Current ews 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
 of h jbb i jsfl ff* 
 
 AUG 10 1315 
 
 Supplement 'April, 1917 
 
 “The Power Company and the 
 
 Distribution of Electrical Energy” 
 
 By 
 
 WILLIAM C. L. EGLIN 
 
 I f FI I l FTl'lTTl "! I II III 
 
 PHILADELPHIA- ELECTRIC- CO. - SECTION 
 NATIONAL- ELECTRIC- LIGHT- ASSOCIATION 
 
PHILADELPHIA- ELECTRIC-CO-SECTION 
 
 "FIFTH OLDEST IN THE N. E. L. A. " 
 
 OF THE 
 
 NATIONAL • ELECTRIC • LIGHT * ASSOCIATION 
 
 Organized, March 1 5th, 1909 
 
 PAST CHAIRMEN 
 
 A. L. ATMORE Chairman 
 
 W. E. LONG Vice-Chairman 
 
 W. J. LOCHART Secretary 
 
 FRED RUSSELL Asst. Secretary 
 
 H. R. KERN Treasurer 
 
 P. H. BARTLETT 1909-10 
 
 JOSEPH D. ISRAEL 1910-11 
 
 THOMAS SPROULE 1911-12 
 
 B. FRANK DAY 1912-13 
 
 JOS. B. SEAMAN 1913-14 
 
 FRANK A. BIRCH 19M-15 
 
 H. P. LIVERSIDGE 1915-16 
 
 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE— 1916-17 
 
 Advisory Members 
 
 JOSEPH B. McCALL 
 W. H. JOHNSON 
 W. C. L. EGLIN 
 
 A. L. ATMORE, Chairman, 1000 Chestnut Street 
 
 WILLIAM B. AHERN 
 H. CARL ALBRECHT 
 HOWARD DESHONG 
 W. H. DONLEY 
 HAROLD GOODWIN, JR. 
 
 W. K. KERFORD 
 H. R. KERN 
 H. P. LIVERSIDGE 
 W. J. LOCHART 
 W. E. LONG 
 
 A. H. MANWARING 
 H. K. MOHR 
 J. J. REILLY 
 C. J. RUSSELL 
 
 A. J. CASCADEN President Meter Department Branch 
 
 EDWARD J. WALSH Chairman Commercial Branch 
 
 FRANK T. ADAMS * . Chairman Engineering Department Branch 
 
 rr xj u 
 
 NATIONAL • ELECTRIC • LIGHT • ASSOCIATION 
 
 29 WEST 39TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. 
 
 H. A. WAGNER. BALTIMORE. MD., PRESIDENT 
 T. COMMERFORD MARTIN. SECRETARY 
 
 ESTABLISHED: FEB. 25, 1885 * - - MEMBERSHIP: OVER 15,000 
 
 GEOGRAPHIC SECTIONS: II. (INCLUDES CANADIAN ELECTRICAL ASSOCIATION) 
 COMPANY SECTIONS: 64 
 
PHILADELPHIA* ELECTRIC-CO-SECTION 
 
 "FIFTH OLDEST IN THE N. E. L. A. " 
 
 OF THE 
 
 NATIONAL • ELECTRIC • LIGHT • ASSOCIATION 
 
 Organized, March 15th, 1909 
 
 PAST CHAIRMEN 
 
 A. L. ATMORE Chairman 
 
 W. E. LONG Vice-Chairman 
 
 W.J. LOCHART Secretary 
 
 FRED RUSSELL Asst. Secretary 
 
 H. R. KERN Treasurer 
 
 P. H. BARTLETT 1909-10 
 
 JOSEPH D. ISRAEL 1910-11 
 
 THOMAS SPROULE 1911-12 
 
 B. FRANK DAY 1912-13 
 
 JOS. B. SEAMAN 1913-14 
 
 FRANK A. BIRCH 1914-15 
 
 H. P. LIVERSIDGE 1915-16 
 
 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE — 1916-17 
 
 Advisory Members 
 
 JOSEPH B. McCALL 
 W. H. JOHNSON 
 W. C. L. EGLIN 
 
 A. L. ATMORE, Chairman, 1000 Chestnut Street 
 
 WILLIAM B. AHERN 
 H. CARL ALBRECHT 
 HOWARD DESHONG 
 W. H. DONLEY 
 HAROLD GOODWIN, JR. 
 
 W. K. KERFORD 
 H. R. KERN 
 H. P. LIVERSIDGE 
 W. J. LOCHART 
 W. E. LONG 
 
 A. H. MANWARING 
 H. K. MOHR 
 J. J. REILLY 
 C. J. RUSSELL 
 
 A. J. CASCADEN President Meter Department Branch 
 
 EDWARD J. WALSH Chairman Commercial Branch 
 
 FRANK T. ADAMS . Chairman Engineering Department Branch 
 
 rr u u 
 
 NATIONAL • ELECTRIC • LIGHT • ASSOCIATION 
 
 29 WEST 39TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. 
 
 H. A. WAGNER, BALTIMORE. MD., PRESIDENT 
 T. COMMERFORD MARTIN. SECRETAPvY 
 
 ESTABLISHED: FEB. 25, 1885 * - * MEMBERSHIP: OVER 15,000 
 
 GEOGRAPHIC SECTIONS: II. (INCLUDES CANADIAN ELECTRICAL ASSOCIATION) 
 COMPANY SECTIONS: 64 
 
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiii 
 
 HE United States had not entered 
 
 i the Great War at the time the 
 contents of this Supplement was pre- 
 pared. 
 
 However, in the light of the President's 
 Proclamation appearing in the press on 
 April 16th, 1917, the work of the Ameri- 
 can Power Companies takes on the 
 significance of national service. 
 
 Recognized as an important part of 
 what the President has termed "a great 
 national, a great international Service 
 Army ’ because of their close and neces- 
 sary relationship to the industrial forces 
 of the country, the Power Companies 
 today stand ready to perform whatever 
 may be required of them in the service 
 of the Nation. 
 
 It is because of this, that service in the 
 Power Companies takes on the signifi- 
 cance of national service. 
 
 President, The Philadelphia Electric Co. 
 Past-President, 
 
 The National Electric Light Association 
 
 illlllllllllllllllllllinilllllllllllllllllllllllllllll)UIIIHtllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilll1IIIHIIIIillltlllllllllllllllllllllllllMlllllltllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll]|||lilllllllll!l||||||||l|||||||||U 
 
COPYRIGHT 1917, BY THE PHILADELPHIA 
 SECTION OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC 
 
 ELECTRIC COMPANY 
 LIGHT ASSOCIATION 
 
 Publication Permission is Given, Provided Proper Credit is Allowed 
 First Edition : 20,000 Copies 
 
THE POWER COMPANY 
 AND THE DISTRIBUTION 
 OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY" 
 
 By WILLIAM Q L. EG LIN 
 
 2d VICE-PRESIDENT AND CHIEF ENGINEER 
 THE PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC COMPANY 
 
 PAST'PRESIDENT 
 
 THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC LIGHT ASS'N 
 
 DEDICATED TO THE AMERICAN TECHNICAL UNDERGRADUATE 
 
t 
 
 iliiliiiiiiliiillliiliiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiliilliiiiliiiij^iiiliiiiiiifiitiiiiiiiiiliiiiiililiiliiiillllllilllfinillillliilllliiliiiifiiiMiiiiiiijiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiilliiiiiiiiiiiaaamfiiaiiiiiaivmifiii: 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
 PEN NSYLVANIA 
 
 FOUNDED 1683 BY WILLIAM PENN 
 BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICAN LIBERTY: JULY 4, 1776 
 
 r 
 
 “The World s Greatest Workshop 
 and • The • City • of • Homes” 
 
 THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES 
 ELEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN THE WORLD 
 
 POPULATION: 1750,000 (1917) 
 
 AREA: 129^ SQUARE MILES 
 
 Output of Philadelphia's Factories, $1,000,000,000 (for Year 
 1916); Number of Manufacturing Establishments, 8,400 
 (Census 1914); Employees: Male 197,500, Female 88,400 
 (Census 1914); Total Yearly Payroll of Philadelphia's Manu- 
 factories, $1 85,500,000; Number of Homes, 373,000; Home 
 Ownership, 150,000; Parks and Squares, 86; Acreage, 6,400; 
 Recreation Centers, 33; Schools, 217; Average Attendance, 
 
 193,000 (December, 1916); Miles of Streets, 1,700; 
 
 Street Railway Trackage, 625 miles 
 
 o o o 
 
 The • PHILADELPHIA • ELECTRIC 
 COMPANY • SYSTEM 
 
 STATISTICS AS OF JANUARY 1st, 1917 
 
 Number of Generating Stations, 4; Capacity, 200,000 Kilowatts 
 Number of Sub-Stations (Distribution) - 30 
 
 Number of Customers ....... 95,000 
 
 Kilowatt-Hours Generated (Year 1916) - 445,000,000 
 
 iiiimiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiimiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiimmiiiimm 
 
G>X/. 3/1 
 
 E f 
 
 f 
 
 a« im ui nn>* ‘4 
 
 EC. CO. SECTION 
 
 N • E • L • A 
 
 "A. N.E.L.A. BOOSTER” 
 
 IIIIIIIIIIIIIII 1 1 1 II I m 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 mi mull iiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I 
 
 EDITOR FOR THIS ISSUE 
 K. PHILIP HART. 2ND 
 
 ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT 
 
 Vol. XIII APRIL, 1917, SUPPLEMENT No. 9 
 
 
 
 FOREWORD 
 
 T HE purpose of the following pages is to point 
 out the opportunities for university-trained men 
 in the Power Companies — the sense of that which 
 now is written having been presented in talks to 
 students at Yale and Princeton Universities. 
 
 The prerogative that 1 assume in presenting at greater 
 length what I feel to be very real opportunities, may 
 be likened to the rural Congressman's "leave to 
 print", and is with the hope that it may be of some 
 help to the undergraduate who is at the cross-roads 
 in his choice of a life-work. 
 
 The work of preparing this in printed form has 
 been carried on by Mr. Charles Penrose and 
 Mr. Bn. Philip Hart, 2nd, who have gathered the 
 statistics and have prepared the supplement in its 
 present form, and to whom my thanks are extended. 
 
 April, 1917. 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 608923 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 THE POWER COMPANY 
 AND THE DISTRIBUTION 
 OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY 
 
 By WM. C. L. EGI.IN :: 
 
 A PAPER PRESENTED BEFORE PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, ON FEB. 28, 1917 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 I N addressing you Prineetonians tonight, I have divided the subject of 
 “The Power Company and the Distribution of Electrical Energy” into 
 six divisions. While I shall touch upon hydro-electric developments, my 
 remarks so far as plant property is concerned are more applicable to the 
 larger metropolitan systems of Eastern U. S. A. 
 
 The divisions which I have made are these : 
 
 FIRST: 
 
 The Electrical Industry as shown by national statistics , and the standing of 
 the Power Company in the United States today. 
 
 SECOND: 
 
 The Power Company’s Growth (historically) and the reasons therefor. 
 
 THIRD: 
 
 The Field occupied by the Power Company today. 
 
 FOURTH: 
 
 How the Power Company Distributes Electrical Energy. (An Outline of 
 Plant Property and Apparatus.) 
 
 FIFTH: 
 
 The Power Company’s Problems and Future, and the Opportunity for 
 T echnically -trained Men in the Industry. 
 
 SIXTH : 
 
 The Human Side of the Power Company’s Organization. 
 
 With this brief introduction, let us turn our attention at once to the first 
 of the above divisions, namely, the Electrical Industry and the standing of 
 the Power Companies. 
 
 6 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim: 
 
 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ii 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
 
 iimmmmimmmm: 
 
 $4,820,000,000 
 
 Food Products 
 
 $ <3,415,000.000 
 
 I $ 3,223,000,000 
 
 $ 2 , 265,000 000 
 
 Textiles 
 Iron and Steel 
 
 Electrical Industry 
 
 $ 2,002,000,000 Chemical Industry 
 
 1 $ 1 , 417 , 
 
 1 , 417 , 000,000 
 
 Metals (other than Iron and Steel) 
 
 $ 1 , 105 , 000,000 Leather 
 
 J $ 1,034,000,000 Vehicles (Automobiles .Wagons etc) 
 $ 772,000,000 Liquors 
 $ 6i4,ooo,ooo Stone, Clay and Glass 
 
 □ $ 553,000,000 Railroad Repair Shops 
 
 □ $ 490,000 ,000 Tobacco 
 
 | $ 11,000,000 Looking Glasses 
 | $ 5,490,000 Windmills 
 
 THE ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY IN U. S. A. 
 
 STANDING IN 1914 
 
 RANKED ACCORDING TO VALUE OF PRODUCTS 
 (U. S. CENSUS 1914, BEING LATEST OBTAINABLE DATA) 
 
 3iiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiirnnpiiiiim 
 
 7 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 THE "POWER. COMPANY" INDUSTRY 
 
 NATIONAL STATISTICS 
 
 SECTION I: 
 
 I T seems logical in any discussion that the most comprehensive statistical 
 figures should be given first, and, therefore, I am going to call your 
 attention at the outset to the following rather startling figures for the 
 whole Electrical Industry in the United States, based on the most recent 
 statistics of the Bureau of the Census. 
 
 In 1914, the two billion two hundred and sixty-five million dollar gross 
 income of the whole electrical industry ranked fourth among the fourteen 
 leading industries of this country. 
 
 The rank of “fourth” may convey little to some of us, but when we consider 
 that the tabulation of figures on the Electrical Industry by the Census 
 authorities dates back only to the year 1902, when the gross income was 
 shown as $718,000,000, and that the present standing as given above is 
 surpassed by only three other industries, namely, Food Products, Textiles 
 and Iron and Steel, in the order named, then we arrive at a very definite 
 concept of the position to which the Electrical Industry as a whole has 
 attained. 
 
 Another way of looking at the relative importance of these figures, and to 
 use what is now a time-honored criterion, is that this gross income for the 
 whole electrical industry for the year 1914 represents six times the total 
 cost of the Panama Canal (given as $375,000,000). 
 
 It is an interesting coincidence, that the gross income for 1914 for the 
 Power Company Industry happens to be exactly equal to the cost of the 
 canal. 
 
 Rather than go further into a mass of statistics, which at best are only 
 comparative, I have had prepared a number of diagrams intended to show 
 graphically some of the characteristics of the Industry. They include not 
 only the standing, growth and development of this Industry, financially 
 and technically, but show also the growth and development of some of the 
 related interests; for example, that of the steam boiler and prime mover. 
 This development, although in a different field of engineering, was inspired 
 and fostered by the electric generator. Certain interesting economic com- 
 parisons are shown, which, upon analysis, you will find include the factors 
 that have benefited alike the Power Company and its customers, bringing 
 about the present-day standing of the Industry. 
 
 The appended charts are self-explanatory. 
 
 8 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 1 LARGE FIGURES DENOTE K W. CAPACITY — SMALL FIGURES DENOTE NO. OF COMPANIES 1 
 
 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE POWER 
 COMPANY INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES, 1912 
 
 NATIONAL STATISTICS FOR 1912 
 
 FROM LATEST U. S. CENSUS STATISTICS 
 
 COMPANIES : 
 
 Total Number .... 5,221 
 GENERATORS: 
 
 Total Capacity, 5, 1 35,000 k.w. 
 
 PRIME MOVERS: 
 
 Total Capacity, 7,529,000 h. p. 
 
 WHICH ARE DRIVEN, AS FOLLOWS : 
 
 By Steam Engines and 
 Turbines . . . 4,947,000 h. p. 
 
