Rankine's Story

Told First Years Ago, But Now Repeated for the Benefit of a Misguided Contemporary.

AUGUST 1, DATE SET FOR POWER

By that Time the Niagara Falls Power Company Expects to Be Supplying the Pittsburg Reduction Company With Electric Force.

William B. Rankine, secretary of the Cataract Construction Company, was in Buffalo Saturday and at the Falls for a brief time yesterday. It is understood that Mr. Rankine is getting pretty tired of being forced to deny untruthful statements made about his company from a source which seems in every way determined to do them injury at every possible point. While in Buffalo Mr. Rankine had some stereotyped questions put to him and he gave the stereotyped answers as follows:

“Is there any truth in these statements that the company has abandoned all idea of long-distance transmission?” was asked of Mr. Rankine.

“There is not the slightest truth in this statement,” he replied. “The company has never abandoned the idea that long-distance transmission is perfectly practicable and feasible. It has been proved in several instances where commercial plants are operated at long distance from the source of power that it is a success, and that being the case, there is no reason why we should abandon the proposition.”

“It has also been stated that you would transmit the power to Buffalo through pipes containing a salt brine?”

“That is not so. No such system has been adopted and probably none will be. We shall bring the power, if at all, by means of an overhead construction, and this is the manner which has been favored all along. Mr. Tesla, who is reported to have stated that the power would be brought to Buffalo in pipes containing a solution of some sort, has no connection with our company, but I know he is working upon a system of power transmission of the sort mentioned.”

“How long before the company will have the dynamos running to furnish power?”

“We are setting up the second dynamo, and will have it ready to run in about a week. We expect to begin furnishing power to the Pittsburg Reduction Company by August 1st.”

“When will you have the third dynamo?”

“I cannot state exactly when that will be ready for use. It is all built, and is at the works of the Westinghouse company, and will probably be shipped to us in a very short time. We, however, will not wait to set that up before we begin running the other two and furnishing power.”