The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-09-21
THE CRANK-PIN BROKE
And One Big Engine at Power Plant
Was Put Out of Commission.

City street car service auxiliary pow
er lines, and a small portion. of the
/ lighting circuits were shut down.
about 1880 yesterday afternoon, fol-
! lowing the breaking of large crank
4 pin working in the disk Of the new
Murray power engine at the Oskaloosa
Traction G. Light Company power
house. Regular transportation, power
and lighting service should be resum-
ed this evening, il no further trouble
deyelopes, says local manager A. H.
r. Jackson. s.-
Last winter the Illinois Traction
Company, owners Of the local public
service plant, installed a new Murray
engine at the power house, the ma
chine being one of the best turned out
by the Murray Iron Works at Bur
lingtOn, Iowa. Later the engine was
rebuilt, changes being made which
were considered as necessary to serve
+ the bent interests of the community
and company. New and larger parts
were added in many places and the
efficiency of the producer greatly in
creased.
After several weeks, during which
the new engine showed evidence of
continuous operation, one of the spare !
units of the plant was dismantled in
view of rebuilding. Many parts have
been constructed for the new machine
while others are in the course of be-
ing made. A short time should see the
rebuilt plant in perfect operation
About, two thirty yesterday after
noon, two thirty-seven to be exact, the
crank pin snapped No reason for this
accident can be ascertained by the
local engineers. The piece is heavy
metal, about seven inches in diameter
and almost one and one half i'm leryth
and was a new part added TO the ina
chine but short time ago.
Engineers fro mthe Murray Com
pany at Burlington were secured at
once. and an order for new parts Or
dered by telegraph The new piece Is
being rushed through the burlington
shops and will be forwarded Mere by
express as soon as completed. In the
mean time work on remodeling the
old engine will be pushed as speedily
as possible and relief provided for the
one engine now carrying the entire 4
load Soon three almost new units \
will be in readiness to care for local
service.
The public will not suffer much
from the effects of the break, the ac-
cident not being as serious as some
are want to imagine Street car SER
vice will be continued to- Beacon and
University Park, one car running first
to Beacon and then through to the
Park This will permit the movement
OF the working people and students,
who must go to and fro. Street lights
will be shut off early, and few light
ing circuits closed. Generally, however
the public will be provided with. the
usual service.
Two gangs of workers labored all
Tuesday night and Wednesday with
the engine and producing unit. The
, men are assisted in their effort by an
expert from the shops OF the Murray
Iron Works of Burlington, who was
sent post haste" to the Oskaloosa
plant
Efforts to make the repairs at the
earliest possible moment are being
sustained with the probability that
the unit will be in serice some time
tonight or early tomorrow morning.
In the meanwhile the car service
to Beacon and University Park is be-
ing maintained and everything posi-
BILE done to meet the requirements of
the Inconvenience patrons.
Manager A. H. r. Jackson is fully
appreciative of the graciousness of
many of the larger patrons and con-
sumers of power current under the
present distressing conditions, both
to the company and the patron. The
company is doing everything in its