 By Water Wheels and 
 Turbines • • • 2,47 1,000 h. p. 
 By Gas Engines, 1 1 1,000 h. p. 
 
 PERSONS EMPLOYED: 
 
 Total Number .... 79,335 I 
 INCOME (for Year 1912): 
 
 Total $302,000,000 ! 
 
 OUTPUT (for Year 1912): 
 
 Total Kilowatt Hours, 
 
 11,500,000,000 i 
 
 LOAD SERVED : 
 
 Lamps : | 
 
 Total Number • 77,000,000 1 
 
 Motors : 1 
 
 Total Number • • 435,000 1 
 
 Total Cap y, 4, 1 3 1,000 h. p. 1 
 
 Mimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiimimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ 
 
 9 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 3620 4714 5221 
 
 NUMBER OF COMPANIES 
 
 1 , 212,000 2 , 709,000 5 , 135,000 
 
 KILOWATT CAPACITY OF GENERATORS 
 
 2,500,000,000 KWH 
 
 5,860,000,000 KWH 
 
 1,530,000,000 KWH 
 
 OUTPUT OF ALL STATIONS 
 
 THE GROWTH OF THE 
 POWER COMPANY INDUSTRY 
 1902 - 1912 , 
 
 U. S. Census Report 
 
 10 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 
 
 Millions 
 
 Dollars 
 
 soo 
 
 400 
 
 1 300 
 
 ZOO 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 $440, 
 
 000,000 
 
 1916 
 
 t 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 fl7$00q 
 
 J307 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 y 
 
 
 
 
 
 | 
 
 
 HiS.ooc 
 
 000 S 
 
 / 
 
 
 INCOM 
 
 POWEF 
 
 E FRO 
 : comi 
 
 M 
 
 5 ANY 
 
 t\S,OOCfi* 
 
 1867 
 
 /89 7 
 
 
 
 
 18 
 
 INDUST 
 
 37-I9K 
 
 RY 
 
 4665 I62>0 183S 1000 1005 1910 1915 
 
 NUMBER OF PERSONS 
 EMPLOYED IN THE 
 POWER COMPANY 
 INDUSTRY IN U.S. A. 
 
 1902 1907 
 
 30.300 <47,600 
 
 1912 
 
 79,300 
 
 — From U. S. Census Report, 1912 
 
 3iiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmiiiiriiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiim^ 
 
 11 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 no 
 
 I 50 
 
 D- 
 
 E 
 
 <c 
 
 O 30 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 TQS -1915 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 
 Anour 
 
 ON 
 
 IT OF l 
 
 FOR 
 
 E CENT 
 
 .IGHT 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 SIZE OF 
 RENEWAL 
 
 Lamp ab 
 5 imclupi 
 
 )UT 40 W 
 P 
 
 ATT / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21-1900 
 
 
 
 T 8 -I 885 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1885 1690 1895 1800 1906 1910 1915 
 
 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRIC LIGHTING — 18851915 
 
 1312 
 
 1907 
 
 1902 
 
 438.000 
 
 1650.000 
 
 4130.000 
 
 HORSt POWER OF MOTORS SERVED 
 
 1912 
 
 1302 
 
 V 
 
 182QQOOO 41900000 
 
 76,500000 
 
 NUMBER OF INCANDESCENT LAMPS CONNECTED 
 
 GROWTH OF LOAD, POWERv COMPANY INDUSTRY: 1902M9I2 — U. S. CENSUS REPORT 
 
 12 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 1880 1885 1890 1895 1900 1905 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 CORLISS (1876) VERSUS CURTIS (1915) 
 
 The Corliss Engine ; Side Elevation, 
 
 CORLISS 1876 
 
 INSTALLED AT CENTENNIAL 
 EXHIBITION • PHILADELPHIA 
 
 | 1400 Horse-Power 
 
 I Cylinders: Diameter, 40 inch 
 Stroke, 10 feet 
 
 I Diameter of Platform, 55 feet 
 | Height, 39 feet 
 I Total Weight, 680 tons 
 | Speed, 36 R. P.M. 
 
 1 Steam Pressure, 25 to 80 pounds 
 1 per square inch 
 
 | Steam Consumption, 25 lb. per 
 H. P. Hour (approximate) 
 
 CURTIS • 1915 
 
 INSTALLED AT STATION A-2 
 PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC CO. 
 
 47,000 Horse-Power (35,000 1 
 
 Kilowatts) j 
 
 Length, 63 feet, 2 % inches 
 Width, 21 feet, 7% inches 
 Height, 15 feet, 10% inches 
 Total Weight, 415 tons 
 Speed, 1200 R. P. M. 
 
 Steam Pressure, 215 pounds per | 
 square inch | 
 
 Steam Consumption, 7.2 lb. per | 
 H. P. Hour f 
 
 14 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 15 
 
 1884 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM mi iiiiiiiiiiiiiii min || 1 ||||||||||| I ||||||| I |||| I| |, |||||||||||||J|||||||||||||||||||||||||||| | || 
 
 16 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 1885 0.2 KILO-WATT HOUR per pound of Coal 
 
 1895 0.4 
 
 1905 0.44 
 
 1915 0.83 
 
 "THE UTILITY VALUE OF A 
 POUND OF COAL" 
 
 The above chart shows graphically what 
 enormous progress has been made in 
 obtaining the energy of coal through the 
 medium of Steam Prime -Movers and 
 Electric Generators. The following tabu- 
 lar comparison (upon which the above 
 is based, and which assumes coal having 
 a uniform calorific value) shows that, 
 while considerable progress has been 
 made in burning coal, i. e., the evapora- 
 tion, the really Great Progress has been 
 made in the development of the Steam 
 Prime-Mover : 
 
 1 
 
 YEAR 
 
 EVAPORATION 
 
 WATER'RATE 
 
 "UTILITY VALUE" 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 
 WATER PER LB. COAL 
 
 STEAM PER K.W.H. 
 
 K.W.H. PER LB. COAL 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 1885 
 
 7 lb. 
 
 35 lb. 
 
 0.2 k. w. h. 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 1895 
 
 8 " 
 
 20 " 
 
 0.4 " 
 
 l 
 
 I 
 
 1905 
 
 8.5 " 
 
 19.5 “ 
 
 0.44 " 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 1915 
 
 9 " 
 
 o 
 
 bo 
 
 0.83 " 
 
 t 
 
 The above represents best practice of the 
 American Power Companies , at the date noted 
 
 ^fitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiriiffiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiifitiuriiii 
 
 17 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 mmiiimiiiiiiiiimimmiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiniiiiiiii 
 
 18 
 
 TRANSMISSION VOLTAGES AND DISTANCES— AMERICAN PRACTICE = 1890—1913 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 -.imiiiiiiimiiiiimmimii ....mm... mum mm mm .mm m.iiimi mini 
 
 "An interesting ECONOMIC COMPARISON is 
 found in the variation in the cost of electric light and 
 food commodities, during the years 1890 to 1916/' 
 
 19 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 THE POWEK COMPANY'S GROWTH (HISTORICALLY) 
 AND THE REASONS THEREFOR 
 
 SECTION II: 
 
 HE history is an intensely interesting one, of what popularly we may 
 
 1 term “the distribution of power,” but by which we mean in a strictly 
 technical sense “the distribution of energy ” — a physical distinction which 
 you will readily recognize. 
 
 The history of the Power Company may be carried back to almost the 
 beginning of industrial activities. 
 
 You may recall, and there are still in existence in certain parts of the 
 country, Power Company canals, through which water was fed to factories 
 and utilized by means of water wheels or turbines. 
 
 These water-power companies were limited by natural conditions, i. e., 
 to localities where water for this purpose was readily available. 
 
 With the invention of the steam engine by Watt in 1769, the field for the 
 generation and transmission of energy was very much enlarged. 
 
 Watt’s steam engine, whose first use you remember was in pumping out 
 water from the coal mines in Wales, was slowly evolved, as time progressed, 
 into the type of prime mover available at the birth of the Electrical Power 
 Company Industry— no longer ago than the early eighties of the last 
 century. 
 
 But in the interim, between the time of Watt and the practical introduction 
 of electricity, there is a long period — one also of gradual development. 
 
 Briefly, to run over this period : 
 
 As the steam engine and steam boiler were progressively developed and 
 larger sizes were perfected, mechanical energy was transmitted within a 
 community by means of line shafting, belts and cable. 
 
 At one time the direct distribution of high-pressure steam by pipes laid in 
 the street, was tried; probably the most notable example of this being in 
 New York City, where the steam was generated at a central point and 
 piped to the customers’ premises, to operate steam engines which they 
 installed and maintained. 
 
 Compressed air, also, has been used as the means of transferring energy 
 from the Power Company to its customers. This offered some advantages; 
 for example, in mines, by assisting in the ventilation of the mine. 
 
 The territorial area which could be served by any of these methods was 
 comparatively small. This was because of limitations due to losses in 
 
 20 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 transmission, the high cost of construction and poor overall efficiency. 
 So that we may say that it was not until the development of dynamo-electric 
 machinery, which enabled a reasonably large area to be served from a 
 single power house, that any marked advance was made in the transmission 
 of energy. One reason lay in the fact that for the first time large loads 
 could be carried by conductors or mains of reasonable size, with relatively 
 small losses in transmission, and with good and constantly improving 
 overall efficiencies. 
 
 I was particularly interested to see in your museum, here, today, some of 
 the experimental apparatus of Professor Henry, whose discoveries in 1838 
 in the field of electro-magnetic induction had such bearing in making 
 possible the whole modern system of transmission and distribution of elec- 
 trical energy. These discoveries, which I am told were made by him 
 within the walls of your classical Nassau Hall, I feel should be perpetuated, 
 and I would like to suggest that the engineering students of Princeton 
 might well erect a suitable memorial to keep this brilliant work before the 
 electrical engineering profession of the country, and to serve as a reminder 
 to every visitor to your university. In this connection I will include here 
 an abstract from the “Proceedings” of the American Philosophical Society, 
 Vol. 1, p. 14, May 4, 1838, in which I find the following: “Dr. Patterson 
 read a letter from Professor Henry, of Princeton, dated May 4, 1838, 
 announcing that in recent experiments he had produced directly from 
 ordinary electricity, currents by induction analogous to those obtained from 
 galvanism, and that he had ascertained that these currents possess some 
 peculiar properties; and that they may be increased in intensity to an 
 indefinite degree, so that if a discharge from a Leyden jar be sent through 
 a good conductor a shock may be obtained from a contiguous but perfectly 
 insulated conductor more intense than one directly from the jar. Professor 
 Henry remarks that he has also found that all conducting substances screen 
 the inductive action, and that he has succeeded in referring this screening 
 process to currents induced for a moment in the interposed body.” 
 
 The chronology of the important steps in the development of electrical 
 apparatus which led up to and made possible modern electrical engineering 
 and the modern Power Company is given as follows : 
 
 Probably the earliest electrical discovery or invention which is related to 
 the Power Company industry, was that of the arc lamp in 1810, by Sir 
 Humphry Davy. The batteries which Davy used were Voltaic piles, whose 
 inception dates to 1799 (circa), when they were discovered by the Italian 
 physician, Volta. Previous to Davy’s experiments a good deal of work 
 had been done in electrostatics and magnetism, which, of course, bore its 
 fruits later on, but which can hardly be said to be related, except remotely, 
 to the Power Company industry. 
 
 21 
 
 Continued on page 23 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 ^iimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitmiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiimimiiimimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiimimmimiiiiiiiiim 
 
 I "THE FIRST EXHIBITION OF I 
 
 THE ELECTRIC LIGHT — 1810" [ 
 
 1 "We give an illustration of no small historic interest. It represents the first exhibition of the | 
 | electric light by Sir Humphry Davy, at the Royal Institution in London, in 1810, and we 1 
 
 | reproduce it from 'La Lumiere Electrique.' The date is so recent as to belong to our own | 
 
 | times. The story of the display may be briefly told. As our readers know, Volta announced | 
 
 | in 1800 the invention and construction of his pile, the first source of dynamic electricity. A I 
 
 I year later, Davy, only twenty^one or twenty^two years of age was appointed assistant lecturer 1 
 
 1 at the Koyal Institution, and, entering upon his duties with zeal and ardor, he was not slow | 
 
 | to avail himself of the means for investigation and experiment placed at his disposal there in | 
 
 I the Voltaic pile. He made good use of the earlier batteries provided, but in 1808 found 1 
 
 | himself in possession of a battery of Brobdingnagian proportions, purchased by the subscript 1 
 
 1 tions of a few generous patrons of science. It consisted of 2,000 cells, arranged in 200 | 
 
 | porcelain troughs in a vault, after the manner indicated in the lower portion of our illustration. 1 
 
 | "Davy had discovered and shown the carbon light on a very small scale in 1802, having 1 
 | learned how to obtain an 'arc' by holding together two pieces of charcoal that were | 
 
 1 connected to the opposite poles of a battery and then drawing them apart ; and he could | 
 
 | now repeat his experiment on a grand scale and with startling brilliancy before the members 1 
 1 of the Institution. It is well to give his own description of the display : 'When pieces of 1 
 
 1 charcoal about an inch long and one- sixth of an inch in diameter were brought near each | 
 
 | other (within the thirtieth or fortieth part of an inch) a bright spark was produced, and | 
 
 | more than half the volume of the charcoal became ignited to whiteness; and, by with' 1 
 
 | drawing the points from each other a constant discharge took place through the heated 1 
 
 | air in a space equal to at least four inches, producing a most brilliant ascending arc of | 
 
 | light, broad and conical in form in the middle.' The length of this arc was increased in | 
 
 | vacuo to seven inches. The delight and surprise of the spectators was evidently very great. " 1 
 
 | — Electrical World, April 12, 1884. 1 
 
 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH 
 
 22 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 The earliest discoveries leading to the development of dynamo-electric 
 machinery were those of Faraday, who, in 1821, discovered electro-magnetic 
 rotation. Barlow, in 1823, made a simple electric motor, consisting of a 
 copper disk, whose edge dipped into a bath of mercury. It was not until 
 1831 that Faraday discovered that he, using a disk much like Barlow’s 
 (see page 24) could produce electric currents. This was really the 
 FIRST ELECTRIC GENERATOR, the direct ancestor of all our modern 
 turbo-alternators and all present-day dynamo-electric machines. Faraday’s 
 wonderful work did not stop there; in the same year he discovered the 
 “magneto-electric induction of currents,” which is the underlying principle 
 of the modern transformer. About this same time, as I have already 
 pointed out, Henry, in the United States, was making very important 
 discoveries in electro-magnetic induction; you are, of course, familiar with 
 the fact that the unit of electro-magnetic induction bears his name. Henry 
 also built an electric motor which worked on the principle of electro magnets 
 attracting oscillating plungers. 
 
 The next development came from Pixii, a Frenchman, who, at the suggestion 
 of his friend, Ampere, brought out a dynamo (page 24). In this crude 
 machine a marked advance was made over Faraday’s disk machine by the 
 substitution of a wound electro-magnet with many turns of wire for use as 
 an armature, in place of Faraday’s copper disk which had but one path for 
 current. Pixii also used a crude two-part commutator — THE EARLIEST 
 COMMUTATOR KNOWN. 
 
