The Washington herald., 1910-07-02
TRAIT FIG TIED UP
WHEN POWER FAILS
Thousands Delayed for More
Than Two Hours.

A short-circuit in the main feed wires
occurred early last night at the main
plant Of the Potomac Electric Power
Company ana caused a strain on the
generator that exploded it and tied ap
practically half Of Washingtons travel
ing public from $40 20 $50 o'clock
Every car on the Washington Railway
and Electric Company. every car on the
Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis
electric line within the District limits,
and also those OF the washington Alex
andra and Mount Vernon Railway Com
panyswere affected Thousands Of per
sons were delayed and otherwise in
| convenienced.
Back to the Candles.
/ In addition. thousands Of homes in the
/ city which depend on the Potomac Com
pany for their electric lighting had to
! fall back on gas, while many resorted
TO the primitive candle The whole cleo
/ trio street lighting system was affected
1t was the longest similar tie-up in the
| history Of the city, and probably the
most expensive in the way Of delay and
| inconvenience
There are four large feeders leading
| from the power house to supply light to
| the city and power for the car compa-
nies All shoTt-circuited almost simultane-
ously. and the resulting strain or kick
back on the generator forced the gen
orator from its bearing and rendered ii
useless
The "l0ick-back' caused a heavy roar
ing. ripping sound as the generator
kicked from its base, and there was a
dangerous electric display for a few Sec
onds. No one was injured. though the
splitting sparks fell dangerously near.
Electricians Get Busy.
Electricians of the company set imme-
diately to work remedying the defect,
correcting the circuit, and resetting the
generator. 1t was not until after s
O'Clock that the current was once more
turned on.
In the meantime the city had to depend
solely on substations of small capacity.
This reserve power was only sufficient TO
cause a small reddish CLINT in the electric
globes.
Many of the smaller hotels were also
affected by the accident. The larger no
tells worked their own plants.
IN large buildings hundreds were
forced to take to the stairs through the
failure of the elevator service.
The Postal Telegraph Company was
compelled to use candles 10 enable their
operators to take off the incoming and
transmit the outgoing messages.
The Washington. Alexandra and Mount
Vernon Railway Company accommodated
its traffic by an automobile relay service
Their cars from the Virginia points could
go only to the Virginia side of the High
way bridge and many of the passengers
were compelled 10 walk across the bridge
into Washington.
The company finally pressed four sight.
seeing autos into service. running then
rapidly between the Virginia shore and
its station at Twelfth street and Pennsyl.
| vania avenue.
The $50 and 7:SO O'Clock Baltimore and
Annapolis bound trains of the Wash.
ington, Baltimore and Annapolis Rail.
way were unable TO get away from the
Treasury Building station, while all the
incoming trains were held up at Chesa-
peake Junction.
Laurel Cars Halt.
r The Laurel cars Of the washington
Railway Company were likewise put out
Of service altogether, except near th'
: Laurel end of the line.
The breakdown caused particular in
convenience by occurring at the busies
time of the day The travelling publ,
in the city were only slightly affected b,
, it, because in many instances they wer'
able to fall back upon the Capital Trac