Straphanger Centennial
Part II: Lewis B. Stillwell and Alternating Current
By Mary Ann Hoffman
This article is the second in a three-part series related to
the birth and development of the New York City subway system.
In the late 1880s, engineers took steps to harness the power of
Niagara Falls. Their success would mark one of the world's
greatest technological achievements.
Many earlier power distribution systems used direct current to
transmit power, but these systems were not effective over long
distances. A young scientist,
Nikola Tesla, was
developing an alternating current system of dynamos,
transformers and motors. His innovative system proved effective
in long-distance transmission. Seeing the potential of the new
dynamo,
George Westinghouse purchased the alternating current
patents from Tesla in 1888. In 1890, a group of young
Westinghouse engineers convinced their boss to apply this new
technology to the
Telluride Hydroelectric Plant (IEEE Milestone)
in Colorado, demonstrating that the new technology could be a
practical success. Then, in 1895, the Westinghouse Company
installed the first hydroelectric generating plant using one of
the first alternating current generators at
Niagara Falls (IEEE
Milestone), under the leadership of chief engineer Lewis B.
Stillwell.
Stillwell was born in Scranton, Penn., in 1863. He graduated
with a degree in electrical engineering from Lehigh University
in 1885, and over his lifetime would receive many honorary
degrees, including doctorates from Wesleyan and Lehigh
Universities.
After joining the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing
Company in Pittsburgh in 1886, he and a small group of
outstanding young engineers, including
Charles F. Scott, Otto Shallenberger and
Benjamin G. Lamme, worked to develop Tesla’s
alternating-current power system. The Niagara Falls plant began
operation using this system in August 1895. In 1897, Stillwell
left Westinghouse to become the electrical director of the
Niagara Falls Power Company.
Rapid Transit Expert
Stillwell became director of the Rapid Transit Subway Company in
New York City in 1900. There, he oversaw the installation of the
power house and substations. In 1902, Stillwell became electrical
director of the Interborough Rapid Transit Subway Construction
Company, supervising all of the electrical work for elevated
and tunnel subways. For the remainder of his career, he
built a successful engineering practice, serving
clients such as the Manhattan Elevated Railway Company, the
New
Haven Railroad (IEEE Milestone), and the Port of New York
Authority. He consulted for a number of other railroad and transit
companies as well, including the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad;
the Erie Railroad; United Railways and Electric Company of
Baltimore; Interborough Rapid Transit Company of New York; the
Boston & Maine Railroad; New York Municipal Railway Corporation;
and the New York and New Jersey Commissions, in connection with
the Holland Tunnel.
Conservation Activist
Energy conservation was one of Stillwell's main concerns. In
1914, he spoke about electricity and energy conservation at a
joint meeting of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers
(AIEE) and three other national engineering societies. According
to Stillwell, conservation meant "utilization without
unnecessary waste" and, more broadly, it meant developing
natural resources (such as water) in ways that would enhance or
increase the resource. For example, he pointed out that renewal
of forests produced beneficial effects on stream flow. Stillwell
suggested that steps should be taken to turn the nation away
from "reckless waste ... to a policy of wise conservation,
having due regard to the common interest now and in the future."
Stillwell urged professional engineering societies to take
active roles in resource conservation and in influencing public
opinion "along lines that will result in the enactment of just
and wise laws." He also said that the "economic
utilization of our natural resources is the fundamental problem
of all engineering," and concluded that every engineer ought to
strive to prevent mistakes in policy that might result "from
actions based upon insufficient and inaccurate knowledge."
Stillwell and the EE Code of Ethics
Stillwell was very active in the AIEE. As AIEE
President
(1909-1910), he created a committee to formulate a Code of
Ethics for electrical engineers (see “Does IEEE’s Code of Ethics
Meet Today’s Needs?” in this issue). In 1933, he received the AIEE Lamme Medal (named for his former colleague at
Westinghouse) for his distinguished career in connection with
the design, installation and operation of electrical machinery
and equipment. Two years later, he received the Edison Medal
for his distinguished engineering achievements and his pioneer
work in the generation, distribution and utilization of electric
energy. He is credited with a number of inventions,
including the Stillwell regulator and a time-limit circuit
breaker. Stillwell passed away in Baltimore, Md., in January
1941, at the age of 77.
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