HUMES BECOMES RIVER OF POWER

Northern Advocate, 31 October 1936, Page 6 (Supplement)

HUMES BECOMES RIVER OF POWER

O ld Father Thames is becoming a great river of electric power, for a chain of giant generating stations is being built along its banks. Already there are 11 of them, and one at Barking is the largest in the Empire.

Why 4he Thames? Because the famous waterway is a direct link with the coal supplies. Coming up river every day are thq coal ships with their 2.000 ton cargoes, and at the power station quaysides the cranes are ready, operating scoops that shovel up five tons of coal at a time.

Within a few seconds the coal is moving along on a belt, either to / boiler-houses direct or. to be stored away until wanted. One shipload—about enough to keep the turbines go-

ing for one day. But no smoke comes from the top of the 350 ft. high chimneys, only sleam.

All the soot has been washed away as the smoke passes along a flue running the entire length x>f the building—500ft. of screens flowing with water.

and through which the smoke must pass before entering the chimney.

That apparatus alone cost a guarter of a million pounds.

The engineers know what output is usually expected of them during the day. But, suddenly, the phone rings—fog is approaching, millions of extra lights will be switched on.

Extra generators start up, switches —fixed to the floor, nearly as large as a motor car and worked by an overhead crane—are brought into circuit. The power station is ready to fight the coming darkness.