Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-06-06
Reproduce Storm
and Lightning at
General Electric

Pittsfield. Mass. June 5.-From
manufactured clouds over a minia-
ture village artificial lightning of q
100000 volts was produced today in
the high voltage engineering labora-
tory of the General Electric Com
panys plant here. In September,
1921, demonstration of the work.
ings of 100000 volts was given. but
today's feat was said to surpass any
previous accomplishment in high VOL
tage.
Lightning flashed from the make
believe clouds striking the village
church steeple. the country store, and
occasionally both at once. The
sound of the thunder was realistic.
In some tests even rain was pro-
duced. The Pittsfcld labora tory.
said to be the most powerful in the
world, has pioneered in the develop
ment of power transmission since
the construction of the first $4,000
volt lines was supervised in 1891.
Transformers of a standard de-
sign, built here. were used to "Step
up" a current of about 1000 volts one
thousand times. In the million volt
transformer more than 100 miles of
wire was used. This was wound in
such a way that enormous voltages
were produced, experts said. without
the turn of wheel. The laboratory
in which tOday'S tests were conduct
ed is a large brick building lined
with steel to prevent any distur-
Dances from reaching outside and
causing damage to the factory. All
windows can be closed and the room
darkened. Apparatus is provided for
producing artificial rain. In these
Iafo n
the expermenters, that n tubular
transmission cable six and one half
inches in diameter would be sufficient
size to retain this enormous current
and that transmission towers 100
feet high with wires 80 feet apart
would be necessary to carry the cur
rent.
Despite the fact that lightning
travels at the velocity of light, 1885,
900 miles per second. engineers at the
Pittsfield plant have been able to
measure the speed of the flash and
determine it's pressure. 1t was to
reach a better understanding of these
problems that the miniature village
and artificial lightning were design
ed. +. w. Peek. Jr. in charge of the
high voltage research, issued state
ment explaining the purpose Of the
demonstration.
"As early as 1910 in TRANSMISSION
of $4,000 volts, a section of 230,OOO
volt line was constructed and tested
he said. after more than II years
100000 volt transmission has been
realized in practice in California.
Transmission voltages of 100000
were investigated in September,
1921, in this laboratory and today we
have achieved powerful lightning VOL
tages of 100000.
"A million volts may never he nee
essary for power transmission but
if the times comes we will be pre-
pared. Our tests today have shown
II sthe characteristics of electricity
at such high voltages and we are
able to determine the size of the ca
bic. the height of towers. the method
Of protecting against lightning and
other essentials which will be re-
o,,ired when the day comes.
THE economic use of such hlsh
yoltages will require large concen-
trated sources Of power with a de.
r,and at some distant point. and II
seems that in the end this will be the
real criterion of the voltage limit
and not engineering difficulties