MORE ELECTRICITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 408, 18 January 1909, Page 5

MORE ELECTRICITY.

THE NEW LIGHTING 1 STATION. .An expanse of iron wall and roofing catches the. eyo as one turns .down . Merceri Street.. Tho huge,building is an addition to the ;old municipal lighting station which faces Harris' .Street. -Atithe present time'one half/of the: building is :qu'ite ompty, and. the loftiness' -of. its' ceiling gives, one the impression that -it: might be intended 'as -,a magnificent (gymnasium. But bofore June it will wear quite auothor appearance., By .then it ■■ is hoped that the machinery -which, will supply light and. motive power' in" substantial quantity will havo been installed.

,' The "present building'is only the first addition—the side wall has been so:.constructed -.that.'its removal and the enlargement of tho, structure willnot be a.-heavy task. The contractors, Messrs. Mason and Nicholson, have, just completed the building.which is to, satisfy: the needs: of;. the city for:'. : some years, and only.a few odd jobs remain'to bo attended to.; ■ The lighting station is divided • into an engine-room, 120 ft. x 51ft.', ; and a'' boiler, house, 120 ft. x, 43ft; Fittings have beenput in for. an electric travelling crane, and the huge stanchions which arc to support, it hav6;been:,dcsigned.to supply all future requirements. -Their strength will allow easy handling of the heaviest machinery that may bo needed subsequently in ; the station. The building has steel roof trusses and steel purlins;: and .the English steel bar system; of glazing has been employed. In the engine;room, that'part of tho walls, which will bo .in proximity to tho steam-engines: has been 'tiled, in order that it.may bo the nioro easily cleaned of oil. vapours; the rest of, the interior is . finished ■in distemper.: Changingrqbms for tho engineers and firemen have not been forgotten; besides which' there is ample bath- accommodation.- Lockers for tho men's clothes are also provided in this part of the building. In, the boiler, house provision is made for .coal storage, so that,there heed be no shortness 1 -of supply, even when the rate of consumption is much greater than at present. ■ ; ' -.-■■ . ' Already one largo boiler is available for use; it is a Babcock'.'arid Wilcox water-tubo boiler, with a heating surface of 7740 squiiro feet, and is the largest sizo of itskindmade. The boiler will bo put into use. and tho work of the upw station commenced, immediately on'the arrival of the generator. . This is a Parson's 1500 kilowatt turbo-alternator, and it is expected from Homo in a couple of months' time. Tho Lighting Department hopes to havo the new station in full working order by tho middle of June, which month always makes tho heaviest, demand on theelectrical supply. A largo: number 0 f motors draw their power from the present lighting station, arid the lighting of tho.city (except tho Municipal Offices) is done from tho samo place. As ,tho existing:machinery has been running at: its full power for some time, ovory effort: is being made to have the new turbine at work boforo winter comes. > Tho lighting station-will bo kept exclusively for alternating currents, and tho tramway powcrhouso is to supply only a direct current.