Electricity
1 March 1900
Although not a particularly good photograph this is a very historic one, for the town. It shows the first use of the town's electricity system. It was taken on the evening of 1 March 1900. That morning word had been received that a British force under the command of Lord Roberts had relieved the town of Ladysmith, which had been besieged by a large force of Boers. The Town Council, acting at a speed almost unheard of today, had an emergency meeting that morning; organised an early closing for shops; a fireworks display and bonfire on the Gowan Hills and the illuminations shown above.
The town’s electricity supply was almost due to go into operation and they brought the official opening forward to that evening. A supply powering a line of bulbs was strung from the scaffolding being used to what was then a new building for the Clydesdale Bank (now the Ginger Bar and Cafe) to the Town Council offices which were then located in the Steeple and across to the opposite side of the street. The panel across the Steeple itself carries the name “Roberts” in capital letters. As can be seen there were also lines of bunting. A few minutes after this photograph was taken the new electric street lamps in King Street were switched on to herald a bright start to the twentieth century for the thousands crammed into the street.
Generating Plant
The town’s own generating plant was housed in the red brick building which still exists in Colquhoun Street. It was a coal-fired power plant with four Lancashire boilers 28ft by 6ft supplying steam to various engines manufactured by Messrs Allan and by Bellis & Morcomb. These drove the generators made by Mather & Platt and by Siemens. They gave sterling service in the early years of the town’s move into the modern world.