 The years 1833-38 saw several attempts made in the construction of motors, 
 among which were those of Jacobi and Davenport (see page 24). These 
 motors, like several others of this period, really worked, and probably 
 would have been developed much faster had it not been for the prohibitive 
 expense of electrical energy, all of which had, at that time, to be obtained 
 from batteries. It is interesting to note what the inventors of motors 
 accomplished who were well backed financially : J acobi, for example, ran a 
 boat on the Neva (see page 24), while Page, at a later date, made an 
 electro-magnetic motor with plungers, developing ten horse-power. Several 
 attempts were made to drive printing presses electrically, while others 
 tried to make electric locomotives practical, with varying success. 
 
 Up to 1845, several men had built crude generators, all of them employing 
 permanent magnets for their fields, but in this year Wheatstone and Cooke 
 took out patents for the use of ELECTRO-MAGNETS FOR FIELDS. 
 This suggestion, although a most important one in the light of later 
 developments, does not appear to have met with any marked success on its 
 inception, and it was not until 1863 (circa) that we hear of a machine being 
 built which made use of their scheme. Another important suggestion was 
 that of self-excitation, made by Jacob Brett in 1848 ; this also was destined 
 to lie unused until several years later. 
 
 23 
 
 Continued on page 26 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 HISTORICAL ELECTRICAL APPARATUS 
 
 1831 
 
 FARADAY'S DISK DYNAMO 
 'Faraday, in 1831, showed that by 
 rotating a copper disk mechanically 
 between the poles of a magnet, 
 continuous currents were 
 obtained." 
 
 1832 
 
 PIXII’S "ALTERNATE 
 CURRENT” MACHINE 
 "So far as known, the first machine 
 to generate the so-called 
 'alternate' currents.” 
 
 1837 
 
 DAVENPORT’S ELECTRIC 
 RAILWAY MOTOR -Jl Model 
 "The motor exhibited is one of a 
 considerable number made by 
 Davenport, of Brandon, 
 Vermont, U. S. A. 
 in 1837.” 
 
 1838 
 
 JACOBI'S ELECTRIC MOTOR 
 "This motor, installed in a boat at 
 the command of Czar Nicholas, 
 propelled the boat at less than 3 
 miles per hour. The fumes from 
 its supply batteries had to be 
 carried off through a 
 smokestack.” 
 
 TlllllllllllllllltlllllllllllllllllllltllllllUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItllllllllllllllHItMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItIMIMIIIIIIIttllMlllllllllllllllllllllll 
 
 24 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiitiiiiiiiiiiiiimnftitmiiiiiiiMimiitmiiiiiiimitiiimiiiiiiiiiiimimifiifiiiiiiiiimiimiiiiummiin^ 
 
 HISTORICAL ELECTRICAL APPARATUS 
 
 1851 
 
 DUMONCEL'S ELECTRIC 
 MOTOR 
 
 One of several futile attempts to 
 use the solenoid in electric motors. 
 A larger motor of similar descrip^ 
 tion was constructed by Prof. 
 Page of the Smithsonian Institute 
 in 1850, which developed 
 10 horse -power." 
 
 ALLIANCE MACHINE FOR 
 "ALTERNATE CURRENTS" 
 Built by Messrs. Holmes, du Mon^ 
 cel and Masson, and for many 
 years used in Lighthouses in 
 Great Britain and 
 France.” 
 
 1863 
 
 WILDE'S MACHINE 
 " Wilde, of Manchester, England, 
 devised a machine which was 
 ‘excited’ by a small permanent 
 magnet dynamo, mounted 
 on its summit.” 
 
 1864 
 
 PACINOTTl’S DYNAMO 
 1 Probably the earliest multLsegment 
 commutator machine, and the first 
 machine which would run 
 either as generator 
 or motor." 
 
 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin 
 
 25 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 The year 1856 saw the birth of Werner Siemens’ “SHUTTLE-WOUND” 
 ARMATURE. This important step in advance was one of the many made 
 by Dr. Siemens. About the same time important progress was being made 
 in the construction of dynamo-electric machines by Holmes, an Englishman. 
 In 1857, he exhibited a machine which received the highest praise from 
 Faraday; he followed this in 1862 by an extraordinary machine for direct 
 current. Some idea of its general characteristics may be gained from the 
 fact that it had 160 bobbins arranged on wheels nine feet in diameter ; these 
 bobbins swept past powerful permanent magnets fixed fast to a frame. 
 Records do not tell whether this remarkable machine was successful or 
 whether it received Faraday’s good wishes. However, it suffered some 
 modification by Holmes himself working in connection with DuMoncel and 
 Masson. This trio in 1863 brought out the “Alliance” machine (page 25), 
 evidently retaining some of the features of Holmes’ earlier machines. The 
 “Alliance” has the distinction of being the FIRST MACHINE TO 
 GENERATE CURRENT FOR AN ECONOMIC PURPOSE; these 
 machines were used for years to light many important French and British 
 lighthouses. 
 
 The few years following 1863 were particularly prolific in new types and 
 important discoveries in generators. One of the most important was the 
 building, by Pacinotti in 1864, of a machine (see page 25), having two 
 important features, viz. : a SIXTEEN-PART COMMUTATOR and what 
 amounted to A RING ARMATURE. The machine fell into temporary 
 oblivion but was later recognized to be of great merit. During the same 
 period, Wilde, of Manchester, England, carried on a remarkable series of 
 experiments which produced a machine having electro-magnets for fields, 
 excited by a small permanent-magnet machine. (See page 25.) This was 
 probably the FIRST EXCITER ever used. Wilde, in 1873, made his 
 machine self-exciting by using a commutator. This, however, was not the 
 first self-excited generator, for the reason that in December, 1866, S. A. and 
 C. Varley patented a machine which seems to have been the first to make 
 use of “RESIDUAL” for starting. Their patent was followed closely by 
 two other discoveries of the same thing, made independently. January 17, 
 1867, Dr. Werner Siemens described a self-excited machine to the Berlin 
 Academy*, and on February 14th of the same year, Sir C. Wheatstone made 
 an almost identical suggestion to the Royal Society. Later in 1867, a 
 self-exciting generator was built by Ladd, whose machine had two arma- 
 tures on the same shaft, one for supply and one for excitation. The sug- 
 gestion to use self -excitation made in 1848 by Brett does not appear to 
 have borne fruit until this year. 
 
 *On this occasion, Dr. Siemens coined the name “ dynamo-electric machine,” later 
 abbreviated to the familiar “dynamo” 
 
 26 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 The year 1870 marked the introduction by Gramme of his famous RING 
 ARMATURE. A little later, 1873, Hefner Alteneck took up the “shuttle” 
 armature of Siemens and rewound it, spacing the several turns at equal 
 angles around the circumference, and adding a multi-segment commutator, 
 in order to produce a less fluctuating voltage. Dr. Henry Rowland, of 
 this country, also worked out independently a “drum” wound armature 
 which was used with great success. 
 
 Charles Francis Brush, an inventor of remarkable brilliancy, took up the 
 problem of electric lighting in 1875, and in a few months had developed and 
 perfected an arc light and dynamo which achieved marked success in 1876. 
 Some of his early machines were used for many years, so far were they in 
 advance of arc machines of that date. 
 
 In 1878, Pacinotti devised an armature which had its windings placed 
 radially on a flat disk; this form of machine was later developed for use 
 with arc lights, but became obsolete, never having been widely used. 
 During this same year Edison attacked the problem of building generators. 
 His first attempt was a machine having oscillating motion, evidently to get 
 rid of the commutator and its attendant troubles. The oscillating idea was 
 not a new one, having been tried previously by Dejardin, 1856 ; Siemens, 
 1859, and Wilde in 1861. Edison abandoned the oscillating motion in 1879, 
 and produced what later was modified to be his familiar BIPOLAR 
 “TYPE Z” MACHINE (page 33). In 1881, he attempted unsuccessfully 
 to build a disk machine along the same lines as Pacinotti’s of 1878. 
 
 It should be noted here that on October 21, 1879, Mr. Edison made his 
 first successful incandescent lamp, the first high resistance lamp and the 
 first to be used for parallel operation. The importance of this invention 
 to the development of the industry can hardly be overestimated. 
 
 In 1880, the “open coil” machine was brought out by Elihu Thomson and 
 Houston. This same machine was used to a large extent on arc light 
 circuits. Later, the “open coil” idea was adopted by several other makers. 
 
 In 1881, Marcel Deprez came to the certain theoretical conclusions with 
 regard to the excitation of field coils. These conclusions led him to devise 
 the COMPOUND WINDING, which soon was adopted by many makers. 
 Lord Elphinstone, Crompton and Hopkinson about this time drew attention 
 to perfecting the magnetic circuit of generators to improve their regu- 
 lation. This development led to the MULTI-POLAR MACHINE in several 
 forms. 
 
 Just later than this Frank J. Sprague made the important discovery that 
 motor speed with increasing load could be regulated in much the same 
 way that generator voltage was with increasing current. This prominent 
 American inventor also evolved the prototype of the modern interpole 
 
 Continued, on page 30 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 HISTORICAL ELECTRICAL APPARATUS 
 
 $p|p 
 
 ' . ■ . . 
 
 site, 1 
 
 1870 
 
 1876 
 
 GRAMME'S MACHINE 
 
 BRUSH ARC DYNAMO 
 
 "Z. T. Gramme, the Frenchman, 
 
 "This machine employed the Pacinotti 
 
 introduced the ring armature ; the 
 
 ring armature and had the enor' 
 
 machine shown was the prototype 
 
 mous e.m.f. of nearly 3000 volts. 
 
 of many machines using this 
 
 Was adapted to lighting 25 
 
 construction.” 
 
 arc lamps in series.” 
 
 mt. 
 
 
 1880 
 
 1885 (circa) 
 
 WESTON DYNAMO 
 
 SIEMAN'S DYNAMO 
 
 " Weston, in particular, developed 
 
 " This machine employed the shuttle' 
 
 shunt' wound direct'current 
 
 wound armature, which although 
 
 dynamos. Early type 
 
 invented in 1856 by Siemens, ap' 
 
 shown.” 
 
 pears not to have been used 
 
 
 until this later date.” 
 
 28 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH 
 
 HISTORICAL ELECTRICAL APPARATUS 
 
 1880 
 
 THOMSON-HOUSTON 
 ARC DYNAMO 
 " One of the several types of Arc 
 Dynamos in common use before 
 the introduction of the constant 
 current transformer.” 
 
 1885 
 
 THURY'S DYNAMO 
 Thury's dynamo was one of the 
 earliest multipolar 
 machines.” 
 
 1885 
 
 DEPREZ GENERATOR 
 M. Deprez used this generator 
 in his epoch-making experiments 
 on the transmission of power 
 by electricity.” 
 
 1894 
 
 STANLEY INDUCTOK 
 ALTERNATOK 
 Stanley's alternator which had no 
 copper on the moving parts, was 
 widely used for single and 
 polyphase work.” 
 
 mini iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 
 
 29 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 motor. From that date on, the development of the direct-current motor 
 and generator have kept very much abreast. 
 
 The considerable success of Edison’s generator and the introduction of his 
 lamp on a commercial basis brought the problem of distribution to the 
 front with great emphasis. 
 
 This problem which Edison had to face was no small one, for up until the 
 time of his generator the parallel system of distribution had never been 
 used. His solution consisted in the “feeder and main” and the three-wire 
 systems, whose importance to the industry can hardly be overestimated. 
 
 The Edison system of distribution, although it was the most advanced of 
 the time and even stands today as the standard method for direct-current 
 and secondary alternating-current distribution, has certain limitations. 
 The most important of these is that the investment in copper mains for 
 transmitting energy any considerable distance increases extremely rapidly 
 with the distance. This limitation was at first overcome by building several 
 power plants centrally located with respect to the communities which they 
 were to serve. In the large cities such as New York, many independent 
 power houses were built, each serving its own immediate territory, of 
 which it usually occupied the load center. The objections to this method 
 of electrical supply, in the light of our later experiences, were several. In 
 the first place, the position of the plant was determined by one condition 
 and one only, namely, the location of the load. All other economic condi- 
 tions, such as railroad facilities, value of real estate, proper water supply 
 had to go unconsidered in view of the one master determining condition, 
 location of the load. 
 
 The greatly increased demand for electric service led inventors to cast 
 about for a more satisfactory means of distribution. The first approach 
 toward solution was started in 1884, when Mr. George Westinghouse, with 
 his characteristic foresight, acquired the patent rights of the European 
 inventors, Messrs. Gaulard and Gibbs, for the alternating-current system. 
 Their system however was in crude form, consisting of several “converters” 
 (since called “transformers”) whose primaries were connected in series and 
 whose secondaries supplied independent circuits. William Stanley, a 
 resident of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, took up the system, and in 
 1885 made transformers which he connected in multiple. Later in that 
 same year, he successfully lighted stores and residences at Great Barrington. 
 This installation was the FIRST COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION SYS- 
 TEM USING ALTERNATING CURRENTS. The work of William 
 Stanley was followed closely by the Westinghouse Company, who, in 1886, 
 conducted the famous LAWRENCE YILLE TEST, at which time energy 
 at 1,000 volts pressure was transmitted two miles, single phase. The “load" 
 consisted of three hundred incandescent lamps which were lighted 
 continuously during a period of about two weeks. 
 
 30 
 
 Continued, on page 34 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 THE WORLD'S FIRST ELECTRICAL CENTRAL STATION 
 
 APPLETON, WISCONSIN— 1882 
 
 PLANT CAPACITY 250' 10 C. P. LAMPS— APPROX. \ 2'/ 2 K.W. THE EARLY EDISON 
 DYNAMO WAS DRIVEN BY WATERPOWER. REGULATING APPARATUS IS SHOWN 
 
 31 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItlHnilllij!^ 
 
 HISTORICAL ELECTRICAL APPARATUS 
 
 THE EDISON STEAM DYNAMO 
 
 W HEN Mr. Edison attacked the problem of electric lighting, some 
 five years ago, he both felt and expressed the conviction that its 
 economic and practical solution was to be obtained more easily and more 
 satisfactorily by aiming at installations on a large scale for supplying light 
 to large districts. However, this proposition to generate in a central 
 station the current necessary for a large number of lamps and to distribute 
 this to the consumer just as gas and water are supplied, from a system 
 of steam mains, was ridiculed by electricians as chimerical, and even 
 speculators on such novel business shrugged their shoulders in doubt as 
 if realizing the absurdity of the proposition. The plan of light- restricted 
 areas and buildings separately by means of small, isolated plants seemed 
 the most feasible. The most readily adaptable — in a word, the most 
 practical, and was sanctioned by the great majority of electricians and 
 engineers, while it received the immediate encouragement of capitalists. 
 For a long time, it seemed that Mr. Edison had made a mistake and made 
 rash promises. The experiments tending toward the realization of the 
 project were numerous, protracted, and many of them unsuccessful. 
 But finally, the difficulties were overcome and the long- predicted 
 possibility was at last demonstrated. 
 
