CENTRAL ST VTION is a term used to designate a plant at which electricity is generated to supply many customers, while what are known as iso lated stations supply the wants of one building, or possibly a group of buildings. The central station may lie bleated many miles from the point or points where the current is utilized. Perhaps the best known example of the latter is the Niagara Falls plant, from which current is transmitted to Buffalo for electrie-lighting and street-railway service, a distance of 27 miles. This transmission line is short compared with ninny others. (See POWER TRANSAI 1SSION.) The central stations in large American cities contain steam generating plants of enormous capacity, front some of which the current is distributed to sub-stations. This one of the central stations of the Edison Electric Illuminating Company in the borough of Brooklyn. New York City. serves an
area of 120 square miles. Its dynamos furnish alternating current which is Iransunitted by un derground conduits to the sub-stations, where it is transformed to suit the needs of the several sub-district: supplied. The New York t;as, Elec tric Light, pleat, and Mover Company controls six light and power companies and has an authorized capital of S72,000.1100. One of the companies controlled lead, in 1900, a total of 566n are and 466.533 incandescent lamps, besides over 25.000 motors in use. The latest available summary of eleetrie-lighting stations, given herewith. will serve to show something of the extent and char acter of the industry in the Cnited States as it was early in 1599. Separate figures are given for plants under plIblie and private ownership.