The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-04-07
GENERATING POWER
AT SEARSBURG PLANT
Latest Addition to Big Hydro-Electrc
System Is Now in
Operation

Construction work on the Searsburg
hydro electric station Of the New Eng
land Power Co. has just been complet-
ed and power is being generated there.
The work was started IN June, 1921.
The outstanding feature OF this
power plant is the fact that 1t has
been designed and constructed to OPP
crate as an automatic generating sta
tion. In this respect IL is the largest
which has yet been built in this coun-
try As an automatically operated
plant II presents considerable depart.
ure from other hydro plants in that
it will require no regular shifts Of
skilled operators, but will require the
services OF only one man, who need
not be specially trained and who will
have general supervision Of the build
ing and grounds
The generating unit will be started
and stopped by means OF a time switch
which will be set so as TO make the
most economical use OF the water.
In conjunction with the time switch.
however there will be a float gauge
situated at the pond so that an unfore.
seen flow OF water will render the time
clock imperative. For example, If
the water should rise to such a height
that there would be danger of spillng
before the predetermined time for
starting, the wheel would automati.
cally start and prevent any waste Of
water; and conversely. If the pond
elevation should be below a certain
height at such time. there could be
no operation. In the same manner.
shutting down will be accomplished by
the time switch as planned unless the
flow of water should make 1t advisable
to shut down either before that time
or after.
In addition to the regular operation
I depending on the river flow, the gen
/ orator is automatically protected
against overspeed, overvoltage sus.
tanned overload, hot bearings, loss of
oil pressure. and loss OF excitation.
The plant can also be manually oper
ated whenever so desired II is be-
lieved that considerable operating
economy will be effected due to the
automatic operation.
This plant is located on the main
Deerteld river about ten miles below
Somerset reservoir and 22 miles
above Hoosac Tunnel. Mass. The
dam is situated three and one-hali
miles above the power plant and is
built of earth, about so feet high
and 450 feet long, with a concrete IN
take and spillway 12O feet long con
structed on the west end. The pond
has an area OF about 30 acres wher
full and extends about three.fourths
of n mile above the dam.
Somerset reservoir, at the upper enc
of the east branch of the Deernelt
] river has drainage area Of 30 squar,
miles and a storage capacity OF "a. 600.
100000 gallons Of water, the discharg,
. of which can be controlled as desired
All water released from the reservoi
passes into the Searsburg pond. II
addition to the 80 square miles drain
age area of Somerset, the pond drain
/ so square miles, and an additional ST,
square miles available for the powe
plant is obtained by siphoning Bon
and Melbury brooks into the conduit
7 The average annual rainfall in thi
territory for the past six years ha
+ been SO inches.
From the intake an eightfoot WOO
4 stove pipe conducts the water 1850
feet to a steel surge tank, and the
through 500 feet Of 6lh.foot steel pel
stock to the power house. The ne
effective head at the waterwheel
, 2lo feet The power house buildin
has substructure of concrete and
!, superstructure Of brick and contain
l a 6,2OO-HP |. p, Morris waterwhe,
;. directly connected to a 5000 XIV
!. General Electric generator. Th
n switchboard and control apparatus
n located within the building. while N
q high tension equipment, as oil swltc
r. transformers, and lightning arresta
k is outdoors. The voltage is steppe
n up to $4,000 volts here and the now,
n. transmitted over a newly construct,
I line to No. 9 station near Hoosac Tn
/, mel, where It connects with the exis
st ing lines of the system
If