 It results from all this that the idea of generating electricity on a large 
 scale has been growing into favor among the electrical engineers, and 
 has now arrived at a point of being considered as the most practicable. 
 The procedure adopted by the various subsidiary and local companies 
 who undertake the lighting and illumination of cities and towns, is a direct 
 
 llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIillllllllllllllllllllllllllH 
 
 32 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 
 
 HISTORICAL ELECTRICAL APPARATUS 
 
 1 EARLY TYPES OF EDISON’S GENERATORS | 
 
 I proof of this. But the idea of a large installation entails other considera- | 
 
 f tions, that of the size of the generators, it is necessary to determine | 
 
 | whether it is more practical to use a large number of small dynamos or | 
 
 | else fewer large ones in an installation of great capacity. The question | 
 
 | is easily answered, for there are important reasons which argue in favor [ 
 
 | of large dynamos. Just as in producing steam power, a single large | 
 
 1 engine is preferable to a number of small ones, so in this case, the use 1 
 
 | of large dynamo-electric machines affords greater efficiency and con- 1 
 
 I venience, while the complication and cost are materially reduced. A large 1 
 
 | dynamo may be belted or even coupled direct to the engine, thus obviat- | 
 
 1 ing the necessity of countershafting and the multiplication of belting which | 
 
 | are indispensible when small dynamos are used. 
 
 | We present herewith an illustration of one of the six dynamos in use | 
 
 | at the Pearl Street station. I 
 
 The large Edison dynamos are intended to supply enough current for f 
 1 24,000 lights of 8 candles or 12,000 of 16 candles. 1 
 
 ! The supply of current adapts itself to the use made of it by those sup- j 
 
 | plied with the Edison light, the regulation being accomplished by a varia- \ 
 
 I tion of the resistance introduced into the field- magnet circuit. The large 1 
 
 [ dynamos are all connected in multiple circuit to the mains, and they are j 
 
 1 all kept at a uniform electro- motive force near the standard adopted \ 
 
 f (110 volts), regulation being effected simultaneously in all. It is the inten- | 
 
 I tion to keep part of the dynamos running, one or two being kept in I 
 
 1 readiness to serve as relays in case of accident to any of the others. I 
 
 f At present, however, the demand on the system by consumers is so great 1 
 
 | that at dusk it is necessary to keep five dynamos in operation. It is esti- i 
 
 1 mated that at this time there are over 55,000 of the lights being used in | 
 
 1 the district. The present capacity of the station is, therefore, well taxed, | 
 
 1 and the Company is unable to satisfy the demands of new applicants f 
 
 1 for lights until the new dynamos have been put into operation, which | 
 
 | will probably be within a couple of months." 
 
 I —FROM Electrical World , NOVEMBER 3, 1883. PAGE 155, VOL. II | 
 
 nimiiimiiiiiimiiiiiiiimiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmiiimiiiimiimiiimmim^ 
 
 33 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 The epoch-making experiments of Stanley and the Lawrenceville test were 
 followed shortly by the commercial use of alternating current on a large 
 scale. Starting with a plant at Greensburg, Pa., then one at Buffalo, 
 N. Y., the alternating-current system made such strides that ivithin two 
 years after the Great Barrington work, two hundred alternating-current 
 plants were in operation ! 
 
 It was in 1885 that the National Electric Light Association was founded, 
 which institution has since grown to such large membership and usefulness. 
 The association’s name was not at that time a misnomer, for not until that 
 same year had electrical energy been used for commercial power purposes. 
 The introduction of the SPRAGUE MOTOR (1884) was the first step 
 toward the now widespread use of electric power. 
 
 The year 1888 saw several important advances in the art. The invention 
 by Shallenberger of a meter for measuring alternating-current energy was 
 of great importance. During this same year, the problem of alternating- 
 current motors was being attacked by Messrs. Nikola Tesla and Ferraris. 
 The former achieved the greater success, his motor being very simple and 
 practical. 
 
 It must be noted here that, judged by modern usage, the frequencies of 
 the early installations had all been extremely high, the usual values being 
 125 or 133 cycles per second. This high frequency made it possible to 
 construct transformers cheaply and was satisfactory for lighting purposes. 
 However, as it was found impossible to make an induction motor run on 
 such frequencies, most of Tesla’s experiments were carried on using special 
 polyphase alternators of a much lower periodicity. About 1892, when 
 the tremendous opportunity for the induction motor was seen, it became 
 apparent that the high frequency single-phase system must be abandoned 
 in favor of a lower frequency POLYPHASE SYSTEM. As it was Tesla’s 
 motor which necessitated this new system of polyphase circuits, his name 
 was given to the system as well as to the motor. At this time, the West- 
 inghouse Company adopted 60 cycles for lighting and 30 cycles for power 
 purposes. 
 
 The year 1888 marked the introduction by Frank J. Sprague of his multiple 
 control system for railway service. This system of control, which has since 
 become of the most vital importance in coping with the problems of modern 
 transportation, gave the transportation industry of that day an added 
 impetus and greatly stimulated its growth. 
 
 It was about this time that Edward W. Weston was doing some of his 
 most important work along the lines of developing electrical measuring 
 instruments. 
 
 Although his early and very successful work was on the incandescent lamp, 
 the arc lamp and the plating dynamo, the really signal service which he 
 
 Continued on page 44 
 
 34 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 DYNAMO ROOM 
 
 ERRATUM: 
 
 Fifth paragraph on page 34 should read as follows: 
 
 Shortly previous to this time, Frank J. Sprague undertook the construc- 
 tion of the Richmond (Va.) Union and the St. Joseph (Mo.) Union Pas- 
 senger Railways ; this was in the spring of 1887. The former of these 
 installations is recognized as the pioneer of the modern trolley. Mr. 
 Sprague in 1882 had conceived the overhead trolley and in 1885 had 
 invented the wheel-barrow suspension for electric railways, and in the 
 same year had proposed that the elevated railroads (then steam driven) 
 be equipped with motors carried on the trucks. Such tests were made in 
 1885-86. 
 
 The multiple-unit control system for railway service was invented in 1895 
 by Mr. Sprague, was proposed by him for the Elevated Railroad in New 
 York in 1896 and 1897, and first commercially adopted on the Chicago 
 South Side Elevated Railroad in the latter year. This system of control, 
 which has since become of the most vital importance in coping with the 
 problems of modern transportation, gave the transportation industry an 
 added impetus and greatly stimulated its growth. The system is now 
 used on all electric railways where two or more locomotives or car units 
 are under a common control. 
 
 35 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 36 
 
 AMERICAN PRACTICE— 1882: SECTION OF PEARL STREET STATION 
 NEW YORK EDISON COMPANY— From a Model 
 
STATION 
 
 for APRIL, 1917 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 37 
 
 AMERICAN PRACTICE 1915: SECTION OF STATION "A-2," THE PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC COMPANY 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 I THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRICAL 
 
 I EXHIBITION BUILDING, PHILADELPHIA 
 
 1 | HIS building, which was situated near Thirty-second and Market Streets, Philadelphia, 
 
 | I housed the International Electrical Exhibition, the first of its kind ever held. The Exhibi- 
 
 tion, which was under the auspices of the Franklin Institute, opened September 2, 1884 ; 
 | it was held " for the Promotion of the Mechanical Arts.” 
 
 | The amount and variety of the apparatus gathered together for the exhibition were extremely 
 
 1 large and showed what progress the electrical art had made, even up to the year 1884, which 
 
 1 was two years after the establishment of the First Central Station. 
 
 I A skeleton outline of the General Classification of Exhibits, follows : 
 
 | SECTION I. — PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY : Very comprehensively included 
 | exhibits of apparatus for producing electricity by friction, voltaic and thermal means, as well 
 
 1 as by dynamo-electric machinery. Steam boilers, engines, and gas engines were also exhibited 
 
 | with their accessories. 
 
 | SECTION II. — ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS : Included wires and cables for transmission of 
 
 1 power and intelligence, together with accessories such as conduits, ducts, insulators, joints, etc. 
 
 1 SECTION III. — MEASUREMENTS : Instruments for measuring physical properties and 
 
 | quantities, and electrical quantitative units were exhibited. 
 
 I SECTION IV.— APPLICATIONS OF ELECTRICITY : This section was divided into two 
 1 parts, one of which included apparatus using small currents, such as telephone, telegraph, burglar 
 | alarms, clocks, etc. The other embraced apparatus requiring heavy currents, such as lamps, 
 | motors, plating machines, etc. 
 
 1 SECTION V. — TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS : Apparatus for measuring atmospheric and 
 1 terrestrial magnetism and electricity. 
 
 | SECTION VI. — HISTORICAL APPARATUS : Many interesting and important historical 
 | apparatus were exhibited under this head. 
 
 I SECTION VII.— MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 1 SECTION VIII.— EDUCATIONAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL : Exhibits of books, models, 
 1 and other educational material. 
 
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 38 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 1893 (CIRCA) 
 
 THE EVOLUTION OF AN EARLY STATION 
 
 1903 
 
 59th STREET STATION OF I. K. T. CO., NEW YORK CITY 
 FIVE OF THE NINE 12,000 H. P. HORIZONTAL VERTICAL TYPE DIRECT-CONNECTED 
 ENGINE'DRIVEN GENERATORS 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 ELECTRICITY AT THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION, 
 
 CHICAGO, 1893 
 
 A LTHOUGH the Electrical Exhibit was only a part of the World's 
 Ik. Columbian Exposition in 1893, it surpassed by an amazing amount all 
 previous Electrical Expositions or Exhibits given in this country or elsewhere. 
 The tremendous progress which the Art had made in the period immediately 
 preceding the exhibition was of an intensely interesting character. 
 
 Electricity for the first time (in World's Fairs) played an important part in the 
 conducting of the Exposition itself. Of course, the illumination of all the build- 
 ings and grounds was electrical. No less than 66,000 — 16 c. p. incandescent 
 and 523 Helio arc lamps, for that day an unheard of amount, were used for 
 building and grounds lighting. In addition, electricity was used as the sole means 
 of transportation, both on the railways and waterways, and for all power 
 purposes in the Exposition. 
 
 The Electrical Exhibits themselves were extensive, and represented all the 
 leading manufacturers of the World. Among the material exhibited were: 
 many types of lamps, arc and incandescent; power house equipment, generators, 
 instruments, switchboards, etc.; motors, primary and secondary batteries; rail- 
 way, motive power and signal equipment; telephone, telegraph, fire and burglar 
 alarm systems, the application of electricity to chemistry, mining, iron manu- 
 facture, medicine, naval service and many other miscellaneous uses. 
 
 40 
 
 THE COURT OF HONOR. 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 “DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICITY" BUILDING 
 
 MAIN EXHIBITION HALL 
 
 41 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 NIAGARA FALLS GENERATORS - 1895 
 
 T HE 5000-horse-power alternators are now being placed on their I 
 
 foundations in the power house. The wheel pit is arched over to form j 
 
 j the floor of the power house and a cement floor has been laid thereon. | 
 
 1 "The two circular cast iron bases mounted upon the stone foundation | 
 
 1 as shown are ready to receive the stationary armature which is bolted j 
 
 f to a vertical cast iron cylinder. The mechanical construction of these j 
 
 | alternators is practically the same as designed by Prof. Forbes, but the } 
 
 j electrical work and details of winding are said to have been modified j 
 
 I by the Westinghouse Electric 6- Manufacturing Company. 
 
 | "The alternators, which are 13^ feet high, each generate two alter- | 
 
 | nating currents differing in phase from each other by 90 degrees, with } 
 
 I a frequency of 25 periods per second. The current conducted through | 
 
 | each circuit is designed to be 775 amperes at a potential of 2250 volts. The | 
 
 | field coils consist of bent copper bars which receive the current from rotary 1 
 
 j transformers by means of brushes and copper rings fixed to the shaft j 
 
 which supports the field magnets. The speed of the revolving magnets is | 
 
 I 250 revolutions per minute, and the turbine is said to be so designed that f 
 
 | the maximum speed possible will be less than 500 revolutions per minute." } 
 
 —From Electrical World . FEBRUARY 9th, 1895 { 
 
 
 
 42 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 | AN ENGINEERING PROPHECY MADE IN 1895 
 
 | "The illustration above shows, diagrammatically, the connections of 
 a long-distance transmission such as that to be installed from Niagara 
 to points sixty miles or more distant. Its distinguishing engineering 
 features, and those which will mark a departure from anything here- 
 I tofore attempted, are : The size of the units (generators, motors, and 
 transformers); the solidity and strength of line construction, and the 
 1 electro- motive force, or electrical pressure used on the line. The 
 
 last feature is the only one that presents any unknown quantities, 
 and it is really the one which will determine the engineering limit 
 of the distance over which it will be possible to transmit a given 
 1 amount of power from Niagara. [ 
 
 1 " From experiments and tests already made on the LaufFen- Frankfort 
 
 line, and elsewhere, it Joes not seem hazardous to predict that a maxi- 
 mum pressure of 50,000 volts at the delivery end of the line will be 
 successfully adopted for long distances, if business conditions warrant 
 the transmission. It is interesting to observe that in the transmission 
 of either oil, gas or electricity, the limiting engineering condition 
 is, in each case, the line pressure that can be safely carried." 
 
 | — From Article by the late S. DANA GREENE, | 
 
 | in Cassier’s Magazine, July, 1895 
 
 I COMPARE THE ABOVE WITH PLATE I, FACING PAGE 53 
 
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 43 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 rendered the Industry was the construction of measuring instruments. The 
 electrical instrument field, when he entered it, was bare of anything but 
 the crudest make-shifts and laboratory apparatus. He designed, con- 
 structed and manufactured the first really good instruments, and built up 
 a tremendous business in what then appeared to be a small corner of the 
 Industry. 
 
 In 1893, the Commission of consulting engineers for the new Niagara 
 Power House decided, after much debate, to use alternating current for the 
 system. The question of frequency was an open one for some time, and 
 was the subject of a good deal of controversy. Finally, as water turbines 
 of 250 r. p. m. had been ordered, the choice lay between 25 and 33 1-3 cycles. 
 The commission chose the former. This choice had far-reaching influence 
 and led to the adoption of 25 cycles as a standard frequency in the United 
 States, for power purposes. 
 
 In 1894, an alternating-current system known as “monocyclic” was intro- 
 duced by the General Electric Company as a competitor of the Tesla 
 polyphase system. The former, due to its greater complication, was never 
 widely introduced. 
 
 The Niagara generators, built in 1895, had several features making them 
 worthy of note. These generators were the first practical machines to have 
 stationary armatures and revolving fields. This end was accomplished, not 
 as it is today by a field revolving inside the armature, but by a massive 
 field structure revolving outside the armature. This was known as the 
 “umbrella type” and was the intermediate step between the old revolving 
 armature machine and the modern form of revolving field machine. 
 
 The year 1896 saw an important step in development, namely, the acqui- 
 sition by George Westinghouse, of the manufacturing rights of the Hon. 
 Charles H. Parsons for his steam turbine; but it was not until the year 
 1899 that the Westinghouse Company installed any of these turbines. 
 The first, three in number, which were installed for commercial use, were 
 placed in the plant of the Westinghouse Air Brake Co., and had a capacity 
 of 400 kw. each. From that initial installation the turbine industry grew, 
 slowly at first and then extremely rapidly as the tremendous advantages of 
 this type of prime-mover became realized. To the Hartford (Conn.) 
 Elect! ic Light Company belongs the honor of installing the FIRST TUR- 
 BINE OF ANY CONSIDERABLE SIZE FOR POWER COMPANY USE. 
 Their unit, installed in 1900, was 1,500 kw. capacity, and built by the 
 Westinghouse Company. 
 
 The Commonwealth Edison Company, of Chicago, in 1903 put into opera- 
 tion its Fisk Street Plant, which was the FIRST ALL-STEAM-TURBINE- 
 ELECTRIC-GENERATING PLANT in the history of the Industry. The 
 turbines installed were Curtis, made by the General Electric Company. 
 
