The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-06-18
A BUCKSPORT BOY
Makes Worlds Record in Operating {
Steam Plant.

Makes Worlds Record in Operating
Steam Plant.
The Journal is indebted to Mr.. A. H. Hans
com for copy of 1.-THE Electrician an Eng
lsh publication devoted to Electrical Mechani-
cal matters, in which high compliment is paid
a Maine man. The article whole is too
technical in it's character for the average
reader, but we will try to give its substance.
"The Electrician" says:
"The extent to which modern generating
plant may be called upon to maintain service
under conditions of abnormal demand is illus
trated in remarkable fashion by recent in
cidenr at the l.. street station of the Edison
Electric Illuminating Co., of Boston, Mass
We are indebted to Mr.. W. P. Hancock, who is
the power superintendent of this undertaking,
and who is in this country for short
visit, for particulars of two unusual day loads
with which his system had to cope. 1t ap
pears that some long periods of darkness were
experienced in Boston on March 18th and 23d
last, and the city and its environs were SO
quickly enveloped in gloom that the load at
the L. street station increased at the alarming
rate of l, 900 XIV. per minute or the equivalent
of DO, 600 20 C. p. lamps per minute (This is
illustrated by a diagram and fgures) 1.-THE
Electrician" continues: "The peak on March
18th of nearly $1,000 XIV. was within Ia per
cent of the maximum load ever carried by the
station. The excessive peak of March 23d was
within 10 per cent of their maximum demand,
which was just over $4,000 XIV. Central sta
| ton engineers in this country who are operat-
ing large power plants will appreciate the
| significance of these figures They will UNDER
| stand that the maintenance of the supply I'M
der such conditions is wholly matter for the
| steam plant. MIR. Hancock has kindly furnish
ed particulars which show how the boilers
were taxed during the period of overload on
March 18th, and how the number of boilers in
service was increased from a. m. to 10 Is q.
M, from IL to % boilers. On March 23d the
demand was more sudden than on March 18th.
| and here the boilers were working at 4.l5 at
! 243 per cent of their rating. The feature of
this achievement lies in the fact that the bat
teries were not called upon. and that the
greatest drop in steam was only 10 ID. Mr.. W.
J. Kennedy, the chief engineer of the Boston
Edison Company, is to be highly complimented
upon what we feel sure is a worlds record in
power plant operation"
Mr.. Kennedy has charge of all steam in the
Edison Company and is one of the brightest
and most capable men in this line of business
in this country or elsewhere, and is known,
personally or by reputation, by power boat
men everywhere He served for two or three
| years after leaving school as oiler on the
steamer Penobscot under Fred Hathorne and
is native of Bucksport. son of John Kennedy,
formerly for many years Maine Central en-
gineer, and is one of six boys. Three brothers
are erecting engineers for either the General
Electric Co. or the Westinghouse Electric Mfg
Co., and are sent to all parts of this country
and Europe. A fifth brother is chief engineer
of the N. E. Confectionery plant in Boston and
has a wonderful record for economy in plant
operation. The last, or rather the youngest
brother, did not follow this calling, but engaged
in another line of business. Mr.. W. J. Kennedy
married daughter of Lewis Aty God of Win
terport and has fine family, of which he is
justly proud. He recently bought an attra It.
! i've home in a suburb of Boston. We think
our readers will agree that this is remark.
able family record and one of which theil
native State may well be proud.