Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-12-01
ELECTRIC POWER
EXPLAINED AT
ROTARY MEETING

RUIARY MEETING
George D. Hegarty, district man
ager of the Central Maine Power
Co. and member of the Water
vile Rotary Club, spoke in a most
interesting manner on electricity and
it's application to everyday life at
the regular meeting of the club at
the Elmwood hotel yesterday noon,
A large part of Mr.. Hegarty's talk
dealt with the history and deyeIon-
ment, OF electric power and he COM
menced by speaking Of the first In
cadescent lamp, q crude and un-
shapely affair.
Today" said Mr.. Hegarty. 1--WE
can Hood five rooms with bright and
cheerful light for a whole evening
for less than 10 cents. Our forefath-
ers to have lighted their homes as
Well as Il ordinary electric lamps to-
day. would have had to burn 36O
candles, costing SIS.
The average family spends less
than two cents a day for electricity.
For the same expenditure no other
service or commodity gives as much
comfort, protection and convent
ence." The speaker also brought out
the fact that electric power cost but
hve per cent of what it did in 1880.
The first company to sell electric
| ity. the speaker said, was formed in
New York City in 1882. After a
years operation its total number of
Customers was slightly under 500.
The distribution of electrical pow
er was revolutionized in 1886 with
the introduction of the alternating
current system and in this connec.
ton explained the difference be-
tween the old direct and the modern
polyphase alternating system. In
the direct system the. current was
started from the generator and
through wires 1t was carried through
the various lights and machines and
back to the generator. Its fault was
that IL one of the parts of the cycle
became out Of order the entire sys-
tenn was thrown out of commission
until necessary repairs had been
made.
In the newer system the current
Is generated at a voltage of from 300
to 1880 and from the generator IL
goes to a sub-station where II is
retransformed and the voltage often
increased. After passing through
still another Reconsideration STA
ton the current is sent out on dis
tribution wires to the service trans
formers, where the current is de-
, creased to $50, 40. or 220 volts for
power purposes and to 40 for light
ing purposes. The power then re-
turns to the main generator over the
same route whence 1t came. Regard
less of the distance which the cur
rent travels, whether it be five or
go miles. the rate at which the pow
er flows is called the frequency and
with the Central Maine Power Co.
it is 60 cycles or in other words the
power goes completely. around the
cycle 60 times a second.
The speaker said that engineers
are now looking towards the COM
plete electrification of America and
he pointed out the saving in coal and
human energy that this would mean.
Every horse power of electrical en-
ergy developed from water power
means a saving of IL IL tons of coal
annually" he said.
Mr.. Hegarty spoke of the comfort
and ease made possible in the city
by electricity and he paid high tri-
butte to the men who keep the serv-
ice in shape, often at the risk of
their lives. Electricity, he said, is
men in America, largely because 1t
is possible to transmit alternating
current $50 miles from the place
where 1t is generated.
In turning his attention to the
business aspects Of the electric in
dustry Mr.. Hegarty said, 1.-THE In
dustry requires new capital at the
rate of one billion dollars year and
II is estimated that 1t will continue
to demand new capital at this rate
for he next ten years" He was OF
the opinion that he future of cleo
tricity in tiis country lay in the
Harvesting UP of the vast water
power in the rivers which has never
been put to any use by man.
Mr.. Hegarty declared that 1t was
obvious what the policy of nom
transmission of electricity outside
the state has meant in delaying the
prosperity of Maine. 'You have all,
he said, "been benefciaries OF the
result of the interconnection OF sta-
tions by the Central Maine Power
Co. with its interconnecting nnes
1t is possible to operate any COMP
nation Of stations to supply tmc
did not within her own borders nave
suff1cient power to supply her own
needs and that the supply was aug
mented by that generated at dls-
lance and connected with the Water
VILE stations. The total amount OF
this imported power is 1000 horse
power. The speaker stated that wa
terviIla had also benefited by the m
teconnectIon Of the Central Maine MAJ ne
Power 70. with the Cumbeland
County Power and Light co. Inls
was accomplished by an agreen1sntt
between the two compares 'a T.,
eychsnge for steam developed power
a. - is needed. Last August, wnen
the riyes and lakes OF the I s5a.e
reached a very low point ana w VIM.
there was but q half incn Oh az
fall waterv.lle was served py e,nu
tricity generated at the on uh nu