The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-28

of the big boilers stand useless mos
of the time. being held merely fol
emergencies. There are $3.50 kilowat
"step up transformers. changing 9
$500 volt current to a 5000 volt cur
rent. for the sole purpose OF supplying
the fair grounds, and on the fan
grounds are corresponding 100 k1io-
watt "step down" transformers chang
ing the current into lis volts for use
on the grounds. Only one week In each
year is this equipment called into use
In order to balance the voltage. and
keep a constant supply OF current
when users are turning on and turn
ing OF power or lights, q 500 kilowatt
storage battery has been installed
and is connected to the main plant
In case there is specially heavy
drain for a few minutes. the surplus
comes from the storage battery. II
the load is suddenly lightened, the ex-
cess passes into the storage battery.
The new 8 ok has a capacity OF 5000
horse power, considerably greater
than the present capacity of lie plant
and is looking forward to a greater
Topeka.
Power for Street Cars.
! Up to 1903 the Topeka Railway
company had been manufacturing its
own current. AS it's equipment was
becoming Anticipated and was wearing
out, and also as the Edison plant was
able to handle the additional load,
contract was made whereby the Edi-
son plant furnished the power for the
railway. the railway becoming a Gus
toner. A basis more economical to
the railway and profitable to the Edi-
son company was found. At this time
! the ownership of the two companies
was entirely separate. Since that time
the street railway power has been fur
nished by the Edison plant.
Heats 1875 Buildings.
A factor of the work of the Edison
plant is the steam heating business,
started in order to conserve and util-
ize the exhaust steam, but which has
become SO large that considerable
amount of live steam is necessary to
keep up the pressure in the steam
lines. At present 135 buildings. in
Guiding all the large buildings be-
tween Fifth and Tenth streets in the
business district. are heated by Edison
steam. These include the city library.
the high school. Capper building. the
State Journal building, Mills building,
both Santa Fe Office buildings, the
Mulvane building. New England
Real Estate building, Crosby Broth
ers', Warren M. Crosby's. State Saw
ings bank, and many others.
An interesting matter in connection
with the old system was the manner
in which charges were made. Under
the old franchise the lighting COM
pany was permitted to charge not to
exceed manufactured gas at $500 per
thousand cubic feet for lighting.
Practically the only competition with
electric light at that time was open
gas jets. Old contracts, therefore.
provided for the use of so many lamps
of a certain size for a given length of
time. 1t was based on the use OF 16
candlepower lamps. One dollar a
month permitted the use Of one such
lamp until o'clock at night. If the
lamp was used until 10 o'clock it was
$1.25 month; until midnight, $3.50,
and all night it was $500 a month.
Meters were unknown. In 1889 the
first meters, known as the Edison
chemical meters were introduced, but
they were not satisfactory.
BY placing two plates in bottle,
one positive and the other negative,
a certain amount of substance from
one plate was transferred to the other.
and the amount OF electricity used
was determined by taking the bottles
out Of the meter. taking out the plates
upon 1 cent an hour for 16 candle
power lamp was then made. The
same amount of electricity now will
furnish nearly 60 candle power, and
costs less than half as much. The
same light furnished then for l cent
an hour is now furnished in the mod
ern Mazda type lamp for .OO1S cents
an hour.
March of Progress.
In 1891 the Edison company bought
the North Topeka Electric Light COM
pany that had been operating for a
couple of years north of the river and
in 1895, the Brush plant having gone
into the hands of receiver, the Ed
son company too over that plant.
purchasing it at sheriff's sale.
l.: - h rf h a
plant shows the changes of old ma
chinery for new, and the constant in
stallation of new machinery In addi-
ton. In 1894 a 1000 16 candle power
alternating current generator was IN
stalled to- furnish current for outly-
ing districts. In 1896 new machinery
was put in place of generators taken
out Of the North Topeka and Brush
plants. The same year three $50
horse power fire tube boilers, being
worn out. were replaced by two Bah
cock and Wilcox water tube boilers
of 800 horse power capacity each. The
old boilers were 5unked. In 1893 the
remaining fire tube boilers were dis
placed by modern boilers, and later
additional boilers were added. In 1900
$50 horse power fuel economizer
was installed between the boilers ana
the stack to utilize the heat units In
the flue gases as they were exhausted.
The same year a 800 horse power
vertical engine was installed and was
direct connected with the generators.
the first direct connection The en-
gines formerly had been belted. The
storage battery was added in 1908
and motor generators were also in
stalled that year. In 1905 all the old
engines were discarded and scrapped
as also were the old series generators,
having become obsolete. The new
two years. and are the finest thing
known in modern electrical genera
ton. One of them was installed In
1912 and the other last year. The
stack has been remodeled twice, once
when a 4-foot brick stack. 100 feet
high. was replaced with an S-foot steel
stack 10 feet high, in 1900, and then
when the steel stack was replaced re-