Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-10-20
lightning Flash of FrankIin's
Day Now Lights The World

these roads in 1890 was sufficient to
give 80 rides to each inhabitant Of the
United States. The number carried
in 1912 was sufficient to give 100 rides
to each inhabitant. II is safe to say
that no other industry has increased
so rapidly and undergone such com
Dlete change within a generation.
sos percent. of the electric railways
purchase their own power. The CEN
5us shows that there is a tendency,
more marked in some localities, TO
purchase power from central stations
The rapid increase in this practice is
based on economies not possible by
roads that operate their own plant.
"The development of the central
stations for generating electrical
energy for light. heat and power is
equally as astonishing According to
the census of 1912 there we're 5,22l
central stations furnishing light, heat
and power The advances made in
the long distant transmission Of cleo
tricity and its appliance to industrial
processes has greatly extended the
central stations field OF activity. The
prime movers in the central stations
In 1902 had only % h. =. to every
1000 OF the population. In ten years
this ratio had increased TO 70. II must
be almost 100 today
"As an illustration OF the way the
industry is developing, I would cite
our own experiences here in Whining
ton. In 1911 the total output of our
Brandywine Power House was 5000
h. D. In 1918 II had increased to To-
600 h. p. capacity. BY the end or this
year this capacity Will have been dou-
bled. making a total of 10000 h. p. In
1913 our light and power lines were
practically confined to Wilmington
and the section Immediately north
thereof. Our transmission lines now
radiate from Wilmington in all direc-
lions into the surrounding country
and extend 10 New Castle and Della
ware City on the south Newark, Del
aware. and EllSton and Chesapeake
City. Maryland. on the southwest;
Kennett Square, Avondale and West
Grove. Pa. on the west. and 10 Mont
chanin and the state Line OF Pennsyl-
vania. on the North The owners Of
three small water power plants and
FIVE large steam plants, together with
a number OF smaller ones. have lately
found n more economical TO purchase
their power from us than to operate
and have shut down their
plants.
"By the end Of this week we will
have completed laying two submarine
cables across the Delaware River, and
within n month will be supplying
Pennsgrove, Salem, BridgetOn and
Millville. New Jersey. and the inter
vening territory. with electric cur
rent generated in Wilmington.
$50 much for the past, bot what
about the future. Despite the erorm
GUS advances made and the results
accomplished in electric railway, light
and power development, II would be
folly to assume that we have arrived
at the limitation OF inventions and I'M
provements. am firmly Of the be-
lief that we are only fairly started,
and that there Is no industry with a
brighter future than the electrical ins
dustry. There are countless factories
still operating steam driven machin-
cry; there are millions OF houses yet
unwired. the trunk line railroad sys-
TENS are stiil largely steam operated.
and the inventive genius OF mankind
has never been more active.
IT remember. as a boy. being fas-
cinated with Jules Verne's vivid story
entitled, Twenty ThThsand Leagues
Under the Sea" IN which he accur-