A TITAN LET LOOSE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 673, 25 November 1909, Page 8

A TITAN LET LOOSE

: -:' } :■■ :-i\ .:;;; 'BY^THB; MATOR. : ' '■'[ : ;/f.;- ■ '}, - ; !" •>ijCEpMONY;AT .MERCBRvISTSEETv:;/;';!: ■The. official..'"opening" ofisthe ,new. turbine, at the. Mercer Street lighting works was 'per.formed/yesterday by.-tho Mayor (Dr. Newman), in-the presence :of-members of the City Council and a number• of visitors. , :■;/■ ■ •;..•■ / ' 'The Mayor,'..iii' the course of his remarks; stated' t;hat : the'little "machine , ,they'were now '.viewing could itelf overtake 'more' than- three"quarters of. the work done by: all'■'-. of the engines in the Harris/Street works. , Also, every. .£IOO worth'.of current foi-merly: produced.could now.'.be produced for As this 1 implied'that'in.a :few. years the 'council: would be able; to :sell ■■ cheaper.-cuTreuti;:all- that remaine'd now wasforcitizensto extend inoreasod .patronage,to; the Electric..Lighting l)epartmeiit. Dr. Newman then' mounted'the upper platform -arid ■:.turned on -lithe , ; power,/, remaridng tha,t by the.simpleprocess of turning, the'smafl .switch he had let loose 2000-hbrse power. -'■ ~ Continuing,' Dr. Newman stated that' ;tha load ori'the"'lighting, /station: during iSO 7 reached ,2000-li.p., and as : this left '• very, Jittle.power,; available-.for.'supplying new, con; 'ncbtions, .the' council decided .to proceed with , an /extension ,-of the '.old /works.- A'contract ■forAthe new; buildings ;vvas"let/,in/,-January, il9oß, and in September of'the same, year .the tenders; of:. Messrs.'; Parsons/' f or. the. supply of ■the generating plant, was accepted; The cost of .the .nevr'.-building was: >The..turbine auxiliary.plant andoverhKid.crane cost.jei3,SW,' and the new, boiler, including"/tho/;;cost •■■ of ,'ercction, cost £isll. /Thus cost.of the new' works was. D.nriiig' the:winter of 1908, the load-rose to 2ilO-n.p;, arid/but for .the • advent of tho metallic'.filament.-'lamp, it, was estimated thatthe load would hayo reached.' ■2400rh.p.-during.the 'past winter. .The.effect.of the? metallic.. filament'. ;lamp "'would' be seon: vyheri"it': was stated that'when,- the. city took q.ver,. the lighting,works in 1907 the .lamp connections (in .cciuivalent'to 8 '/c.p. 'carbon) were . 131,(150, .'and the.;';iflaximum, . load ■■■ had reached 2000 "h.p;. In '-July last, the; lamp connections on the same, basis ; as above had. risen to 104,100, .but tho demand on' the station/nevei exceeded 2020' h.p. > During the year ended October 31 last 2,61)7,272 uriit&were "generated; by the lighting''station,' plant.. -.The- liew , . machine ■ery .would working expenses, .of l tKe ; statiori, ; and estimates,that whe^.iha hadV'Sufficient,turbine, plant'installed to,'enable the'/old, iripnes to , bo dispensed- with ■'h& vfill''6e^'iri : .'a\position'tb.show, a'jsaying.of 40 ,p'er -cont.■/iri / tne/iogerieration expeiises.: The ; he'ayy-drop "in'■'revenue,''., due.'to the'introduction of : metal' filament ;lairips, 'demanded ..the adoption- of inodern'i and efficient .plant. During the time'the: new 'machinery had been running' on'trial the/saving, in , fuel and attendance ihad'-'been yery./mirked. Tlie maohinb was the largest -electric/genorator, in New- 't Zealand,, and its trials.'had been/very satisfactory; the engi-, aeer being highly -pleased with-'the manner'in which -Messrs. Parsons: had■'completed theii/ contract/'- Motore,'. independent of the - traction system; >havirirf?an' .'horse-power, of--1642,'were io.w.. connected with'the tramway power, supply. 'Vystem,'.'arid of / powei [reached 1 30,00fl : 'units:per'lborith.'At the.end; 'ofOctiiber JjuSt'tfie"-total number of .connections feceiyirig 'ciiW'erit for/ light arid power from the 'corporation works"was 4500., Tno two; stations the city possessed now -g'ayo a Icapacity.. of 4000 h.p. for the tramways .and,.4600 h-P- 'or the' lighting station, mating a total capacity of 8600 h.p., and the total units generated for all pufposesiior-the year ended ■ October 31 last were .8i107,146,/ •; ■'; • ;■, .'•.--; \■ ■, :■ ■ ' - The visitors were afterwards shown over thebuildings in Mercer: and Harris Streets,- and through the test and show, rooms. Tho Ceremony closed with-afternoon tea. , . .-■-.■■ :■