Various

“ With the increase in weight for the same-sized engine designed to use alcohol instead of gasoline, comes an increase in maximum horsepower of a little over thirty-five per cent (35%) , so that its weight per horsepower need not be greater than that of the gasoline engine, and probably will be less.
The work was taken up to investigate the characteristic action of fuels used in internal combustion engines with a detailed study of the action of each fuel (gasoline and alcohol) as governed by the many variable conditions of engine manipulation, design and equipment. ”

“ The process of making gas, which consists in blowing to incandescence the exterior portion of a body of fuel, forcing fresh fuel into the interior of the body, utilizing the sensible heat of the incandescent fuel in the destructive distillation of the fresh fuel, introducing steam into the interior portion of the body of fuel and causing it to pass, first through the fresh fuel and then through the heated exterior portion of the fuel bed. ”

“ Correspondingly well-designed alcohol and gasoline engines when running under the most advantageous conditions for each, will consume equal volumes of the fuel for which they are designed. This statement is based on the results of many tests made under the most favorable practical conditions that could be obtained for the size and type of engines and fuel used. An average of the minimum fuel consumption values thus obtained, gives a like figure of eight-tenths (.8) of a pint per hour per brake horsepower for gasoline and alcohol. ”

“ The results show the saving that can be obtained over conditions for maximum consumption, and also establish a definite basis of comparison under conditions most favorable to each fuel. This latter is a point of much commercial interest, and a study of the comparative action of gasoline and alcohol may be of great service in solving some of the general internal-combustion-engine problems where other than liquid fuels are used.
A large number of fundamental tests were necessary in order to clearly define conditions and interpret results. ”

“ The large and deep-lying oil-sand lakes and subterranean gas works, commencing with the southern rim of the Santa Maria Valley and stretching away for a dozen miles southward toward Santa Barbara, contribute some 14,600,000 barrels of high gravity refining and fuel oil to California’s annual production of 40,000,000 barrels. ”

“ The main collector wires must be protected by a cut-out and the circuit controlled by a switch, cut-out and switch to be so located as to be easy of access from the floor. Cranes operated from cabs must have a cut-out and switch connected into the leads from the main collector wires and so located in the cab as to be readily accessible to the operator. Where there is more than one motor on a single crane, each motor lead must be protected by a cut-out located in the cab if there is one. ”

“ The possibilities, however, of altering the ordinary gasoline engines as required to obtain the best economies with alcohol are very limited; for the amount that the compression can be raised without entirely redesigning the cylinder head and valve arrangement is ordinarily not sufficient, nor are the gasoline engines usually built heavy enough to stand the maximum explosive pressures, which often reach six and seven hundred pounds per square inch. ”

“ The power-house is of only passing interest, being designed for reliability and minimum first cost, and with the idea of transplanting it to some new location should future conditions dictate. The view shows two 10×10 Shepherd engines, clutched to either end of a shaft, from which two 45-kilowatt, 250-volt, direct-current Westinghouse generators are belted. In case of accident to one generator, a switch on the switchboard converts the 3-wire to a 2-wire system, using the two outside wires as one, and the neutral as the return conductor. ”

“ The adoption of long-span work required courage, which has been justified by the results. It is not our province to discuss the ethics of competitive struggles which have characterized the history of oil wherever developed in large quantities in this country. ”

“ Inasmuch as fuel economy is of little importance, since either waste gas or oil can be used, a large drop in the distributing system is permissible, and a radius of three or four miles from the power-house can be economically attained by the use of 210 to 250 volt lamps on the three-wire direct-current system. At present the maximum distance is 255 miles, and four voltages of lamps are employed. The derricks are wired on the two-wire system with No. 14 T. B. W. P. medium, hard-drawn wire, care being taken to keep all wires on the outside of derrick house wherever possible. ”

“ Portland, Ore.—An electric railway company has been organized by Portland and Seattle capitalists, among them being Dr. H. I. Keeny, Geo. C. Mason, and Mark W. Gill, with Eastern capital also behind them, for the purpose of building an electric railway from Condon to Bend, crossing the John Day River. A dam 200 feet high will be erected in the Deschutes River and power developed there. It is proposed to tap the coal field near Madras and serve the Oregon King gold mine, controlled by Jack Edwards, near Ashwood. The concern will be known as the Portland Construction Company. ”

“ Oil transformers must not be placed inside of any building except central stations and sub-stations, unless by special permission of the inspection department. Air-cooled transformers must not be placed inside of any building excepting central stations and sub-stations, unless the highest voltage of either primary or secondary does not exceed 550 volts, and must be so mounted that the case shall be one foot from combustible material or separated therefrom by non-combustible, non-absorptive, insulating material, such as slate or marble. ”

“ Wires subjected to severe external heat must have approved slow-burning insulation. All wires, excepting collector wires and those run in metal conduit or armored cable, must be supported by knobs or cleats which separate them at least one inch from the surface wired over, but in dry places where space is limited and the distance between wires as required by Rule 24-h cannot be obtained, each wire must be separately encased in approved flexible tubing securely fastened in place. ”

