The Garden Island. [volume] (Lihue, Kauai, H.T.) 1902-current, 1913-08-26
NEW
ELECTRIC POWER
SYSTEM

DOTH OF nOlnlnp II leaps TO lie
and in the short space of one second
of time lives a thousand lives-dies
a thousand deaths and still lives
on.
Thus has one Of Our modern
poets so ably described that won
derfully useful yet infinitely in
tangible nj d ern convenience
Electricity.
Lihue may congratulate itself OH
having one Of the most efficient
power plants that modern engineer
ing can produce; no expense r
detail was overlooked in the con-
struction of the plant. that could
possibly contribute to providing a
first class up-to-date system.
The power house itself situated
about eight miles from Lihue lies
coselv ensconced in a deep saucer
like depression just beyond the
ridge followed by the Wainiha pole
line.
AS one looks down from the
trail several hundred feet above
the power house and nearly a mile
away from it, one is attracted BY
the loud hum of the machinery anil
sees the foam churned water, as it
passes from the turbines to the
stream a little beyond. One can
not fail to be suddenly brought to
realize t h e invasion of COM
mercialism in the heart of the sub
tropical Hawaiian foot hills.
The plant derives its source of
power from t h e Waiahi stream.
Two tunnels h We been con-
structed known as the north and
south intakes. The former is four
miles long and the latter just half
as long.
These are divided up at certain
intervals by deep cavities giving
access to the tunnel way, a II d
nearer the hydrostatic head b y
spillways by the aid of which the
main volume of water may be re-
gulated.
On leaving the tunnels the water
j s brought through a concrete
canal way to a capacious surge
head POI ft. above the level OF the
water wheels below. From h e
surge head thirty inch pipe con-
ducts the stream to the entrance to
the power house, where the water
way divides into two branches, one
branch leading to each turbine.
The turbines are of the pelton
type direct connected each to a ESQ
XIV. Amp. capacity alternating 8
phase current generator, turning
them at 347 revolutions per minute.
Demands for sudden increased
output from the generators are in
stantly met by means of automatic
valves which are operated by finely
adjusted oil governors. An increase
in the load causes the water valves
to open thus increasing the volume
OF water admitted the wheels
II d corresponding increase i IL
speed and output of the machines.
Diminishments in the load cause
a closing of the valves preventing
the machines from racing at too
high speed thus giving excessive
voltage,
The power house is constructed
of concrete and we'll enforced steel
work. Overhead cranes on steel
runways provide an easy means
for moving or dismatling some of
h e more heavy pi e of
machinery.
Under ground conducts lead the
main current from the generators
to the switchboard and transformer
room.
Th e former is we'll equipped
with every variety of meter, in
Guiding synohronisers, frequency
meters and phase meters.
The transformer room is a small
concrete building added on to the
main house, containing set of
four water cooled transformers.
Here the current { r o III h e
machines which has a voltage of
bout 2,25O is transformed to
10, 500 volts for transmission over
the six mile high tension line to
Lihue.
There are over $50 re-entorced
concrete poles bearing the wires of
this line, being as strong II d
durable as they possibly could be
made.
The high tension line enters the
substation a t Kapaia where the