Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-17
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
Something in Relation to Their
Mode Of Operation.
Row ne Current is Induced and Directed
The Magnet and the Bar-A
Visit to the lightning's
Home.


down by the light Of his tallow dip to
put the result on paper. Since that
time Wheeling has gone through the
Cradations of the rush light, the dip,
the CHASTITY kerosene, and the Pickering
carbureltled hydrogen, up to the unap-
proachable radience of the electric light.
Probably this thought did not pass
through the minds of people who last
night stood under the burner on Twelfth
street and gazed in admiration at their
sharply defined silhOuettes on the side
walk; neither, perhaps, did they think
it very singular that Wheeling should
get electric lights in her centennial
wear. Other cities without Weddings
hoary antiquity, without her $4,000
population and without her claim to
making one-fifth of the nails of the
world, have already had the glittering
electric arch, but they also have long
enjoyed a public circulating library,
good streets, free baths and few other
incidentals numbered by Wheeling
among the luxuries of city life.
However, slowly as drags the car OF
Improvement over Wheeling's cor
rugated bOulevards, it has at last brought
the electric light and Its pure white rad
lance will hereafter turn night into day
on our principal thoroughfares. me
electric light! To the ordinary mind
one of those results of science, 81 nply--
an unquestioned light Of unusual bril-
lance; but to others how suggestive OF
knotty points over which sarG'ats have
struggled in vain; something, no mat
ter what, burning with great heat and
light, is about all that is suggested TO
many minds as the eyes calmly blink
AT IT'S splendor, but others would like
to know how that brilliancy is created
and maintained, and by what means
the fiery lightning is thus subdued and
controlled by the puny hand OF man.
ELECTRICITY's HOME
in this city is at No. II Twelfth street,
where the Wheeling Electral Com
pany holds forth. There is the centre
the generating point-of the current
which feeds the lamps scattered about
the city, and last night, when the lights
were brightest, a REGISTER reporter
was one of the crowd who gazed cur
iously at the machinery by which the
brightest of artificial lights is produced.
On the lower floor of the building is
a curious engine, built on the Corliss
plan, with artificial cut-offS, designed
iOr the highest speed. 1t was then
putting away at tremendous pace,
sending long line of betting whirling
to the upper story and back with great
velocity. Nothing remarkable here,
but in the third story the betting con-
nected with a pulley wheel Of a singu-
lar machine, which was driven
at a wonderful rate of speed, making as
high as $50 revolutions minute. This
il the Gramme dynamo machine, made
and operated by the Fuller company,
the parent under which the Wheeling
conf any exists. In appearance it Is
not unlike steam fan, showing a square
frame work of iron, enclosing four pow
arful coil magnets, set in tiers OF two,
lying horizontally, with space OF six
inches between the ends and foot be-
tween the sides. Between the four poles
of the magnets, revolving vertically, is
n wheel of about fifteen inches in di-
ameter, composed of bars of soft iron,
solidly knit together aud wrapped with
wire. This wheel, or armature, Is set on
a pjniOn made of radiating pieces of
copper alternating with layers OF nom
conducting rubber. The piniOn extends
six inches beyond the armature and
communicates with the two brushes, by
which the current is drawn off and re-
turned. Such is the Gramme ntchine,
presenting the complicated form OF q
DYNAMO machine, generating current
Of electricity by bar revolving before
a magnet.
INDUCING THE CURRENT.
The magnets are composed of coils
OF copper wire, enclosing soft bars OF
iron and are heavily magnetized before
having been placed in position. Two
north and two south poles are presented
to the centre by the four magnets COM
bined so that the effect Is that Of
two horseshoe magnets. 1t is u Well
known principle of electricity that
unlike attract and like rrpel, conse-
gu,nIiy, at each passage of the positive
ro!e ui the armature before the negative
pole of the magnet spark ~ transmit
ted. The armature is composed OF loJ
pieces, and a. the magnet Is doubled,
double spark Is communicated to
each, making 800 per revolution. The
aTnaiuTe TevOlves at u speed Ot 936 per
minute, consequently 2o6, 500 distinct
electric charges are made per minute.
Resting on the piniOn Ot thearmature
on either side, is u rIbbnn-like piece of
meta, known IN the brush, probably be-
cause it brushes the current from the
machine. Its tips rest on the pinion,
and the sharp points receive the current
IN an easy and practically continuous
stream. The wires of the circuit are
connected with the two brushes, and
the current, entering at one and return
ing by the other, has u perfect circuit.
Should this be broken or interrupted,
the lights would Immediately go out.
THE LAMPS.
The conducting wires, which are en-
cased in a non-coHducting substance
and completely insulated, leave the ma
chine and connect with the 20 lamps,
which is the capacity Of the machine.
The dozen lamps not yet given out,
hang in the third story of the factory,
and illuminate it with a MONDAY radi.
anee. In each lamp the positive and
negative wires meet, one issuing from
the bottom, and the other depending
nom the top. Each end is u solid carbon
point ann when the pDiuts are brought
sufficiently ClOse the electric arc flashes
out between them, heating the caroou
toa white heat and gIving out the pur-
est and brightest artificial light known.
The carbon points are moved 10y an au-
tomato arrangement designed TO keep
them continually separated by the prop
TT distance A double magnet is en-
closS d in a metal box ut the top OF the
lamp, by which the upper carbon Is
raised or lowered us becomes necessary.
SOME OF THE POINTS.
Mr.. Hix, the manager, and Mr.. Short
the electrician, were both found in the
machine room, patiently answering the
myriad of questions put at them by the