“ At the present central location all the electrical men from the interior can take a Market Street car and drop in at 44-46 Second Street, take a seat in Mr. Fowden’s office, read the “Electrical Journals,” use the telephone and make themselves quite at home.
TURBINE ACTIVITIES IN THE FAR EAST.
No less than ten machines, aggregating 25,000 horsepower, are included in a large shipment of Westinghouse turbo-electric power equipment from East Pittsburg to the Far East. Most of these machines will go to Japan for the equipment of railway, lighting, and manufacturing plants. ”

“ Where transformers are placed at a lesser distance, a slab of slate or marble somewhat larger than the transformer must be used, and where the transformer is mounted on a side wall, the slate or marble must be secured independent of the transformer supports, the transformer being supported by bolts countersunk at least one-eighth inch below the surface of the back of the slab and filled. ”

“ Lewiston, Ida.—Development of power on the Clearwater River at Lewiston is at last to become a reality. Work has begun on a power plant within the city limits of Lewiston, which will eventually develop more than 50,000 horsepower. ”

“ The lighting system employed in the Orcutt oil fields is perhaps only interesting in illustrating how the methods employed in large undertakings may be used to great advantage in the smaller enterprises to effect a large saving and to simplify conventional methods. The smaller undertakings often afford opportunities of saving a larger percentage in cost and operation in connection with the larger ones. ”

“ Where conditions are rapidly changing, as in the present instance, existing lines having to be moved because of the abandonment of wells or re-arrangement as new wells come in amongst the old ones, are easily changed, with but little loss of labor and material. The derricks, 80 feet in height, make ideal supports for long-span construction, and steel frames, heavy enough for the largest size of wire, eventually were made of “scrap” pipe set in cement. ”

“ The North Coast Power Company, represented in this field by Engineer Frank McKean and George W. Tannahill, is the concern undertaking the work, and it is understood that the power so developed is to be used for an extensive system of interurban lines connecting Lewiston and vicinity with Clarkston, Asotin, Anatone, Cloverland, and Pomeroy, and extending into the Craig Mountain timber belt and to the cement, lime, and coal deposits on the Snake River above Lewiston. ”

“ An electric heater comprising a receptacle, containing oil having a high flashing point and means for circulating the same, a resistance conductor immersed in the oil and adapted to heat the same, and a heating system partially within the container and arranged to receive its heat from the circulating oil. ”

“ The franchise calls for the beginning of work within two years, a completion of one-fourth of it in five years, and operation in ten years. By the franchise, permission is granted to Mr. Fletcher to string his electric cable along all of the roads in Pierce County. The line will also have to pass through King and Kittitas Counties. Mr. Fletcher’s plan is to build his power plant below the government dam on the Teanaway River, where he believes that at least 110,000 horsepower can be developed. ”

“ Switches for tank house and derricks were also inclosed in gauze. In wiring the derricks, sleeves were used for splicing, so that in the whole system no solder nor torch was used. Specially designed heavy wire lamp guards and portables, with wires inclosed in cotton-covered garden hose, are other features of the derrick wiring. When drilling is commenced, the derrick is wired for eleven lights. Tank houses, some fifteen or twenty in number, are wired with a light over each tank. ”

“ The other changes have to do with the details of construction, fitting, etc. Among the miscellaneous suggestions adopted were the following: All self-fastening knobs, cleats and supports must be secured by suitable screws; wires in molding must be in continuous lengths from outlet to outlet or from fitting to fitting; sockets or rosettes cannot be used to dead-end a circuit; soap-stone can be used as an alternative for slate or marble; and ends of flexible wire need not be soldered before insertion under binding posts, as called for in rule 14, section c. ”

“ During these early years the California Electrical Works wired most of the principal buildings and residences in San Francisco, including the old Palace Hotel, the James B. Haggin residence, the Goad residence, the Concordia Club, General Colgan’s residence, the Mark Hopkins’ Institute, the Leland Stanford residence, the Chas. ”

“ The sockets for the lamps were very cumbersome and had no keys and there was only one switch on the line, this being placed on the frame of the generator. Shortly afterwards, this machine was installed as a permanent exhibit in the old Mechanics’ Pavilion on Larkin Street, and as a result the California Electrical Works installed quite a number of them during the next two years. ”

“ The gasoline engines that were used in these tests are representative of the standard American stationary-engine types, rating at 10 to 15 horsepower, at speeds of from 250 to 300 revolutions per minute, while the alcohol engines were of similar construction and identical in size with the gasoline engines. ”

“ The high-potential coils and regulating apparatus must be installed in an approved steel cabinet, which shall be ventilated in such a manner as to prevent the escape of flame or sparks in case of burn-out. ”

“ Section a, with fine-print note, was stricken from the Code; section o was amended by making the first recommendation “a turn of 90 deg., etc.”; section p was amended so as to restrict the number of different circuits in the same conduit to four two-wire or three three-wire; section x was changed by substituting the word or after the word fastenings for of. Rule 24A was also changed somewhat. Section d was amended so as not to prohibit the installation of armored cable without the lead covering in buildings of fireproof construction in locations free from moisture ”

“ The motor frames, the entire frame of the crane and the tracks must be permanently and effectively grounded.
A number of recommendations were made calling for conductive coatings on cables, outlet boxes and fittings in order to secure better electrical contact at all points throughout systems in which they are used. ”