The Czar of the Power-House 



By the mere pushing of a few buttons on his desk the man who controls the 

 deUvery of current from a great power-house can stop all street cars, put out 

 all lights and shut down hundreds of businesses dependent upon the power 



TIIM man who controls {hu oiiti;()iiig 

 current from a central power-house 

 is a Czar whose domain may co\'er 

 all territory within a radius of one hun- 

 dred to five hundred miles of the station. 

 By the mere pusliingof a few buttons on 

 his desk he can sto|) all street-car systems 

 and every inlerurban railroad. He can 

 put out every light, cool every electric 

 ilaliron, cause mills to shut down — in 

 fact deaden every acti\ity in his territory 

 dependent upon electric power. The 

 men down in the great power plants 

 await his call. At a signal from him 

 they let loose or restrain huge turbines — 

 machines in some cases each capable'of 

 putting forth ten or tweKe thousand 

 horsepower, more sometimes than half a 

 state uses in all its industrial acti\itics. 

 Outside men patrol the long transmission 

 lines. If trouble develops in any one 

 district an automatic signaling system 

 apprises the dispatcher of the fact, and 

 by means of teleiihones at his elliow he 



mobilizes the men. All energies are bent 

 toward making immediate repairs. 



If a lightning and rain storm is ap- 

 proaching, a wireless s^-stem acquaints 

 him of its coming. Lightning is the dis- 

 patcher's principal enemy. Often the 

 wireless system tells of approaching 

 storms, e\en though the sky be clear. 



Only in times of emergency does the 

 load-dispatcher exert his full powers. 

 Huge central stations are often under 

 contract to supply uninterrupted service. 

 Sometimes they incur heavy penalties 

 if contracts are not carried out. The 

 dispatcher is simply a man made in 

 part responsible for the smooth work- 

 ing of the system. When the street 

 cars, elevatetls, and subwa>s are taxed 

 to the utmost in carrying home-going 

 crowds, he is the man who has had extra 

 boilers put in service and extra engines 

 started in order to carr>' the suddenly 

 increased load. So, too, he prepares for 

 the many lights of evening. 



