The Portland daily press., 1882-02-20
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.
PORTLAND ILLUMINATED BY THE
WESTON PATENT.
The Lamps Lighted on Saturday Even
ing.

afforded an opportunity w SEQ buo oioo"Ao
light which marks new era in the illumina-
ton of public buildings and stores and may
ultimately be extended to our streets. 1t has
proved great success in other cities. The
lights Saturday evening burned. as rule,
very well for the first lighting. That upon the
City Building was a decided success The first
of the evening the lights flickered and burned
unsteadily, but towards midnight they were
decided success improving rapidly after
o'clock, the time when they were first lighted
The regulation of the carbons will take little
time and when that is completed there will be
no trouble bat clear powerful steady light
will be obtained At the station Saturday
night the engine caused the centre shaft of
the dynamos to make 900 revolutions per
minutes, and, in the darkness, the electricity
thrown off by the betting, was quite brilliant.
1t has been stated the wires leaked badly but
we are assured that is a mistake, only slight
leak occurring and that was mended quickly.
Last night the circait was reduced to ten
lights for that occasion only, and met Win
still greater success. The public generally
spoke in most fsttering terms OF the new
light and wished our streets could be lighted
with it. 1t kills the gas lights.
The light used is known as the
Weston patent, and we have been kindly fur
nished by Mr.. Winton, the agent OF the COM
pany with the following description.
In the rear of Merchants Bank building is
shed Of moderate size containing the steam
engine of forty horsepower, from which the
power is obtained to run the light. The
electric machine consists of iron cores, which
appear like cylinders, wound about Win
heavy copper wire. These cores proceed from
cast iron head made in such form as TO ad-
nit a shaft wound longitudinally with copper
wires. This shaft--termed an armature-has
strips of copper, spirally formed, at the end, to
which the ends of the wires, from the armature
are fastened; strips and wires running IN bear
irgs attached to the heads. The cores wound
with wires--or fixed magnets as they are
called-are charged with current OF electrlci'
ty or poarized. Then the armature revolves,
BY means of pulleys and betting, connected
with the engine. The revolving causes cur
rent to be generated in the armature from the
field magnets. This current is taken OIL by
means of pair of brushes, or copper strips,
which are put in contact with the commutator
and returned to the field magnets, BY wire
connections thus increasing the intensity o.
the field magnets The result is to increase
the induced current in the armature which is,
in turn, thrown back into the magnets, and SO
on until very strong current is obtained
This current is taken from the binding posts,
placed on the machine, and carried through
the external current which consists OF wires
starting from the machine, at what is called
the positive pole, returning to the negative
pole Of the machine.
In the outside circuit the lamps in the city
are placed by breaking the wires and uniting
them. The current passes from the engine
room-or station-over the wires to the lamps.
The lamps consist of two sticks OF carDen
with the points resting together, both making
perpendicular line. The separation OF the
points for very slight distance does not in
terfere with the interruption OF the current
the current passing through the intermediate
air causing brilliant light. The light is due
somewhat to the particles of burning carbon
together with the spark that passes between
the two carbons This is called the voltalc
arc. hence the term 'sarc lamps" These car
bons are arranged by special mechanism
called the lamp for regulating, or drawing the
carbons proper distance from each other. IL
is accomplished by the aid OF an electro-mag-
net so placed as to lift the carbons by means OF
q ssclutch,' till they reach the proper distance
and then, after parting certain distance, the
resistance of the current is increased SO that
the electromagnetic becomes weaker. allowing
the carbons to come together again to that
thus an automatic movement is given through
tn the amount
of light or the position Of the carbons
The carbons consist OF residuum, or waste
from gas retorts, useless for any other purpose
1t is ground up by a certain process and form
cd into sticks about twelve inches long and
one-half an inch in diameter. These stick'
will burn eight hours and should be renewed
every day.
The company, as at present organized, has
Mr.. NJ G.. Palmer for president, and the direc-
tors are M. G. Palmer, j. E. Palmer, u. Y.
Shaw, B. d. verrill, J. H. Drummond, A. q.
Schlotterbeck and j. H. Fogg The mana
ging electrician in this city, will be Mr. Crane
for SO many years connected with the Western
Union Telegraph Company. The machines
owned by the company are OF sufficient capa-
city for present purposes, but they will enlarge
at once to meet the demand for the lamps.
The parties using the lamps in Portland are
Marrett & Bailey, A. H. Coe, Whitney
Fox, W. P. Goss, M. G. Palmer, Geo. G. Shaw,
w. F. Studley Fl. Fl. Hay, Middle street;
Merchants Exchange, Temple street; United
States Hotel, H. P. Gould, Congress street;
City Hall, I. J. Brown, Congress street; Cup
py, Kinsman & Co., Market Square; Prebie
House, two lights; L. ]. Perkins, Owen
Moore & Co., Turner Bros, A. G. Schlotter-
beck, Congress street.
1t is claimed that the light is steady, clear,
white color; that the danger from lire is very
slight if the wires are properly put up, and
that it does not heat or vitiate the atmosphere
1t is also claimed there can be no injury to
the person as the wires are roperly protected
Personal