Sardinia Street Power Station

1891

of London, WC

1889 The Westinghouse Electric Co built the Sardinia Street Power Station for the Metropolitan Electric Supply Co. It contained 12 Babcock and Wilcox water-tube boilers, each capable of evaporating 6,000 lb. of water per hour. These supplied steam to five 250 Hp and five 350 HP Westinghouse compound steam engines each driving a Westinghouse 125 kW alternator.

1890 'EXPLOSION AT LINCOLN'S INN. Between half-past seven and eight o'clock this morning a serious explosion occurred on the premises of the Metropolitan Electric Supply Company, Sardinia-street, Lincoln’s-inn. It seems that a terrific report, proceeding from the boiler-room, caused a general rush of the employés to the spot, where a sad sight presented itself. One of the workmen was lying down, stunned and seriously injured by an explosion of steam, which forced up the floors and wrecked a portion of the back buildings, situated in Sardinia-place. The name of the injured man is John Morris. He is a coal trimmer, and lives at 7, Providence-place, Argyle-street, Old Kent-road. He was putting some coal into the stoke-hole at the tune of the explosion, and received the whole force of the concussion. Two other workmen—John Ambler and William George Clark—escaped in a singular way. There are, it appears, five sets of boilers for working the electric light. Ambler and Clark were inside one of the disused boilers, engaged in what is known as chipping — breaking off the encrustation. Had they not been so engaged they would, it is believed, have been seriously injured but, being protected by the ironwork, they escaped without suffering anything more than slight concussion. Though no blame is said to attach to any of the workmen, it is thought as an explanation of the disaster that an overpressure of steam might possibly have led to the explosion. Mrs. Donovan, an Irishwoman, living at 9, Sardinia-place, within fifty yards of the now shattered buildings, says that she was thrown to the floor by the force of the concussion,which shook the house, as she states, '‘like an earthquake.” She related a very sad incident in connection with the affair, A Mrs. Sullivan, residing three doors from Mrs. Donovan, was lying in bed, dying at the time the report was heard. "The poor old creature,’’ remarked Mrs. Donovan, "was shaken on to the floor, and was so frightened that she insisted upon being carried out of the house. A blanket was thrown over her, and she has been taken to a neighbour’s." Morris, the injured man, is lying in King's College Hospital.'

1891 Illustrated description in The Engineer 1891/01/16. 'There are five engines, each indicating 250-horse power with high and low-pressure cylinders respectively 14in. and 24in. diameter, with a stroke of 14in. and the heavy fly-wheel, which acts also as the driving pulley, is 90in. diameter. Five of the engines each indicate 320-horse power, and have cylinders 16in. and 27in. diameter, with a 16in. stroke. In these cases the fly-wheel is 110in dia.meter, and the belt which runs upon it is 20in. wide. Each of these ten engines drives a Westinghouse alternator upon the floor above. There are also three engines for driving the exciters, and these indicate 90-horse power each and have cylinders 10in. and 18in. diameter by 10in. stroke, and run at a speed of 320 revolutions per minute. Each has a fly-wheel 6ft. diameter, upon which runs a double belt 14in. wide; and we may remark that all these large belts were made in Chicago, and have cemented joints. The driving pulleys are not rounded on the face, as is usual in this country, but are turned slightly conical both ways from a centre line.'

1895 The station was substantially destroyed by fire.

It was rebuilt.

1897 'HOLBORN IN DARKNESS. Some confusion and a great deal of unpleasantness were caused last evening in the central district of London, owing to an accident at the works of the Metropolitan Electricity Supply Company(Limited), in Sardinia-street, Lincoln’s Inn-fields. On inquiry there was stated that a fire had occurred in the dynamo-room, energetic efforts were made to repair the damage, and it was hoped that everything would again be in proper working order this evening. The direct result of the fire was plunge Holborn and a considerable district relying upon the service of the company into temporary darkness. The supply appears to have failed shortly after six, and in some places it was not until seven o’clock, or even later, that the gas lamps were lighted, and business could again be resumed. The disturbed area lay chiefly between Holborn Viaduct and Tottenham-court-road, but the important arteries between these two points were again favoured with their accustomed light by nine o’clock, and before 10.30 most of the chief customers of the company were being supplied usual. Several theatres and music halls were deprived of their electric light shortly after six, but in every case the supply was restored before or shortly after nine o’clock. Not a theatre or music-hall was obliged to close its doors.'

1900 'ACTON MAN'S TERRIBLE DEATH. KILLED IN A BOILER EXPLOSION. At Westminster, Mr. Troutbeck held an adjourned inquest on Wednesday on Albert Edward Shirley, of Louise-cottages, East Acton, who met his death in consequence of a boiler explosion on the premises of the Metropolitan Electric Supply Company, in Sardinia-street. Lincoln's Inn fields, on the 17th inst.— William E. Spencer, engineer at Sardinia-street station, said the boilers used in the premises were obtained in 1889, and were then new. The employees of the firm were instructed to rigidly follow the advice given by the Board of Trade inspector with regard to the management of the boilers, which were also examined by an inspector of the National Boiler and General Insurance Company. The explosion resulted from the bursting of a tube in the centre of the boiler. The working pressure of the boilers was 160 lb. ; the test pressure 169lb —The Coroner: Do you think that a sufficient test limit? — I think so.— The Coroner: Do you think the test should be double the amount of the working strain?— No, sir. In his opinion the explosion resulted from a faulty weld and bad metal used in the construction of the tube which burst.— Mr. B. R. Todd, the company's chief engineer, said be had also examined the burst tube. It was a very difficult matter to form a decided opinion as to the cause of the explosion, but be thought there was an original defect in the weld of the tube, which had become weak to bursting point by natural deterioration. As to the question of what a proper test, before this happened he agreed with Mr. Spencer, but now he certainly did not think that any harm could be done to a boiler or boilers by a periodical test up to say 1 1/3 to 1 3/4 times the working pressure. Even under those conditions it was not certain that the defects which existed in this case would have been exposed. It would be an extra and wise precaution, however.—The jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death," and exonerated the boilermakers from all blame. They also added a rider to the effect that there should be a proper inspection of all boilers by the Government.'

