole inter-
ior Of the big plant was in flames.
At the risk of their lives, Warfield
and his assistants stayed in the burn
ing building until they had shut off all
power and had taken the water and
steam from the big boilers to prevent
explosions.
One of the worst features of the
fire is the blow dealt the coal and coke
industry of the Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company, the Victor Fuel Company
and dozen smaller companies that
have just closed contracts with the
power companies to furnish them with
electric power.
The Sopris washer has just been
completed and was preparing to start
with full force in the next few days.
The Victor Fuel Company had just
turned on the current at Grey creek
and operated their washer for the first
time during the week.
The company has just completed the
construction of over 100 miles of pow
er transmission lines to various camps
in this section of the state, which must
OF necessity be useless for at least
threa months until new plant can be
erected. Most of the coal companies
had disposed of their individual power
plants and today's fire will mean the
probable delay of at least six weeks in
the opening of the coal and coke in
dustry for this year.
In an interview tonight d. w. Rupp,
assistant treasurer and local manager,
stated that he was in no position to
say what would be done by his COM
pany, nor when the plant would again
be in operation.
The city and adjoining camps have
tonight scarcely awakened to the full
Import Of today's fire upon the indus
tries Of this section. The Trinidad
foundry. one of the largest concerns
OF the sort in the southwest, employ
ing 100 men, is out of business and
there is no power in sight for their
plant. A dozen smaller factories and
foundries will be closed for an indefin-
ite period.
All sorts of plans are or foot to Sc
cure power from other sources, but
nothing can be learned as to the time
when it may be secured. The newspa-
pers Of this city missed publication
this afternoon with the exception of a
bulletin gotten out by the Chronicle
News on hand press.
The Southern Colorado Power Com
pany is incorporated for s1,5O0,0O0. 1t
is headed by ]. J. Henry of Denver,
who, with his associates, year and
half ago purchased the Trinidad
Electric Railway Company and the
Trinidad Light. Gas and Electric Pow
or Company. merged the two concerns
and organized the present corporation.
The concern has been financed by
the Union Trust Company of st. Louis,
and during the past year nearly a mil
lion dollars has been spent in this
county in taking over all of the power
concerns and making improvements.
~.