Page Eight
BADIN BULLBTII^
vve
A PART OF THE CROWD AT THE LAKE SIDE
ern Power Company’s stations that
there was no power available until
about August 9, when the first pot
room in Badin was started. This was
a great day for Badin. A great
many men wanted to start in the
pot room, to learn the business as . they
said, but in a few hours they had de
cided that they knew enough about it,
and wanted to try some other business.
We had somewhat the same trouble in
I'otary station 19; quite a number wanted
to try, but after a buckover or two they
wanted to learn something else.
During the fall and winter of 1916
and 1917, work on the new rotary sta
tions 25 and 35, under the direction of
Mr. DuBose and Mr. Giersch, was begun
in earnest.^! A force of about fifty men
worked steadily until July, 1917. The
rotaries were so large that they- had to
be shipped in many pieces, and assem
bled in the stations. This work pro
gressed very nicely, and very little dif
ficulty was encountered except with the
oil switches and the transformers. The
General Electric Company decided after
all these transformers had been finished
in their factory, and shipped to us, that
they did not have insulation enough on.
The transformers were accordingly taken
apart by several men from the General
Electric factory, more insulation added,
and the transformers rebaked. This was
rather a long, dirty job, but when the
thunderstorms come up we are always
glad that it was done. TBy the middle
of July, when the first'wheel in the
Narrows Powerhouse was ready to de
liver power, five rotaries were ready to
take it. A start was made about nine
o’clock at night. A little trouble devel
oped in starting No. 1 rotary, due to
some copper straps becoming too hot, but
this was soon cleared, and two of the
rotaries left to run all night, in charge
of Mr. E. T. Russell. The next day pot
rooms were started again.
The fall and winter months, 1916 and
1917, were probably our busiest months.
While work was going on in the rotary
stations, several tons of copper were
being drilled and placed in pot rooms
24, 26, 28, 32, 34, and 36. Pot room 22
was completed the year before. Pots
were lined in the carbon plant, and
to be transferred to the several
rooms. This work -was in charge
Farmer Scott.
During the early winter. Farmer
also started work on the large transin“>'
,sion line to the Narrows. There is
as much aluminum in this line as
make in our plant in two days at
present rate of production. Alumin'^'’’ j
cable requires the highest grade of 1
so that its resistance may be low. |
fore, at the rate we are turning out
grade metal, it would requii'e many |
to make enough for the cable in the ,
All this had to be raised in the air,
fastened there by insulators. The tei' |
sion or pull on each cable was adjust®
by means of spring balances or I
mometers to three thousand pounds ^
more. Such good progress was ,
that by April 25 it was complete as I
as the river. There were so many ^ |
Hardaway’s derrick guys in the way ^ j
this time that woi’k had to be postpo*^®
for a few days. When work was aga'*’
started, the cables were carried aci^^^
by means of a cablew'ay made of a on^' |
inch steel cable as messenger, and
one-half-inch cables as carriers, the j
half-inch cables being drawn back ai'' j
forth across the river by means oi ^
small motor-driven hoist, made from |
old Woodward governor taken from
Whitney powerhouse. Cables for
fourth circuit of the line were
at that time, as it would be both danj?*^^
ous and expensive do this when the
three circuits were carrying power. ' ^
ter all cables were in place, it was fo^’^
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GETTING POSITIONS FOR THE TILTING CONTEST