Other Early Stations--The Meter - 9

Other Early Stations--The Meter - 9

 The authors are indebted for these facts and some other data embodied in this book to Mr.

W. J. Jenks, who as manager of this plant here made his debut in the Edison ranks. He

had been connected with local telephone interests, but resigned to take active charge of

this plant, imbibing quickly the traditional Edison spirit, working hard all day and

sleeping in the station at night on a cot brought there for that purpose. It was a time of

uninterrupted watchfulness. The difficulty of obtaining engineers in those days to run the

high-speed engines (three hundred and fifty revolutions per minute) is well illustrated by

an amusing incident in the very early history of the station. A locomotive engineer had

been engaged, as it was supposed he would not be afraid of anything. One evening there

came a sudden flash of fire and a spluttering, sizzling noise. There had been a shortcircuit

on the copper mains in the station. The fireman hid behind the boiler and the

engineer jumped out of the window. Mr. Sprague realized the trouble, quickly threw off

the current and stopped the engine.

Mr. Jenks relates another humorous incident in connection with this plant: "One night I

heard a knock at the office door, and on opening it saw two well-dressed ladies, who

asked if they might be shown through. I invited them in, taking them first to the boilerroom,

where I showed them the coal-pile, explaining that this was used to generate steam

in the boiler. We then went to the dynamo-room, where I pointed out the machines

converting the steam- power into electricity, appearing later in the form of light in the

lamps. After that they were shown the meters by which the consumption of current was

measured. They appeared to be interested, and I proceeded to enter upon a comparison of

coal made into gas or burned under a boiler to be converted into electricity. The ladies

thanked me effusively and brought their visit to a close. As they were about to go through

the door, one of them turned to me and said: `We have enjoyed this visit very much, but

there is one question we would like to ask: What is it that you make here?' "

The Brockton station was for a long time a show plant of the Edison company, and had

many distinguished visitors, among them being Prof. Elihu Thomson, who was present at

the opening, and Sir W. H. Preece, of London. The engineering methods pursued formed

the basis of similar installations in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in November, 1883; in Fall

River, Massachusetts, in December, 1883; and in Newburgh, New York, the following

spring.

Another important plant of this period deserves special mention, as it was the pioneer in

the lighting of large spaces by incandescent lamps. This installation of five thousand

lamps on the three-wire system was made to illuminate the buildings at the Louisville,

Kentucky, Exposition in 1883, and, owing to the careful surveys, calculations, and

preparations of H. M. Byllesby and the late Luther Stieringer, was completed and in

operation within six weeks after the placing of the order. The Jury of Awards,

in presenting four medals to the Edison company, took occasion to pay a high

compliment to the efficiency of the system. It has been thought by many that the

magnificent success of this plant did more to stimulate the growth of the incandescent

lighting business than any other event in the history of the Edison company. It was

literally the beginning of the electrical illumination of American Expositions, carried later

to such splendid displays as those of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, Buffalo in 1901,

and St. Louis in 1904.

Thus the art was set going in the United States under many difficulties, but with every

sign of coming triumph. Reference has already been made to the work abroad in Paris

and London. The first permanent Edison station in Europe was that at Milan, Italy, for

which the order was given as early as May, 1882, by an enterprising syndicate. Less than

a year later, March 3, 1883, the installation was ready and was put in operation, the

Theatre Santa Radegonda having been pulled down and a new central- station building

erected in its place--probably the first edifice constructed in Europe for the specific

purpose of incandescent lighting. Here "Jumbos" were installed from time to time, until

at last there were no fewer than ten of them; and current was furnished to customers with

a total of nearly ten thousand lamps connected to the mains. This pioneer system was

operated continuously until February 9, 1900, or for a period of about seventeen years,

when the sturdy old machines, still in excellent condition, were put out of service, so that

a larger plant could be installed to meet the demand. This new plant takes high-tension

polyphase current from a water-power thirty or forty miles away at Paderno, on the river

Adda, flowing from the Apennines; but delivers low-tension direct current for

distribution to the regular Edison three-wire system throughout Milan.