I suspect that almost every city has a similar story in it's history books.

This Day in History: Nov. 3, 1888: More light on the way

Times Colonist Published: Monday, November 03, 2008

The ever increasing demand for incandescent electric lights for interior illumination has for some time past been keenly felt in this city, and the Victoria Electric Illuminating Co., in order to supply the requirements of the public, recently made arrangements with the Edison Electrical Manufacturing Co., Sherbrooke, Que., for the purchase of new apparatus to more than double the power, and greatly increase the quality of the light.

The new machinery arrived several days ago, and is now being placed in position at the electric light station on Langley street, by Mr. T. Carson, the electrician of the company, and Mr. Wm. Hutchinson, the electrician of the manufacturers.

The additional plant comprises two new No. 10 Edison dynamos with a capacity of 450 lights each, which are being placed in position beside the old ones, with two new boilers, from the Albion Iron Works, with a capacity of 75 H.P. each.

The one has already been set up, and the other is now almost complete, and will shortly be placed in position by the Albion Iron Works men.

The new high speed horizontal engine, 150 H.P., is from the well-known manufacturing firm of Armington & Sims, Providence, R.I. It has been speeded to 300 revolutions per minute, and is complete, with automatic regulators and all modern improvements, making it the best engine manufactured for the use to which it will be put.

Link leather belting is used on all the machinery.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008