1901 'The Sardinia-street Boiler Explosion
Mr. H. Smith sat, by appointment of the Board of Trade, at Westminster Townhall yesterday to investigate the circumstances attending the explosion in November last of a boiler at the Sardinia-street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, Station of the Metropolitan Electric Supply Company, whereby a workman named Albert Edward Shirley, of Louise Cottage, Acton, was killed.— Mr. Gott, who appeared as counsel for the Board of Trade, said the scene of the explosion was used by the Metropolitan Electric Supply Company as generating station. The boiler in question was put into position in January, 1889, and was of the water tube type. The boiler was periodically inspected by water pressure test, every precaution with regard to the kind of water was taken, but up to the time of the explosion, nothing was noted which indicated the presence of danger. The stipulated pressure was 175lb. to the square inch, but the working pressure was not above 150lb, In 1898 partial examinations were made as to the cleanliness of the boiler; in fact, it was partially cleaned upon six occasions in that year and thoroughly cleaned once. On May 11, 1901, it was thoroughly cleaned again, and in June was inspected by the company's inspector, no fault being discovered. On the day of the explosion the pressure was 150lb. Subsequent examination showed that one of the tubes had fractured, the original thickness having been much lessened by corrosion. It would be for the inspector to ascertain precisely what the cause of the explosion was. An inquest on the victim was held by Mr. John Troutbeck, and a verdict of accidental death was returned. The plate thickness of the tubes was three-eighths. — Evidence was given by Mr. B. W. K. Colle of Messrs, Babcock and Wilcox, who supplied the boiler, as to dimensions. All the tubes were tested at the biggest pressure by the makers before being fitted up. - The inquiry was adjourned.'

1901 'FATAL BOILER EXPLOSIONS. The Board of Trade has issued reports on two fatal boiler explosions which occurred at the works of the Metropolitan Electric Supply Company, limited, 10, Sardinia-street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. By the first, which occurred November 17, 1900, Albert E. Shirley, a fireman, was injured and died on the following day. By the second, on January 20 this year, another fireman, Thomas Wilson, was fatally injured. In each the Board of Trade Commissioners find that the explosion was caused by the overheating of a tube, and , that no responsibility rests upon the officials or the Electric Supply Company.' [!]

1901 'In a Board or Trade report on the explosion of a tube of a Babcock boiler at the Sardinia-street station ... the Commissioners state that the explosion was caused by a tube having become so weakened by overheating as to be unable to resist the steam pressure, and this overheating was caused by an accumulation of deposit in the tube, which prevented the proper circulation of water through the tube. The Commissioners have formed the opinion that this type of boiler cannot be safely used unless great care is taken that the water should be as free as possible from solid matter. They are of opinion that the New River Company's water is quite unfit to be used in its natural state.

1903 'THE HOLBORN-TO-STRAND IMPROVEMENTS. Sir John Wolfe Barry has issued his award as umpire in the arbitration which has recently been held to determine the amount to be paid by the London County Council to the Metropolitan Electric Supply Company, Limited, for the acquisition by the Council of the company's generating works at Sardinia-street, Lincoln's-inn Fields. The London Improvements Act, 1899, provided that, in addition to vesting in the company a new site of equivalent area to their present one, the Council were to pay to the company a sum equal to the costs and expenses of fitting up a new generating station upon another site, with new plant of a capacity to generate and supply electrical energy to an output of not less than 4,000 kilowatts, and all expenses incurred in replacing, relaying, and altering mains. The amount of the award is £183,150.'

1905 Contained 350kw of alternating current and 2,640 kW of direct current generation.

1905, Summer: Closed and demolished, making way for the LCC Kingsway (road and tramway development).. This source states that there is still a major substation on or near the extreme western edge of the site.

1905 'THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL is prepared to receive TENDERS for the PURCHASE of the MODERN ELECTRICITY GENERATING MACHINERY and PLANT at the Generating Station, Nos. 8 to 16, Sardinia‘street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., and comprising six engines and dynamos, nine Parsons’ turbines and dynamos, 13 transformers, 16 boilers by Babcock & Wilcox, voltmeters, bus-bars and ammeters, switchboards, feed and cylinder pumps, motors, travelling cranes, balancers, boosters, fans, lathes, screwing and drilling machines, switches, fuses, and electric cables, &c. ...'

The 1896 O.S. Town Plan here shows that Sardinia Street used to start from an arch leading from Lincoln's In Fields, and headed SSW. The power station was behind the row of buildings containing that arch, on the western side of the Square. Access was through an archway on Sardinia Street, and possibly from Sardinia Place. The area is now very much changed, and the present Sardinia Street is shorter and located further south.

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Sources of Information

• [2] Everything explained