Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-23
Largest Generator al Power Plant
Completely Destroyed in Early
Morning Blaze
TROLIY OPERATION Is CUT
Making Every Effort To Furnish
Electricity 10 Places Where
Munitions Are Made.

tN-- FH''-
Fire started shortly after 1880
this morning in one of the windings
az the largest turbine used at the
power plant in Moline Of the Peo-
pies Power company and spread I'M
Ill the machine was so badly dam
aged i Vii be so days before its use
will again be possible.
This has made 1T necessary for
officials l5 the Tri-City Railway
company 90 practically curtai1 all
street car operation.
Ouerat5,u on the following lines
was q .4gou-inued today and Will be
discontinued until a new turbine,
which the company has on hand,
bur - Ia ch is not Yet completely in
stalled. is practically placed for
working order.
Thrty-cighth street stub, Rock
Island.
Fifteenth street branch of the
Fourth avenue line between Rock
Island and Moline.
Third avenue line, west Of Fiji
/. teenth street. Rock Island.
a Elm street. west Of Nineteenth
III street Rock Island
y Bridge line stops at Scott street,
Davenport, instead Of Warren
street
Fourth street line, Davenport
lie Claire street line. Davenport.
Mcclellan line, Davenport
Shops Closed.
The appended factories were
forced TO close most OF their shops
today owing to The damage done to
rho tHrbFvg This morning
Deere a. Co, Moline.
Harvester and Marsei1les Works,
East Moline.
Moline Plow Company. Moline.
Universal Tractor company, Rock
Island
Rock Island Pillow company. Rock
Island
Williams & White. Moline.
VeIie Carriage company, Moline.
Numerous plants in Davenport
are likewise shut off from electric
power. the officials of the local
company announce. However, ey-
cry effort is being made to furnish
power 10 AN plants where war work
is being conducted.
Rock Island arsenal is being fur
nished with power from the plant
affected and every effort is being
made 10 keep the regular supply
pouring t0 the island.
Street car service is to be re-
turned TO normal as soon as posi-
BILE. John G. HuntOOn, general man
ager of the Tri-City Railway COM
pany said today However, until
the new turbine which is consider
ably larger than the one destroyed
is placed. the serious condition of
affairs will remain the same.
Smaller turbines are now fur
nishing all Of the power that is be-
ing consumed in the tri-cities.
New One Larger.
The turbine which was consumed
by fire this morning was able to
turn out 1900 kilowatts of cleo
tricitv which is equal to 10000
horsepower. The new outfit has an
output OF 10000 kilOwatts which is
equal to so 900 horsepower.
Experts from the factory which
manufactures the turbines are now
enroure to the power plant in Mo-
line 70 help restore conditions to
normal
The new turbine would have been
in operation now, one official of the
power company said today, but Ow-
ing 10 the war conditions which
have and are existing the war pri-
critics board ordered that no new
machine he installed and the de
lay naturally resulted.
The machine was ordered three
years ago. he continued. and It was
to have been delivered in the spring
Of 1917 but the ruling prevented its
delivery one wear Naturally its in
stalIat50n was delayed.
Fear Peak Load.
Officials said today that the only
time when the loss Of the turbine
would be greatly felt was at $50
iu the evening and between 6 and
O'Clock in the morning when the
greatest load is placed on the pow
er plant At that time special cars
and extras are used to carry work
ers TO the shops and factories 10
Gated IN the trI-cities. Much power
IS consumed by the arsenal cars
alone. which carry thousands to the
island each morning and return
them 20 their homes at night
Workers in shops where NUM-
lions of war are manufactured,
especially the arsenal. will be taken
care Of. the officials stated.
II luay be necessary 0 curtaii to
a greater extent the car operations
iu all OF the three cities. the com
pany announces. but all cars will
be run until the power becomes so
weak that their operation is i'm
possible.
Forced To Walk.
Thousands were forced TO walk
to their places Of employment this
morning because of the FIRE. How
ever, the majority took the situa-
ton as one which could not be
helped and enjoyed walking for
change.
Il wonder why the street car
company didn't announce that they
intended 70 start the new 'skip-stop'
system with q jolt" one was heard
10 say
Must be the new plan without
the skip part OF H." said another.
However. none was heard TO
place any blame on the Tri-City
Railway company for the present
CoudlI ton of affairs, the entire trou-
bic being caused accidently.
May Finish Soon.
Mr.. HUntoon said today that the
new turbine may possibly be put
into operation late tonight or to
morrow making return TO normal
conditions possible before Wednes-
day.
a large si1-inch band which snap