 Continued on page 46 
 
 44 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 1903 
 
 FISK STREET STATION, CHICAGO 
 
 IN THE FOREGROUND IS THE 5000 K.W. TURBINE SHOWN ON PAGE 47 
 
 1916 
 
 74th STREET STATION, I. R. T. CO., NEW YORK CITY 
 
 THREE 30,000 K.W. " CROSS'COMPOUND” UNITS 
 
 45 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 The tremendous progress which turbines were making at that time is 
 shown by the fact that these units within a few years were scrapped to 
 give way to a more efficient type. One of the original 5,000-kw. units is 
 shown on page 47 ; it is already serving as a monument to this epoch- 
 making installation, at the works of the General Electric Company, 
 Schenectady, U. S. A. 
 
 Dr. Whitney and his able co-workers in 1906 helped to bring about the 
 introduction of the tungsten metal-filament lamp, producing several times 
 as much light per watt as did the carbon lamp, then generally used. It 
 was predicted that this cheap light would curtail Power Company earnings. 
 For the first year after its introduction the pessimists had the better end 
 of the argument, but then the “average man” yielded, as the psychologists 
 had predicted, and purchased more candle power than he ever had before, 
 because he could get it cheaper! 
 
 In 1906 the New York Central started their electrification, which in 1907 
 was followed by the electrification of the New York, New Haven and Hart- 
 ford Railroad. These installations marked a new era in the application 
 of electric service to transportation. 
 
 The development of the turbine and its increased application, which had 
 been going on steadily since its inception, passed a prominent milestone in 
 1911, when the New York Edison Company installed a 20,000-kw. unit 
 in its Waterside Station No. 1. This large and important installation was 
 surpassed four years later when The Philadelphia Electric Company placed 
 a 35,000-kw. unit in commission in its Station “A-2.” Each of these units 
 was the largest in operation in the world when installed, and even today 
 (February, 1917), the latter has the distinction of being the largest in 
 service. 
 
 The year 1915 saw very marked development in several lines, among which 
 were the placing in service of the Pennsylvania Railroad terminal electri- 
 fication at Philadelphia; and of an altogether different nature, the illumi- 
 nation at the Panama-Pacific Exposition, which was regarded as the most 
 important installation yet achieved. 
 
 It is hardly necessary to state that in presenting the foregoing historical 
 outline, I can make no claim whatsoever to completeness, but have merely 
 covered what seemed to me as being high spots in and related to the 
 development of the Industry. 
 
 As you have seen, starting with the most primitive plant equipment (the 
 units in the earlier power houses were from 25 to 50 horse-power, and 
 employed non-condensing engines), and starting with an equally primitive 
 company organization, the MODERN POWER COMPANY has come to 
 take its place as one of the most important factors in the community which 
 it serves, equipped with plant equipment having efficiencies and capacities 
 
 Continued on page 49 
 
 46 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 MONUMENT TO THE TURBINE 
 INDUSTRY IN AMERICA 
 
 ERECTED IN YARD OF SCHENECTADY WORKS 
 OF • THE • GENERAL • ELECTRIC • COMPANY 
 
 THE FIRST LARGE 
 
 CURTIS STEAM TURBINE'GENERATOK 
 Capacity 5000 Kilowatts 
 
 This machine was designed and built by the General Electric Company 
 for the Commonwealth Edison Company and was operated in the Fisk 
 Street Station Chicago, from October Second, 1903, until May Twenty- 
 ninth , 1909, when it was replaced by a Curtis T urbine-Generator of greater 
 capacity. It was, when installed, the largest steam turbine in existence. 
 
 — From Tablet placed on Turbine Casing 
 
 SINCE THE INSTALLATION OF THIS HISTORIC TURBINE, 1903, AMERICAN 
 MANUFACTURERS HAVE TURNED OUT AN ESTIMATED CAPACITY OF 
 9,500,000 KILOWATTS IN STEAM-TURBINE-ELECTRIC-GENERATOR SETS I 
 
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 47 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 48 
 
 “THE ILLUMINATION AT THE PANAMA-PACIFIC EXPOSITION, 1915, WAS REGARDED AS 
 THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTALLATION YET ACHIEVED ” 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 undreamed of even two decades ago, and with a company organization that 
 includes a personnel in which almost every man is a trained specialist. 
 
 The reasons for the remarkable growth are simply expressed, namely, the 
 progressively increasing economies secured when electrical energy — now the 
 recognized agency for the transmission of energy and the production of 
 light — is generated and distributed on a large scale. 
 
 The factors which have produced these progressively increasing economies 
 are : 
 
 First: The high efficiency of dynamo-electric machinery, enabling 
 mechanical energy to be transformed into electrical energy with small loss. 
 The efficiency of even very small machines is 80 per cent., and in the 
 larger machines upwards of 95 per cent. 
 
 Second: The ability to transmit this energy over long distances at high 
 efficiency, and by means of simple and relatively inexpensive construction. 
 
 Third: The development of the incandescent lamp which has been evolved 
 from the old carbon filament lamp, having an efficiency of three to four 
 watts per candle-power, to the modern tungsten filament lamp, whose 
 efficiency is approximately one watt per candle-power. 
 
 Fourth: The development of the steam turbine, which in the larger sizes 
 has a steam rate at least 50 per cent, lower than that of the steam engine. 
 
 Fifth: The lower investment cost for turbo-generator units in the larger 
 sizes. 
 
 Such development as the Power Company has experienced is probably 
 unprecedented in the history of industrial expansion. 
 
 So much for the industry’s past history and the reasons for its growth. 
 
 49 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 THE FIELD OCCUPIED BY THE POWEK 
 COMPANY TODAY 
 
 SECTION III: 
 
 T HE field occupied by the Power Company can be considered under the 
 heads of Scope, Service and Public Relations. 
 
 SCOPE and SERVICE are so closely allied that I will consider them 
 together. 
 
 In this day of specialization, the Power Company, being the factor in the 
 community which specializes in the manufacture of electrical energy, if it 
 is to justify its economic reason for existence, logically should supply elec- 
 trical energy for every purpose for which electricity may be required in 
 the community which it serves. This is a pretty sweeping assertion, but 
 one which the larger companies already are prepared so far as equipment is 
 concerned to follow out, and to some of them the realization is approaching. 
 
 In other words the scope of the power company is unlimited in its particular 
 territory. 
 
 As regards PUBLIC RELATIONS : 
 
 That the absolutely self-evident waste in the duplication of equipment 
 when two power companies operate in the same community may be avoided, 
 monopoly is essential. But on the other hand, in order that both the public 
 and the company shall be protected in their interests and shall be in mutual 
 understanding , it is quite equally essential that it shall be a regulated 
 monopoly. The only proper agency under whose jurisdiction the regulation 
 should come is the Commonwealth itself, within which the monopoly 
 operates. 
 
 Public service commissions now are part of the Commonwealth’s adminis- 
 trative machinery in almost every State in the Union, and when this body 
 deals in strict fairness to both sides, the mutual benefit is beyond question 
 of doubt. All rate schedules, capitalization plans and other matters in 
 which public and company are mutually affected are submitted for ratifica- 
 tion, and such files are kept open to the public at all times. Such a 
 condition of affairs did not exist at the inception of the Industry. 
 
 Granted then, that we have a justly regulated public utility monopoly — 
 the Power Company — operating in a given community, the force of the 
 very logic against the so-called “isolated” plant seems irresistible, from the 
 Power Company’s point of view ! But what is more to the point, the Power 
 Company is going to the owner of the isolated plant and proving to him a 
 saving in the use of central station service — with the result that the isolated 
 plant is disappearing. 
 
 50 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 The case against the isolated plant is of course an economic one — otherwise 
 it would not hold — and it is just this, due to the factor of diversity in the 
 use of electrical energy in a community, the maximum demands do not 
 come coincidently for all users of electricity in the community. The 
 periods of maximum demand on the part of various classes of users differ 
 from one another in the time of day, and some in the time of year. The 
 net result is a reduction in the cost of energy and a large saving in invest- 
 ment, when the supply is from a centralized source, for the reason that 
 each individual customer otherwise would have to install equipment to 
 meet his individual maximum demands, and the total plant investment in 
 the community would be greatly in excess of that required by the power 
 company. Furthermore, the smaller apparatus cannot be operated at the 
 same economy. 
 
 In its public relations, then, the Power Company has come to be recognized 
 as one means of conserving our natural resources and adding to the 
 economic and general welfare of the community. The American power 
 companies as a whole have added tremendously to the economic wealth of 
 the nation. 
 
 51 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 HOW THE POWEK COMPANY DISTRIBUTES 
 ELECTRICAL ENERGY • PLANT PROPERTY 
 AND APPARATUS 
 
 SECTION IV: 
 
 HE best practice in Steam Power Company engineering today utilizes a 
 
 1 small number of very large capacity central generation stations 
 These stations contain steam-turbine electric generators exclusively, gener- 
 ating polyphase alternating currents usually at pressures in the neighbor- 
 hood of 13,000 volts. At this pressure energy is distributed directly from 
 the generating stations, through underground cables, into a network of 
 sub-stations, geographically distributed throughout the area served by the 
 Power Company, at locations which form the centers of load in the various 
 districts. Distribution at reduced pressures to customers is accomplished 
 from the sub-stations, and will be either direct current to the older, central 
 districts, or alternating current to the other districts. 
 
 The generating stations themselves are connected by tie lines, enabling the 
 interchange of energy from one to another. In the case of distant gener- 
 ating stations, the potential of 13,000 volts suitable for metropolitan trans- 
 mission is “stepped-up” to higher potentials, and the overhead tie lines 
 run on steel towers on a special right-of-way. 
 
 Two frequencies are employed : 25 cycles for railroad electrification and 
 traction system supply, and 60 cycles for all other power and lighting 
 supply. 
 
 Frequency-changer equipment is maintained to serve as a tie between the 
 two systems for the exchange of energy in either direction. 
 
 As regards boiler plant equipment, large-capacity high-pressure units of 
 high efficiencies are installed, of the water-tube type, equipped with auto- 
 matic stokers and with provision in coal bunker capacity, etc., to insure a 
 continuity of fuel supply. 
 
 The power plant buildings proper are divided between boiler house, turbine 
 hall and switch house, the latter usually being a separate building, isolated 
 from the rest of the plant and containing all electrical switching and control 
 equipment. 
 
 With the installation of large-capacity units of high efficiency, the plant 
 attendance costs have been materially reduced per kw.-hr. output, over 
 what was necessary in the earlier small stations. Present-da}^ power com- 
 panies can well afford to include as a part of their permanent organization, 
 engineering specialists whose sole duties are to watch and improve the 
 overall economies of the generating stations. Here it is that the greatest 
 
 52 
 

for 1PRIL, 1917 
 
 economies can be secured, and this is being followed in American practice 
 tod; y. 
 
 The successful development of steam and electric measuring and recording 
 devices, perfected by the manufacturers in large part at the demand of 
 the Power Companies, has rendered possible what ‘is practically a continuous 
 “plant test.” 
 
 . propose to show you diagrams and views of large-capacity plant electrical 
 equipment, which are typical of the best American practice for Power 
 Companies serving large metropolitan territories and the adjoining smaller 
 cities, including the supply to railroad electrification and urban, suburban 
 and interurban traction lines. 
 
 The system which I have taken as typical, is that of The Philadelphia 
 Electric Company and its subsidiary companies. 
 
 This will be followed by data and views of representative American power 
 stations, from coast to coast. 
 
 To adequately describe the Philadelphia system, I wish to call your atten- 
 tion to PLATE I, facing page 53. 
 
 This plate shows diagrammatically the whole layout of the system, including 
 generating stations, distributing lines, sub-stations and customers. The 
 diagram has been prepared to show typical circuits only, i. e., it illustrates 
 one of every type of sub-station and one of every type of customer. Details 
 have been consistently omitted. 
 
 The general arrangement of the diagram is as follows : At the top are 
 shown the generating stations, and lower down the sub-stations and cus- 
 tomers. You will notice that the generating station in the upper left-hand 
 corner contains generators of both 25- and 60-cycles. The feeders from 
 the 25-cycle system lead to urban and interurban street railways; also to 
 the Pennsylvania Railroad electrification, which is a single-phase load. 
 
 The presence of large single-phase loads on the 25-cycle system makes a 
 phase-balancer desirable, in order to utilize the full capacity of the poly- 
 phase generators. 
 
 The 60-cycle system has no predominately large single-phase loads, conse- 
 quently the phase-balancers are omitted from that system. 
 
 The 25- and 60-cycle systems are independent, except for the frequency- 
 changer sets. This apparatus couples the two systems together, enabling 
 an interchange of energy to take place ; for example, should reasons of 
 economy or reliability make it desirable, the 25-cycle buses may be fed 
 from the 60-cycle generators or vice-versa. 
 
 Another feature of the system designed to promote continuity of service 
 is the duplicate sets of bus bars installed throughout the generating stations, 
 and in the important sub-stations. * 
 
 53 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 The generating station in the upper right-hand corner is geographically 
 located sixteen miles from that in the left-hand corner. The location of 
 the former is desirable for engineering and economic reasons and the 
 intervening distance is spanned by a 66,000-volt transmission line. 
 
 The many types of sub-stations needed to suit the varied requirements of 
 the industrial activities of a large center of population are shown. The 
 large variety of requirements for different kinds of energy, which it is true 
 is not desirable from an engineering standpoint, has arisen from the fact 
 that the early installations were in no way uniform. To meet these needs, 
 the several types of sub-station have been developed. 
 
 The map on page 55 indicates the extent of the territory served by the 
 Philadelphia system. 
 
 54 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 aamm smrara m 
 
TYPICAL AMERICAN POWER C< 
 
 ULTIMATE CAPACITY 
 
 CHESTER • WATERSIDE • STATIC 
 
 120,000 KILO-WATTS • • 30,000-K.W. S' 
 
^PANY GENERATING STATION 
 
 • • CHESTER • PENNSYLVANIA 
 
 4 TURBINE UNITS • * STATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION - 1917 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 59 
 
 STATIONS "h'2 " (in foreground) AND "A'l”, 26th TO 28th AND CHRISTIAN STREETS, PHILADELPHIA 
 COMBINED GENERATING CAPACITY (1916): 150,000 KILOWATTS 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
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 60 
 
 AT PRESENT THE WORLD’S LARGEST MACHINE 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 ARSENAL SUB- STATION, PHILADELPHIA 
 
 13,200-VOLT ENERGY FROM STATION "A-2" IS "STEPPED UP" IN THIS PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD 
 SUB-STATION AND TRANSMITTED AT 44,000 VOLTS TO THE RAILROAD'S SUB-STATIONS 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA fc. K. ELECTRIFICATION 
 
 TYPICAL CONSTRUCTION ALONG THE MAIN LINE. SINGLE-PHASE ENERGY AT 11,000 VOLTS 
 IS DELIVERED TO THE TRAINS FROM THE TROLLEY 
 
 61 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 CROSSING TOWERS (OVEK SCHUYLKILL RIVEFk) 
 
 FOK THE 66,000'VOLT TRANSMISSION LINE BETWEEN STATION "A-2”, PHILADELPHIA AND 
 THE CHESTER. WATERSIDE STATION, CHESTER., PENNSYLVANIA 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 TYPICAL SYNCHRONOUS CONVERTER METROPOLITAN SUBSTATION 
 
 SUPPLYING A PART OF THE EDISON D-C DISTRICT— SUB- STATION "E", PHILADELPHIA 
 
 MOTOK'GENERATOK ARC LIGHTING SUBSTATION 
 SUPPLYING SERIES CIRCUITS IN MUNICIPAL STREET LIGHTING AND COMMERCIAL SERVICE 
 SUB-STATION "F\ PHILADELPHIA 
 
 63 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 TYPICAL P. E. CO. SUB-STATIONS 
 
 SUBSTATION "P” 
 
 SUBSTATION "F" 
 
 PASCHALL SUBSTATION 
 
 CHESTNUT HILL SUBSTATION 
 
 T HESE sub-stations, typical of American Power Company Practice, are 
 designed for the most efficient distribution of electrical energy. Substantial 
 buildings, proof, as nearly as human foresight can make them, against internal 
 and external fires, equipped with modern, efficient and well-designed apparatus, 
 are necessary to insure the community served of continuity of electrical service. 
 Continuity of service being as it is the watchword of the Power Company is 
 insured by using the best of brains, labor and material in the construction and 
 operation of the sub-stations which are the “energy centers” of the system 
 
 64 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 REPRESENTATIVE 
 AMERICAN POWER 
 STATIONS 
 
 TYPICAL OF THE BEST POWEK 
 COMPANY PRACTICE 
 1917 
 
 llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllli? 
 
