Taming the West with AC power

Around 1890, the mining industry of Telluride, Colorado, was going broke because of the high cost of fuel for steam power, and alternative sources of power had to be found. The author describes the transition that was made to AC power. A 133 Hz, 3000 V generator was installed with a 6 foot Pelton water wheel at Ames, Colorado, that transmitted power for a distance of 2.65 miles. This was followed by a number of additional installations, and by 1896, the original system of 133 Hz was replaced by the Tesla system that used 60 Hz.<>