1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class. It's a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hi, I'm Eves and welcome to This Day 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: in History Class, a show that on covers a little 4 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: bit more about history every day. Today is September fourteen. 5 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: The day was September four two. Pearl Street Station, the 6 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,599 Speaker 1: first commercial central power plant in the United States, started 7 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: generating electricity. Building on the work of other inventors, Edison 8 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: created an incandescent lighting system. He had already constructed experimental 9 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: power installations. He used a dynamo now known as a 10 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: generator to deliver power to each of these small installations. 11 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: But incandescent lighting in homes and indoors was becoming more 12 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: popular and a substantial source of power was needed. In 13 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty, the same year he received the patent for 14 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: his incandescent lamp, Thomas Edison established the Edison Electric Illuminating 15 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: Company of New York to build power stations in New 16 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: York City. Edison decided to build the first permanent central 17 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: power stations for supplying incandescent lighting in New York's Financial 18 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: district in Lower Manhattan. Construction of the station began in 19 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty one. The mechanical and electrical part of the 20 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: plant was at two fifty seven Pearl Street. Since the 21 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: building was constructed for commercial use, the structure had to 22 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: be strengthened to hold all of the necessary equipment. The 23 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: flooring was replaced with a floor of girders supported by columns. 24 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: The building used for storage, sleeping, and offices was at 25 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: two fifty five Pearl Streets. Each building had four floors. 26 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: Edison chose this location because it provided a good mix 27 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: of commercial and residential business and was home to many 28 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: major newspapers. It was also close to the Western Union 29 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,399 Speaker 1: Telegraphy Company and City Hall. The company paid around three 30 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars to buy the properties and build the 31 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: station and distribution system. Constructing the network of wires and 32 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: conduits that delivered energy to customers was one of the 33 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: most expensive parts of the project. After administrative expenses, canvasing, 34 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: and patent license fees, the cost came to about five 35 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars. Four two hundred and forty horsepower Babcock 36 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: and Wilcox spoilers were in the basement of two fifty 37 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: seven Pearl Street. Six engine and dynamo assemblies were on 38 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: the floor above that. The dynamos were driven by reciprocating 39 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: steam engines supplied by coal fired boilers. Each assembly weight 40 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: about thirty tons and was rated for around twelve hundred lamps. 41 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 1: The third floor housed wooden frames wrapped with copper wire 42 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: resistances that were used for manually regulating the dynamo fields. 43 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: The fourth floor was home to a thousand lamps that 44 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: were used to test dynamos that needed inspection or repair. 45 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: The first engine and generator assembly was tested on July five, 46 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: eight two. The station went into service on September four. 47 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: Pearl Street Station used direct current, which is an electric 48 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: current that flows in one direction with alternating current on 49 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: the other hand, The electric current changes direction periodically. Customers 50 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: were not charged for current until eighty three, after the 51 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: system for accurately recording the flow of current had proven reliable. 52 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: The first bill was to the Ansonia Brass and Copper 53 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: Company for fifty dollars and forty four cents. The New 54 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: York Times Offices were one of edison first customers. Pearl 55 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: Street Station did not become profitable until eight four. Other 56 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: direct current, low voltage central station electric systems were later 57 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: built around New York City. In January of eighteen ninety 58 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: A fire destroyed some of the station, but it was 59 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: back up and running not long after, and stayed in 60 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: operation until eight four. Though Edison defended the use of 61 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: direct current, the rest of the world was gravitating towards 62 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:35,599 Speaker 1: alternating current by the time at Pearl Street stations shut down. 63 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: Other power plants have been designed to service larger areas. 64 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: Edison sold the buildings and they were later torn down. 65 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: I'm Eve Jeffcode, and hopefully you know a little more 66 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:52,239 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. If there's something 67 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: that I missed in an episode, you can share it 68 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at t D I h 69 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: C podcast. Thank you for joining me today. See you 70 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: same place, same time tomorrow. For more podcasts from I 71 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 72 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.