 65 
 

 CURRENT NEWS 
 
 SPOKANE • WASHINGTON • SYSTEM 
 
 THE • WASHINGTON • WATEK • POWEK • COMPANY 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS : 5 • COMBINED CAPACITY : 105,000 K.W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAR 1916): 162,800,000-K. W.^HR 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 CENTRAL • CALIFORNIA • SYSTEM 
 
 THE • PACIFIC • GAS • AND • ELECTRIC • COMPANY 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS : 1 4 • COMBINED CAPACITY : 195,150 K.W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAR, 1916): 768,300,0004CW.*HR. 
 
 VIEW OF ELECTRA POWER, HOUSE AND PIPE LINE 
 
 GENERATING ROOM OF THE ELECTRA POWER, HOUSE 
 
 67 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 SOUTHERN • CALIFORNIA • SYSTEM 
 
 THE • SOUTHERN • CALIFORNIA • EDISON • COMPANY 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS: 9 • COMBINED CAPACITY: 86,100 K. W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAR, 1916): 300,000,000'K. W.-HR. 
 
 KERN RIVER* POWER PLANT 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 NEW STATION OF THE UNION GAS AND ELECTRIC CO. (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) 
 ULTIMATE CAPACITY: 240,00(LK. W. 
 
 JOPLIN • MISSOURI • SYSTEM 
 
 THE HENRY L. DOHERTY &- CO. INTERESTS 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS: 52 • COMBINED CAPACITY : 206,000 K.W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAR, 1916): 553,900,000^K. W.^HR. 
 
 CINCINNATI ■ OHIO • SYSTEM 
 
 THE UNION GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS : 3 • COMBINED CAPACITY : 95,000 K. W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAR, 1916): 104,300, 000TC.W.^HR. 
 
 MAIN GENERATING STATION OF THE EMPIRE DISTRICT 
 
 69 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 ST. LOUIS • MISSOURI • SYSTEM 
 
 UNION ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWEK CO. 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS : 1 • TOTAL CAPACITY : 1 16,000 K.W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAK. 1916): 200,000.000'K. W.^HFL. 
 
 CHATTANOOGA • TENNESSEE • SYSTEM 
 
 HALES BAK HYDROELECTRIC 
 DEVELOPMENT 
 
 POWER. HOUSE AT HALES BAK 
 
 ASHLEY STREET STATION 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 KEOKUK, IOWA, SYSTEM 
 
 THE MISSISSIPPI RIVEK POWEK COMPANY 
 
 NUMBEK OF GENERATING STATIONS : 1 TOTAL CAPACITY : 1 1 1,000 K.W. 
 OUTPUT (YE AK 1916): 393,500, 00(MC W.^HK. 
 
 THE KEOKUK POWEK STATION SHOWING DAM 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 CHICAGO * ILLINOIS ■ SYSTEM 
 
 THE COMMONWEALTH EDISON COMPANY 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS: 5 • COMBINED CAPACITY: 472,100 K.W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAK, 1916): 1,342,000,000^K.W.^HK. 
 
 PANORAMA OF FISK AND QUARRY STREET STATIONS 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 DETROIT • MICHIGAN ■ SYSTEM 
 
 THE DETROIT EDISON COMPANY 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS: 7 • COMBINED CAPACITY: 154,075 K.W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAK, 1916): 562,000,000-K. W.^HR. 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 NIAGARA • FALLS • NEW • YORK • SYSTEM 
 
 THE NIAGARA FALLS POWEK COMPANY 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS : 3 • COMBINED CAPACITY : 157,000 K.W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAR, 1916): 1,0 15,400,000-K.W.'HP,. 
 
 POWEK HOUSE NO. 2 OF NIAGARA FALLS POWEK CO. 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 BOSTON • MASSACHUSETTS * SYSTEM 
 
 THE EDISON ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING CO. OF BOSTON 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS : 3 • COMBINED CAPACITY : 1 15,40(MOW. 
 OUTPUT (YEAK 1916): 237,500,00(MOW.*HK. 
 
 "L” STREET STATION FROM THE WATER FRONT 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM 
 
 THE NEW YORK EDISON COMPANY 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS : 2 • COMBINED CAPACITY : 286,500 K.W. 
 OUTPUT FOR YEAR 1916 (INCLUDING U. E. L. dr P. CO.): 856,400,000 K.W.^HR. 
 
 TURBINE ROOM OF STATION NO. 2 
 
 76 
 
 WATERSIDE STATION NO. 2 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 BROOKLYN ■ NEW YORK • SYSTEM 
 
 THE EDISON ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS: 2 • COMBINED CAPACITY : 81,250 K.W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAR, 1916): 233,500,000-K. W.^HK. 
 
 GOLD STREET STATION 
 
 THE OPERATING FLOOR OF THE GOLD STREET STATION 
 
 77 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 NEWARK • NEW JERSEY • SYSTEM 
 
 PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC COMPANY 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS : 20 • COMBINED CAPACITY : 224,500 K.W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAR: 1916): 607,000,000-K.W.-HR. 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 BALTIMORE • MARYLAND • SYSTEM 
 
 THE CONSOLIDATED GAS, ELECTRIC LIGHT 
 AND POWER COMPANY OF BALTIMORE 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS : 2 • COMBINED CAPACITY 66,000 K. W. 
 OUTPUT (YEAK 1916): 249,800.000 K. W. HRs. 
 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 NORTH • CAROLINA • SYSTEM 
 
 THE • SOUTHERN • POWEK • COMPANY 
 
 NUMBER OF GENERATING STATIONS : 10 - COMBINED CAPACITY : 160,000 K.W. 
 
 NINETY'NINE ISLANDS POWER STATION 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 CONTRAST THE ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF THE 
 FOREGOING AMERICAN POWEK STATIONS WITH THESE 
 CONTINENTAL PLANTS: 
 
 POWEK PLANT AT GREENWICH (ENGLAND) WHEN COMPLETE, BUT NOT SHOWING 
 PIEK AND COAL HANDLING PLANT 
 
 —Reproduced from " STEAM'ELECTRIC POWER PLANTS" by FRANK KOESTEK, 1910 
 
 ARCHITECTURAL EXAMPLE — OBERERZGEBIRG, ELECTRICITY WORKS 
 Architect, DK. W. KLINGENBERG, BERLIN 
 
 —Reproduced from " LARGE ELECTRIC POWEK STATIONS" by DK. G. S. KLINGENBERG, 1916 
 
 81 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 THE POWEK COMPANY’S PROBLEMS AND FUTURE 
 
 The Opportunity for Technically-trained Men in the Industry 
 
 SECTION V: 
 
 F the many problems which confront the modern Power Company, the 
 
 two, which are perhaps of the most vital importance, are those of 
 economy and reliability . Each of these problems is important not only to 
 the company itself but to its customers. Both are so broad that they may 
 be attacked from many different angles and points of vantage. 
 
 Consider economy for a moment and what it really means to the Power 
 Company! We can immediately subdivide economy into two broad 
 branches : economy of plant and economy of personnel. Plant here is used 
 in the general sense, i. e., to include all company property from the coal 
 pile straight through to the customer’s premises. The maintenance of all 
 this tremendous variety and quantity of apparatus in the most efficient 
 operating condition is a work of no mean proportions. The various ways 
 and means in which operation can be improved in this great system are, 
 of course, endless, and much too detailed to be considered here. I merely 
 wish to point out as an example that large economies have been effected by 
 properly proportioning each distributing transformer to its load. If a 
 large economy can be attained thus, imagine how such factors as firing of 
 boilers, proportioning of load to generators and innumerable other factors 
 will affect the economy. 
 
 The second phase of economy is that of the personnel. The personnel 
 consists broadly of two parts : executives and employees. Upon the extent 
 to which all the personnel co-operates depends the economy of the system 
 as a whole. The skillful management of the Power Company and its various 
 departments has really as much to do with the economy of its production 
 as the water rates of its turbines or the price it pays for coal. The 
 efficiency with which the employees work depends, of course, upon the 
 executives, and it is fully as important to economy as the work of the 
 executives. The manner in which each employee carries out his daily task, 
 however large or small, has a direct bearing upon the economy of the 
 company. A good esprit de corps is as much to be prized as an efficient 
 generating station. True, it must be admitted that the latter often makes 
 the former more easily obtainable. 
 
 The question of reliability in the Power Company’s work is essential; the 
 watchword of the Power Companies is “continuity of service.” This problem 
 can be considered in much the same way as that of economy, namely, from 
 the side of equipment and from the human side, both of which are essential 
 and dependent upon each other. The equipment side may be helped in 
 
 82 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 numerous ways, such as reserve apparatus, duplicate auxiliaries and buses, 
 protective devices, etc. ; while the human side can be developed by the 
 careful training of the men employed. 
 
 Another of the great problems which the Power Company has to meet is 
 that of properly providing for its continued growth and expansion. This 
 problem involves increasing all parts of the plant, generating station, 
 distributing lines and sub-stations, at the same time maintaining reliability 
 of service and economy of operation. 
 
 Exactly what the future holds for the power company from the technical 
 standpoint is extremely chimerical and uncertain. From the great develop- 
 ment through which the Industry has passed in the last few decades, it is 
 reasonable to prophesy that still greater strides will be made in the develop- 
 ment of prime movers, in the transmission of energy over long distances 
 and in the still greater application of electrical energy to the many 
 industrial activities of the country at large. 
 
 From economic considerations it is easy to foresee the Electrical Industry as 
 widely developing in the future. The extension and interlacing of vast 
 networks of copper for the distribution of electrical energy has already 
 gone so far that shortly we may expect them to cover the surface of the 
 country as completely as do the railroads, railways and roads. There is 
 also little doubt but that electricity will become more and more of a house- 
 hold servant than it is at present. The field of application to transportation 
 problems is practically unlimited, and it is extremely hard to predict what 
 vast changes a few years may bring forth. Transportation, of course, 
 includes railways and automobiles, in which latter field the electric truck 
 has made such strides. 
 
 Innumerable examples could be cited, but the few cases which I have 
 mentioned will serve to give some indication of what tremendous fields are 
 opening up every year to the Electrical Power Company. 
 
 The curve on page 91 shows what the growth has been in Philadelphia, 
 and is typical of the general trend of the industry throughout the country. 
 It is interesting to note that even when the country was under the stressed 
 financial conditions of 1907, the curve did not fall back, but has 
 continuously had an upward trend. It is chiefly upon this curve that I 
 base my assertion that the college man has unparalleled opportunities in 
 the Power Company today. The reason is self-evident. 
 
 Realizing that the power company needs men of the highest type and 
 education, for the successful achievement of its problems and accomplish- 
 ment of its work, several of the leading companies have organized what are 
 termed cadet engineering courses. The object of these is to familiarize the 
 technical graduate with plant property and the methods of the large com- 
 
 Continued on page 92 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 84 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 THE PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC COMPANY a pp . No. 281 
 
 APPLICATION FOR DEPT. OF CADET ENGINEERING 
 
 I hereby apply for enrollment in the Dept, of Cadet Engineering of The 
 Philadelphia Electric Company 
 
 Date April 25 ”1917 (Signed) Joseph Doe. Jr. 
 
 Local Address:. 63 '79 Hall* Princeton, N.J. 
 
 Permanent Mailing Address: R.F # 3, Poke vi lie ,111. 
 
 College: Prln.UniV.CIass and Course: E.EJ9I7 Degrees held:BS 15, EE 17 
 
 Do you e n rot I for the summer or two year course? For 2 Year Course 
 
 Accepted I Cfy xfr-auj/ 
 
 Date */ %?-/'<? 
 
 • vEnte'ft 
 
 further comments on hack i 
 
 Reporting Date: 7~X~ X7.i 
 To Opar. Dapt.tOrv 
 
 Application No. Sol 
 
 The Philadelphia Electric Company, 1000 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF CADET ENGINEERING 
 
 Joseph Doe, Jr. o»t» April 25*~ 1917 
 
 ittnt rn.ii.ng add.osa R.F. *3 , Pokevillo , IilinOIS 
 
 KMtt 63 79 Hofi , Princeton University , Princeton. N.J. 
 birth June 4 +h 1894 Ho.jht 6 ft. 0 'h in. w»i B M 196 lb. American 
 
 i Or lioglo S 1 11 gle r«thor' S buoiooos Textile Manufacturer 
 
 PokevilfedliJ High School High School Course 3 yr. 1910 j ... . — „ 
 
 Lowrenceville School College Prep. ! yr : .1911 — 
 
 Princeton University 8.S. 4 yr . j 1915 B.S. i 
 
 do. E. E. 2 yr 1917 E. E. i 
 
 Wbat port was takoo in .toitoot sotivitiM? Varsity fbotballTeam.SwirnrmVigTearn. Editor Princeton W ; 
 
 PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING remunerative work during vacations and college period 
 
 KIND 6F WORK NAME OF EMPLOYER AOORE05 MOW LONG EMPLOYED 
 
 Textile Manufacturing Doe & Roe Mfg.Co. Pokeviile PQ III. 2 Summers 
 Power HouseWork. Poke vi lie El Light & PrCo. do. 1 Summer 
 
 Car Inspector Pokeviile Urban Railways Poke County, 111. 1 Summer 
 Executive Offices do .... do I Summer 
 
 P«r cent, college eapenw* earned 15 per cent (Approx.) 
 
 What brartcK of engineering <to you b*paof to follow 2 Electrical Engineering 
 
 ITEMS 86LOW MOT TO BE TILLED t« BY APPLICANT 
 
 ProtetMrVOonuowt PROfESSOH A. advises this »an is thoroughly grounded, has 
 Bhosra espeoial applioation in his studies and an unuestsl degree of inde- 
 pendence.. Hae high reocaaendation from the engineering faculty.. 
 
 ; favorable first impression. Sood on a-o. theory. Some prac- 
 tical experience (see* above). 
 
 Oi*ar P «M \ ~ Dwjtaon “A P«rwt,*tily oK 
 
 Ouir Ynee,/ £apra*t!yc P «3s - 1 *T*ct — f 
 
 Biestith - T £nti>iMt«s>n eJC UnsiMl ! 
 
