New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-11
BUILDING THE POWER HOUSE

One OF the chief requisites Of an electrical
plant of this sort Is a power house for the
manufacture and control OF the Juice"
and this was one Of the first things to 70
ceive the attention OF tho engineers in
charge. These engineers represented the
engineering department Of the New York,
now in control OF the Boston Maine sys-
tenn F. H. McHenry is vice-presdent In
charge Of this department.
Zylonite, about two miles from the west
portal, was selected as the site Of the
power house, and this has been put up and
equipped in record time by the T. Ley
Company, of Springfield, Mass. which had
the contracts for the buildings.
The power house. a substantial structure
Of brick and steel. 200 feet long by 100 feet
wide and about 100 feet high, has been
equipped with four boilers OF 800 horse
power each. and there is room for several
more with a total capacity Of 5000 horse
power.
In order to supply the boilers with water
number of artesian wells have been
driven. and an additional supply is derived
from the Hoosac River canal and an arti-
fetal pond near by. concrete tunnel
brings water to the condensers from some
distance away. and the heated water ID
carried back to it's source through another
tunnel Of concrete and discharged 1T q
point where 1t will cool before re-enterins
the condensers.
For the production Of the required cleo
tricity there have been installed by the
Westinghouse Machine Company two 3oo
kilowatt turbo generators. each turbine
being capable Of developing 1900 kilowatt
THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.
In general way the system Of cleo
IRRIGATION Of the tunnel will be similar tc
that In successful operation on the Nov
York. New Haven Hartford road be-
tween New York and Stamford, and the
overhead wiring and bridges at the ap'
proach to both portals will recall this part
Of the New Haven system.
The electric locomotives to be used an
Ave in number. Of the Westinghouse type
and each 10 capable Of developing Leo
horsepower These powerful locomotives
will be able to move 2,oco-ton train
The locomotives are designed TO handle all
portal OF the tunnel. and will couple d.
rectly onto the steam locomotives. hauling
each with its train over the electric zone.
There Is no other tunnel in the world.
says w. 8. Murray, the engineer. where
the situation 10 just that Of the Hoosac
and think 1t may be said that there IL
no other place in tunnel construction where
the factors Of safety are so large In the
way Of insulating the wires. IN order to cut
down to strict minimum the possibility OF
electrical failure Of the line
In a general way, It may be said that the
factors of safety throughout the tunnel are
three times above the normal.
For the speedy prosecution OF the work
both inside and outside the tunnel. force
OF workmen averag ing about 80 has been
required. The work trains used have been
made UP Of fiat cars, on which high skele-
tonized platforms have been built, the. lat
ter being just high enough TO permit the
workmen to work on the ff1nty rock roof
of the tunnel where the holes for tho WIRE
supporting brackets had to be drilled At a
uniform height Of Is feet 6 inches.
Dressed very much as coal miners. and
looking decidedly like these when they
emerged from the black bore after their
days work, they patiently labored day
after day. oftentimes being drenched by
the icy water that in portions Of the tunnel
escapes from springs in the rocks. Electric
lights attached TO. the construction trains
furnished their illumination and hagmen
and train dispatchers at the end Of tele-
phones protected, them from possible
danger OF collision. A dining car was also
attached to each train. for such work a.
that requires q we'll nourished body. The
cost Of maintenance Of equipment for the
electric system will be very much less than
for steam.
The credit for pushing to completion the
great bore" begun under such disco,raS-
ing circumstances. finally fell to two
CONTAGIOUS Canadians. Francis and Walter
Shanly.