 J. tflMf. 
 
 fa/n 
 
 APPLICATION FORMS FOR DEPARTMENT OF CADET ENGINEERING 
 
 "JOSEPH DOE, Jr.," HAVING FILLED OUT THE ABOVE FORMS, IS INTER- 
 VIEWED BY COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE AT HIS COLLEGE, AND 
 LATER ADVISED OF THE ACTION TAKEN ON HIS APPLICATION 
 
 -<illllllltlllllltllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll l llllllll)lll l lllllllllli mi ll l lll l lli l| ,lllllll, m il l , | lll,,llllll l(|m i m ,llll l | ||| |l I| ll |mm il, || |, fI i m ^ 
 
 85 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 ‘JOSEPH DOE, Jr.", WHEN EMPLOYED, IS EXAMINED BY THE COMPANY’S PHYSICIAN 
 
 "JOSEPH DOE, Jr", WITH FELLOW CADET ENGINEERS, RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN A 
 "RESUSCITATION FROM ELECTRIC SHOCK” DRILL. PRONE-PRESSURE METHOD USED 
 
 86 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 I THE SCOPE OF THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS OF 
 I THE POWEK COMPANIES EMBRACE ELECTRICAL, 
 I MECHANICAL AND CIVIL ENGINEERING 
 
 n i is 
 
 87 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 -JOSEPH DOE, Jr/' HAS OPPORTUNITIES AS A CADET 
 
 ENGINEER, ALIKE : 
 
 IN THE DESIGN ROOM — 
 
 ONE OF THE PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC COMPANY'S 
 DRAUGHTING ROOMS 
 
 AND, IN THE FIELD 
 
 FIELD ENGINEER'S STAFF FOFL CONSTRUCTION OF 
 CHESTER WATERSIDE STATION 
 
 88 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 89 
 
 HIS ATHLETIC ABILITIES ARE GIVEN OPPORTUNITY FOR EXERCISE AT THE COMPANY'S ATHLETIC GROUNDS, 
 SITUATED IN THE COUNTRY OUTSIDE OF PHILADELPHIA. BASEBALL TENNIS, GOLF, SOCCER AND TRAP-SHOOTING 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 From a Recent Issue 
 
 CURRENT NEWS for 
 
 
 
 
 CQ, 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF 
 CADET ENGINEERING 
 
 P 
 
 1 CQ 
 
 T HE arrival of Spring has been welcomed by those cadet engineers 
 having assignments in the departments involving outdoor work. 
 Their lot is justly envied by our staff with its editorial 
 responsibilities. 
 
 Last year eleven different colleges were represented by the cadet 
 engineers enrolled and this year, that number will be considerably 
 enlarged. The Philadelphia Electric Company is in an especially 
 attractive position to offer a broad training in Operating Company work 
 to graduate and undergraduate engineers. The present and prospective 
 plans for increasing station capacity, the erection of high tension lines 
 and the increased activities of all divisions of the Engineering Depart- 
 ment indicate a variety of opportunities for cadet engineers to acquire a 
 special training. The future demands of this expansion for trained engi- 
 neers who have demonstrated their ability to assume responsibilities is 
 too obvious to require elaboration. All of us may not achieve the limit 
 of our ambitions, but a personal inventory may largely explain any 
 marked sluggishness in our advancement. 
 
 "When training in practical work supplements technical 
 education. Success has a slim chance of getting away!" 
 
 Director 
 
 PERSONALS 
 
 The ranks of the cadet engineers were increased in March by the 
 transfer of Norman F. Rigor of the Testing Section and Peter A. Cautilli 
 of the Distribution Department to the Department of Cadet Engineer- 
 ing. These two men are the first employees to take advantage of the 
 opportunity afforded present employees who are not university graduates 
 to enroll as cadet engineers. They successfully passed the requirements 
 of the Examining Committee and their very creditable records as 
 employees should make their future success assured. 
 
 O. Denny Brereton has been enrolled as a two-year cadet after 
 recently graduating from Princeton University in Civil Engineering. 
 He spent last summer in the Field Engineering Department and his first 
 assignment is the Aerial Department under the able supervision of Air. 
 J. C. Cross. 
 
 222 ' 
 
 90 
 
kilowatt peak 
 
 for APRIL, 1917 
 
 1905 1910 1915 
 
 "A CONTINUOUS UPWARD SLOPE SHOWS THE 
 UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES IN THE INDUSTRY” 
 
 THIS IS A MATTEK FOK CONSID^ 
 ERATION BY THE COLLEGE MAN I 
 
 91 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 pany; also to enable him to obtain a birds-eye view of the company as a 
 whole without losing himself in the maze of necessary but involved detail. 
 
 ' The courses aim to put the cadet consecutively in the plants and out with 
 the service gangs, etc., for a period of usually two years. In this way there 
 is obtained an intimate and first-hand knowledge of the work, the fellow- 
 employee and his attitude of mind. The personal knowledge thus gained 
 of the men and their problems is of intense value later on, when the cadet 
 may be called upon to direct their efforts. The courses for cadet engineers 
 may be readily likened to the hospital training of a young physician, 
 immediately after he has taken his college degree. 
 
 As a reminder, I wish again to call your attention to the curve on page 
 11 which shows the past growth of the industry. It predicts to even 
 the most unimaginative mind a brilliant future. 
 
 A far-reaching influence in the choice of his life Work should he the Opportunities held 
 out today by the Power Companies to the university-trained man ! 
 
 92 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 THE HUMAN SIDE OF THE POWEK COMPANY 
 ORGANIZATION 
 
 SECTION VI: 
 
 B EFORE going Oil with the organization of the Power Company, let us 
 consider for a moment some of the special conditions which it must 
 face and meet successfully. Primarily, sight must not be lost of the fact 
 that the supply of electricity is a public service and must go on con- 
 tinuously despite any unfavorable external conditions which may obtain. 
 In other words, service must be always uppermost in the mind of the 
 employee of the Power Company. The company property is valuable and 
 must be handled by responsible and trained men ; men who are consistently 
 muddle-headed or forgetful cannot be tolerated. 
 
 A certain unique condition which holds for the production of electrical 
 energy, which means a good deal to operation, is the fact that the energy 
 must be generated at exactly the same rate at which it is required, or to put 
 it differently, it is not possible to manufacture and store up economically 
 electrical energy ahead of time to await an anticipated demand. This 
 condition, although axiomatic of the most fundamental elements of the 
 science, is often lost sight of, but is particularly significant inasmuch as it 
 implies that all equipment should be maintained in first-class operating 
 condition ready for instant use. 
 
 The conditions which I have outlined will show you that the Power Com- 
 pany must meet particularly hard requirements, especially with regard to 
 service. The organization to do this must be a co-operative body of trained 
 employees, each one of whom is especially responsible for the successful 
 execution of his own work. A glance at page 94 will show you a typical 
 Power Company organization, and lead to a realization of the diversified 
 force necessary to prosecute the work in hand. The illustrations on pages 
 95 to 100 show in greater detail the work of some of the power company 
 departments. 
 
 The attention which is given to the general advancement and well-being of 
 its men by the Power Company is a necessary adjunct to its most efficient 
 organization. The company considers it part of its duty toward its men 
 to look after their mental and physical welfare. In this branch of enlight- 
 ened activity, the Power Company has been a pioneer, for the responsible 
 and complicated nature of its work has made it quick to realize that making 
 a happy employee is the greatest step it can take toward promoting general 
 co-operation and efficiency within itself. 
 
 Perhaps the greatest single step which has been taken for the welfare of 
 the employee is the establishment of what is often known as a beneficial 
 
 Continued on page iio 
 
 93 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiuiiiimiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimim^ 
 
 THE MAKE-UP OF A POWER 
 COMPANY ORGANIZATION 
 
 DISTRIBUTION OF EMPLOYMENT 
 THE PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC CO. 
 
 JANUARY, 1, 1917 
 
 Department 
 
 No. Employees 
 
 Percentage 
 
 Executive 
 
 ... 30 
 
 0.9 
 
 Engineering and Construction . . 
 
 ... 276 
 
 8.2 
 
 Generation 
 
 ... 803 
 
 23.9 
 
 Transmission and Distribution . . 
 
 ... 831 
 
 24.9 
 
 Customers Premises (See Chart) 
 
 . . . 614 
 
 18.2 
 
 Commercial 
 
 ... 569 
 
 16.8 
 
 Accounting 
 
 ... 240 
 
 7.1 
 
 Total Number Employees . . . 
 
 . . . 3363 
 
 100.0 
 
 iriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmmiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmiiiiiitiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 
 
 94 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 HiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiimuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiMiiiitiiiiiiimmiiiiiiimiim 
 
 1 “SAFETY FIRST” IN THE POWER COMPANIES 
 
 ACCIDENT PREVENTION WOKK IS CAR- 
 RIED ON THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY 
 
 Conveniently Located at Various Points, Are a Help 
 in Accident Prevention 
 
 TYPICAL ' BULLETIN” 
 
 SAFETY BULLETIN BOARDS 
 
 THROUGH CO-OPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL SAFETY ORGANIZATION, THE 
 NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, OF CHICAGO, AND WITH THE N. E L. A. BUREAU 
 OF SAFETY, BULLETINS AND DATA ARE AVAILABLE, AND ORGANIZED ACCIDENT 
 PREVENTION WORK IS MADE A PART OF POWER COMPANY ADMINISTRATION 
 
 95 
 
CURRENT NEW‘ 
 
 IN THE POWEK COMPANY, THE COMMERCIAL ANC 
 
 TYPICAL STREET CAK 
 POSTERS 
 
 MC^MPANYj 
 
 Why Worry? — Use Electric Fans! 
 
 Keeping Cooi- 
 Means 
 
 Keeping Well 
 
 The PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC COMPANY 
 
 20.000 
 
 Electric Light and 
 _ _ Power Contracts 
 
 tor an equivalent of two million 20-candle- 
 power lamps were secured by us during 
 1916. The reason — our rates are right; 
 so is our service. 
 
 We want to serve YOU! 
 
 THE MANY OTHER, FORMS OF PUBLICITY, EMPLOYED, INCLUDE POSTERS ON COMPAN' 
 TRUCKS AND ON BILLBOARDS, NEWSPAPER. LOCAL MAGAZINES AND THEATRE PRO 
 
 96 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 PUBLICITY DEPARTMENTS WORK HAND'IN'HAND 
 
 COMPANY "BULLETINS” SENT OUT PERIODICALLY 
 TO CUSTOMERS 
 
 GRAM ADVERTISING. FOLDERS ENCLOSED IN BILLS TO CUSTOMERS, ELECTRIC SIGN 
 DISPLAY, ATTRACTIVE "ELECTRIC SHOPS", COMMERCIAL DISTRICT OFFICES, ETC. 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 DIVERSITY OF DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITY IN THE 
 POWER COMPANY 
 
 INSPECTION OF AN INDUSTRIAL SUB'STATION 
 
 MACHINE SHOP FOR PLANT MAINTENANCE 
 
 
 OPERATING DIVISION 
 
 98 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 DIVERSITY OF DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITY IN THE 
 POWER. COMPANY 
 
 TRUCK " HAULINGiN” UNDERGROUND CABLE 
 
 DISTRIBUTION DIVISION 
 
 PAINTING AN OUTDOOR, SUB-STATION 
 
 CONSTRUCTION DIVISION 
 99 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 DIVERSITY OF DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITY IN THE 
 POWEK COMPANY 
 
 ROUTINE METEK TESTING 
 
 SPECIAL TESTING OF BUS BAR INSULATORS 
 
 METEK DIVISION 
 
 100 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 .O o ° < 
 
 S§ 
 
 LU •- 
 
 «J > o ’ 
 coo 
 o . 
 
 '£5 < 4-1 >" 
 
 «J o <£ 
 
 Z . S' ^ 
 
 o ~£ -£ _ 
 
 rf fe c • 
 H _o _h 
 
 Filiniiiritmi iiiiiin iiiniiiu ti 
 
 iiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiililiiiiiiiiililllilllllllllliliniiilliiii 
 
 101 
 
 with upwards or 600 men, the pick of the industry, serving on these committees. Approximately 
 4000 members attended the 1916 Convention, held at Chicago, and the average attendance for 
 all Conventions, 1885-1916, is nearly 3000, with a total of upwards of 29,000 delegates registered 
 in the last ten years ! 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 THE TECHNICAL LIT 
 BY - THE • NATIONAL 
 ASSOCIATION • COM- 
 THOUGHT • OF • THE 
 IN • THE - WHOLE 
 
 ERATURE SENT OUT 
 ELECTRIC • LIGHT 
 PRISES • THE • BEST 
 BRIGHTEST • MEN 
 OF - THE - INDUSTRY I 
 
 SINCE ITS FIRST ISSUE IN AUGUST. 
 1907, THE N. E. L. A. BULLETIN HAS 
 PRINTED • OVEK • 6000 • PAGES 
 
 THE "QUESTION BOX”, SINCE 1901, HAS CON- 
 TAINED 5,686 QUESTIONS AND 20,377 ANSWERS 
 
 RATHEK LONGEK THAN DR. FLIOT’S "5-FOOT SHELF"! 
 N. E. L. A. CONVENTION PROCEEDINGS: 1885- 1 9 1 6 
 
 Over 800,000 pieces of printed matter were printed and distributed last year. 
 This included copies of the ''Bulletin/' bound volumes of the "Proceedings," 
 some half dozen publications of the Commercial Section, four Handbooks, 
 the Resuscitation Chart and Booklet, etc., etc. 
 
 102 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 “FROM COAST TO COAST ARE FOUND 
 THE ACTIVITIES OF THE GEOGRAPH- 
 ICAL SECTIONS OF THE N. E. L. A.” 
 
 MS m ; a ' 
 
 A TYPICAL " SECTION CONVENTION " GROUP 
 
 DELEGATES AT A PENNSYLVANIA STATE ELECTRIC 
 ASSOCIATION CONVENTION, AT 
 BEDFORD SPRINGS, PENNSYLVANIA 
 
 THERE ARE ELEVEN GEOGRAPHICAL SECTIONS IN THE 
 
 NATIONAL - ELECTRIC • LIGHT* ASSOCIATION 
 
 103 
 
p. ; ■■ • ■ ;. / p ,. .. - j 
 
 CURRENT NEWS 
 
 THH 
 
 BALTIMORE 
 GAS & w.FrrRic 
 NEWS 
 
 SYNCHROSCOPE 
 
 ?»«. EDISON 
 ROUNDTABLE 
 
 
 “The Company Section 
 Magazines, published 
 by and in the interests 
 of the memberships of 
 the N. E. L. A. “Com- 
 pany Sections”, have 
 contributed their share 
 towards the advance- 
 ment of the Power 
 Company Industry. 
 
 BROOKLYN 
 
 BULLETIN 
 
 % "Ne 
 ■f Olnited Sfleit 
 
 MARCH U> 
 
 jigli t (ompanv^c 
 
 : j| Tt<M$on- 
 
 Current 
 
 Oopics 
 
 amjgp 
 
 NWS 
 
 104 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC LIGHT ASSOCIATION " COMPANY 
 SECTIONS" FORMED IN MANY OF THE LARGER, MEMBER 
 COMPANIES, RECEIVE ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT FROM THEIK 
 
 MEMBERSHIPS: 
 
 The N.E.L.A. COMPANY SECTIONS 
 
 
 From 
 
 a Recent Country-Wide Canvass by 
 
 
 
 
 Our Section Secretary Present 
 
 Organized 
 
 Membership 
 
 August' 
 
 24, 1908 
 
 Commonwealth Edison Co., Chicago, 111 1&87- 
 
 September 17, 1908 
 
 Public Service Co. of Northern Illinois, Chicago, 111 . 
 
 230 
 
 October 
 
 2, 1908 
 
 Edison Electric Illuminating Co., Brooklyn, N. Y . 
 
 1130 
 
 October 
 
 19, 1908 
 
 Edison Electric Illuminating Co., Boston, Mass 
 
 200 
 
 March, 
 
 15, 1909 
 
 PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA 
 
 925 
 
 March 
 
 17, 1909 
 
 Public Service Electric Co.. Newark, N- J . . . . 
 
 853 
 
 May 
 
 28, 1909 
 
 Consolidated Gas, Electric Lt. and Power Co., Baltimore, Md. 
 
 57/ I 
 
 September 
 
 1, 1909 
 
 Rochester Railway and Light Co., Rochester, N. Y. . . , 
 
 40 
 
 September 
 
 1909 
 
 Toronto Electric Light Co.'Ltd., Toronto, Ont 
 
 2 
 
 October 
 
 22, 1909 
 
 Buffalo Company Section, Buffalo, N. Y r 
 
 218 
 
 
 1909 
 
 West Penn Electric Co., Connellsville, Pa 
 
 
 
 1909 
 
 Denver Gas and Electric Light Co., Denver, Colo 
 
 
 March 
 
 21, 1910 ' 
 
 Union Electric Light and Power Co., St. Louis, Mo .......... 
 
 
 June 
 
 29, 1910 
 
 Syracuse Lighting Co., Syracuse, N. Y 
 
 175 
 
 November 
 
 1910 
 
 New York Companies’ Section, New York 
 
 1568 I 
 
 February 
 
 2, 1911 
 
 Duquesne Light Co., Pittsburgh, Pa % 
 
 991 1 
 
 April 
 
 11, 1911 
 
 Empire District Electric Co,., Joplin, Mo 
 
 41 
 
 May 
 
 19, 1911 
 
 Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Co., Milwaukee, Wis. 
 
 115 1 
 
 November 
 
 9, 1911 
 
 Ottawa 1 Electric Co., Ottawa, Ont 
 
 ■ 14 I 
 
 December 
 
 11, 1911 
 
 Pacific Power and Light Co., Portland, Ore >, 
 
 85 I 
 
 
 1911 
 
 Penn Central Light and Power Co., Altoona, Pa 
 
 250 1 
 
 January 
 
 24, 1912 
 
 Hamilton Cataract Pwr., Lt. and Traction Co., IJamilton, Ont 
 
 14 1 
 
 August 
 
 9, 1912 
 
 Kansas City Light and Power Co., Kansas City, Mo 
 
 82 
 
 October 
 
 17, 1912 
 
 Pacific Gas and Electric Co., San Francisco, Cal r 
 
 409 
 
 December l7, 1912 
 
 Illinois Northern Utilities Co.. Dixon, 111 . t ( . .... . 
 
 25 
 
 March 
 
 10, 1913 
 
 Roanoke Railway and Electric Co., Roanoke, Va 
 
 39 
 
 May 
 
 2, 1913 
 
 Trinidad Electric Trans. Ry. and Gas Co., Trinidad, Colo. . . 
 
 35 
 
 June 
 
 30, 1914 
 
 Lehigh Valley Light and Power Co., Allentown, Pa 
 
 50 
 
 December 
 
 15, 1914 
 
 Manila Electric R. R. and Light Co., Manila, P. I 
 
 
 January 
 
 11, 1915 
 
 Rumford Falls Light and Water Co., Rumford, Me 
 
 24 
 
 January 
 
 21, 1915 
 
 Consolidated Gas Co. of New Jersey, Long Branch, N. J ... . 
 
 ■ 7 
 
 January 
 
 28, 1915 
 
 Union Gas and Electric Co., Cincinnati, O 
 
 243 
 
 February 
 
 2, 1915 
 
 Mansfield Railway, Light and Power Co., Mansfield, O. . 
 
 12 
 
 February 
 
 -3, 1915 
 
 Dayton Power and Light Co., Dayton, O 
 
 80" 
 
 March 
 
 29, 1915 
 
 Blackstone Valley Gas and Electric Co., Woonsocket, R. I,. . .. 
 
 16 
 
 June 
 
 25, 1915 
 
 Galifornia-Oregon Power Co.. Medford. Ore . - 
 
 
 June 
 
 28, 1915 
 
 Great Western Power Co., Sacramento, Cal 
 
 
 September 
 
 1915 
 
 Erie Lighting Co., Erie, Pa ... 
 
 61 
 
 October 
 
 28, 1915 
 
 Middletown Gas and Electric Co., Middletown, O. 
 
 20 
 
 October 
 
 28, 1915 
 
 Utah Power and Light Co., Salt Lake City, Utah. 
 
 126 
 
 December 
 
 1, 1915 
 
 Penn Public Service Co., Clearfield, Pa . . 
 
 34 
 
 January 
 
 26, 1916 
 
 Central Power Co., Grand Island, Neb 
 
 45 
 
 February 
 
 24, 1916 
 
 Newport News and Hampton Railway, Gas and Electric Co.. 
 
 
 
 
 Newport News, Va , 
 
 22 
 
 February 
 
 24, 1916 
 
 Plymouth Electric Light Co., Plymouth, Mass . 
 
 • 15 
 
 March 
 
 13, 1916 
 
 Great Western Power Co., Oakland, Cal 
 
 45 
 
 March 
 
 14, 1916 
 
 Binghamton Light, Heat and Power Co., Binghamton, N. Y. 
 
 36 
 
 March 
 
 24, 1916 
 
 New Bedford Gas and Edison Light Co., New Bedford, Mass. 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 . Columbus R. R. Co., Columbus, Ga 
 
 
 No returns \ 
 
 St. Paul Gas Light Co., St. Paul, Minn 
 
 
 received 
 
 San Antonio Gas and Electric Co., San Antonio, Tex ... 
 
 
 
 
 ' British Columbia Electric Rwy. Co., Vancouver. B. C., Can 
 
 
 A COMPILATION OF THE COMPANY SECTIONS 
 BY THE SECRETARY OF THE PHILADELPHIA 
 ELECTRIC COMPANY SECTION, IN APRIL, 1916 
 
 105 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 A STEADILY INCREASING MEMBERSHIP IS THE BEST 
 EVIDENCE OF THE CONTINUED USEFULNESS OF THE 
 COMPANY SECTIONS OF THE N. E. L. A. : 
 
 lllllllllllllic 
 
 106 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 THE 
 
 PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC 
 COMPANY 
 
 SECTION OF THE NATIONAL 
 ELECTRIC LIGHT ASSOCIATION 
 ORGANIZED MARCH 15TH, 1909. 
 PRESENT MEMBERSHIP UPWARDS 
 OF 1100 • HOLDS MONTHLY MEET- 
 INGS FOR THE DISCUSSION OF 
 SUBJECTS ALLIED TO THE POWER 
 COMPANY INDUSTRY . PUBLISHES 
 "CURRENT NEWS” 10 TIMES A YEAR 
 MAINTAINS 3 DEPARTMENTAL 
 BRANCHES — COMMERCIAL, 
 ENGINEERING AND METER • EN- 
 COURAGES ADVANCEMENT IN THE 
 ELECTRICAL ART IN PHILADELPHIA 
 
 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiMiimiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmmiiiimiiiiimimmmiiimimiH^ 
 
 107 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 A typical "Calendar" of P. E. Co. Section activities, during the month : 
 
 108 
 
for 
 
 APRIL, 1917 
 
 109 
 
 THE AUDIENCE AT THE APRIL MEETING OF P. E. CO. SECTION: MK. WM. C, L. EGLIN, SPOKE ON "THE POWER. COMPANY 
 
 AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY" 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 association. The function of this association is to insure the employee 
 effectually against sickness, accident and death for any cause; such insur- 
 ance, although a matter of physical condition, always reacts favorably upon 
 the state of mind. To guard against being imposed upon, the beneficial 
 association insists upon a physical examination simultaneously with the 
 employment of new men. Thus, after having been accepted by the company, 
 the employee is automatically insured against any kind of accident — in or 
 outside of the company’s plant — sickness and death. 
 
 In case of sickness or accident the beneficial association renders all the 
 necessary medical aid and advice. To cover the cost of this insurance — 
 and medical service when required — a small per cent, is deducted from 
 the men’s pay. 
 
 The prevention of accidents and sickness is really more important than 
 the curing of them; I have mentioned the latter first merely because of 
 the insurance feature in connection with the beneficial association. The 
 power company gives special attention to the prevention of accidents by 
 the safe-guarding of machinery and the careful instruction of the men in 
 the use of safety devices. Handling of live or supposedly dead electrical 
 circuits, which is usually especially dangerous, is being done continuously 
 and safely by Power Company employees who have been carefully instructed 
 how to avoid accidents. All of the so-called dangerous employments which 
 the Power Company calls upon its men to enter are carefully studied in 
 order that means may be devised whereby the employee will be protected 
 against all possible harm. Along the same line of this protection of 
 machinery comes the training which is given the men in rendering first-aid 
 to themselves or to injured comrades. The instruction in first-aid is given 
 by competent instructors, and, of course, always includes detailed training 
 in the “prone pressure” method of resuscitation. To encourage proficiency 
 in the knowledge and application of first-aid principles, awards and prizes 
 are given in frequent contests and examinations. 
 
 It is recognized that one of the most usual causes of accident and sickness 
 is poor physical condition. The Power Company, realizing this fact, has 
 encouraged outdoor physical exercise by the establishment of centers of 
 open-air activities, where its employees can readily indulge in any 
 reasonable game or sport under most congenial conditions. 
 
 The mental attitude of the employee is of as much importance as his 
 physical condition. The question of worry is closely related to that of 
 physical health, so closely in fact that good physical health, obtainable 
 under the conditions outlined above, means to a large extent the elimination 
 of worry. 
 
 The Power Companies have inaugurated what is known as a service annuity 
 plan, which is intended to provide a certain scale of pay, depending on 
 the employee’s length of service and a certain pension, also depending 
 
 110 
 
for APRIL, 1917 
 
 upon his length of service and rate of pay. The elimination of overtime 
 work is another factor which contributes largely to the contentment of 
 the employee. 
 
 Upon the educational opportunities for the employee depends in a large 
 measure his advancement and future. One of the most potent educational 
 forces in the power company world today is the National Electric Light 
 Association. Established in 1885, it has grown up with the industry from 
 infancy. It has branches and sections in every corner of the country, which 
 co-operate with each other in educational and social matters for the general 
 good. Membership in this great national organization is fortunately open 
 to all employees of the member companies, many of whom have taken 
 advantage of the splendid opportunities offered and have swelled the 
 National membership to 15,000. In addition to the National body, many 
 of the member companies maintain their own sections for the education 
 and social interest of their employees. Some idea of the growth of a typical 
 section can be seen from page 106. You will notice that the curve has 
 the usual upward trend, which now you recognize as characteristic of all 
 phases of the Power Company Industry. 
 
 Ill 
 
CURRENT NEWS 
 
 IN CONCLUSION: 
 
 You will see that in these pages, I have attempted to give you something 
 of the past history, the present standing, and in a limited way, a forecast 
 of the future, o*f the American Power Companies; with the emphasis laid 
 always on its meaning to College men. 
 
 Up until now it might easily be true of some of you, that the only conscious 
 direct relationship that you have had with the Power Company industry, 
 has been when you have “pressed the button” for the electric lights in your 
 dormitory rooms! 
 
 My purpose in preparing this paper has been to seek to establish quite a 
 different sort of relationship. 
 
 So that University men will be alive to the opportunities — alike to engineers 
 and to Arts men — that lie open to them NOW, in this great, rapidly- 
 growing industry. 
 
 FINIS 
 
 omvERsmr of uxm vmm 
 
 
 112 
 
 TYPOGRAPHY AND 
 PRESSWORK 
 
 innes a Sons 
 
 H. H. Wood 
 
 ENGRAVINGS 
 FRANKLIN PHOTO 
 ENGRAVING HOUSE 
 
THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC 
 LIGHT ASSOCIATION 
 
 with headquarters in New Y ork City, offers the interchange of facil- 
 ities with accredited educational institutions, for mutual helpfulness. 
 
 Its Committee on Relations with Educational Institutions has for 
 its objects: "To co-operate with educational institutions of 
 various grades in determining on courses, curricula and facilities ; 
 to establish opportunities for undergraduates and graduates of 
 technical schools to engage in central station work ; to recom- 
 mend to member companies, plans for educational opportunities 
 for central station employees ; to recommend to technical institu- 
 tions subjects for research/' 
 
 COMMITTEE ON RELATIONS WITH EDUCATIONAL 
 INSTITUTIONS 
 
 J. F. GILCHRIST, Chairman, Commonwealth Edison Co., Chicago, III. 
 
 SECOR CUNNINGHAM, Jr., Secretary, 72 VV. Adams St.. Chicago, III. 
 
 HONORARY MEMBERS 
 
 W. L. ABBOTT, Commonwealth Edison Company, 
 Chicago, III. 
 
 J. A. BRITTON, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 
 San Francisco, Cal. 
 
 C. L. EDGAR, Edison Electric Illuminating Company, 
 Boston, Mass. 
 
 J. W. LIEB, New York Edison Co., New York City 
 
 L. A. FERGUSON, Commonwealth Edison Company. 
 Chicago, 111. 
 
 DR. A. E. KENNELLY, Harvard University, Cam- 
 bridge. Mass. 
 
 PROF. C. F. SCOTT, Sheffield Scientific School, 
 New Haven, Conn. 
 
 C. A. STONE, 120 Broadway, New York City 
 
 REGULAR MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE ASSOCIATION 
 
 DOUGLASS BURNETT, Cons. Gas, Electric Light 
 and Power Co., Baltimore, Md. 
 
 H. L. DOHERTY, H. L. Doherty &■ Company. 
 New York City 
 
 W. C. L. EGLIN, Philadelphia Electric Co., Phila., Pa. 
 W. W. FREEMAN, Union Gas and Electric Co., 
 Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
 P. M. LINCOLN, Westinghouse Elec. &■ Mfg. Co., 
 E. Pittsburgh, Pa. 
 
 PAUL SPENCER, United Gas Improvement Co„ 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 ARTHUR WILLIAMS, New York Edison Co., 
 New York City 
 
 REPRESENTING THE COLLEGES 
 
 PROF. M. C. BEEBE, University of Wisconsin, 
 Madison, Wis. 
 
 PROF. H. E. CLIFFORD, Harvard University, Cam- 
 bridge, Mass. 
 
 PROF. C. F. CORY, University of California, 
 Berkeley, Cal. 
 
 PROF. O. J. FERGUSON, University of Nebraska, 
 Lincoln, Neb. 
 
 PROF. A. F. GANZ, Stevens Institute, Hoboken, 
 New Jersey 
 
 PROF. C. F. HARD NG, Purdue University, 
 LafFayette, Ind. 
 
 PROF. L. A. HERDT, McGill University, Montreal, 
 Quebec 
 
 V 
 
 PROF. VLADIMIR KARAPETOFF, Cornell Univer- 
 sity, Ithaca, N. Y. 
 
 PROF. H. H. NORRIS, McGraw Publishing Co., 
 New York Cjty 
 
 PROF. S. R. PRITCHARD, Virginia Polytechnic 
 Institute, Blacksburg, Va. 
 
 PROF. H. J. RYAN, Leland Stanford University, 
 Leland Stanford, Cal. 
 
 PROF. J. G. SCRUpHAM, .University of Nevada, 
 Reno, Nev. 
 
 PROF. G. D. SHEPARDSON, University of Minnesota, 
 Minneapolis, Minn. 
 
 PROF. CARL C. THOMAS, Johns Hopkins Univer- 
 sity, Baltimore, Md. 
 
 DEAN ANDREW F. WEST, 
 Graduate College, Princeton University, 
 Princeton, N. J. 
 

 "A far-reaching influ- 
 ence in the choice of his 
 life work should be the 
 Opportunities held out 
 to-day by the Power 
 Companies to the 
 University-trained man ”