News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-06-01
ELECTRICITY ON TAP.
Stored in Boxes to be Used when Oc-
casiOn Requires-A Novel Con
triVance.

| stored IN BOXES TO De OSeu Wnen &c
casion Requires-A Novel Con
| triyance.
On board the steamship Labrador
of the French line, which arrived at New
York on Friday, several wooden cases
of about the size of soap boxes were
stored. Mr.. William Lockland, an
electrical engineer, under whose care
the cases came, connected an Edison
lamp with a series of them by means
of wires, and, on turning a button, the
lamp shone brightly. In the boxes
electricity is kept, to be drawn off as
needed.
1.-THE electricity was stored in them as
far back as April a." he said. "They
were then shipped from Paris to Havre,
and taken aboard the Labrador. On
Saturday evening, April %, we lighted
some electric lamps from them. We
have been lighting eight lamps from
them all the way across the ocean and
have drawn off only a small quantity
of the electricity stored in them. The
lamps ranged from five to fifty candle
power"
The apparatus is known as the Faure
accumulation. Its function is simply to
store up electricity for use when it is
wanted. The accumulation is placed in
circuit with an electric dynamo" and
the electricity transmitted to it is stored
up. The packed up electricity can then
be sent anywhere, kept any necessary
length of time, and will be gradually
and equally discharged along any
circuit that may be attached to the ap-
paratus.
The fact that the storage of electricity
is possible has long been known. The
Leyden jar stores electricity, but gives
it nearly all off in one discharge as soon
as a circuit is made. About twenty
years ago Gascon Piante found that
lead plates. frequently charged with
electricity under certain conditions,
acquired the power of storing electricity
and parting with it gradually. But he
could not get his discovery into the
shape of practical apparatus. This
was done by NJ. Camille Alphonse
Faure something over year ago. 1t
did not attract public attention until
May, 1881, when Sir William Thompson
published description of it.
The apparatus is simple in construc-
ton. A sheet of lead, perforated with
small holes, is coated with a layer of
red lead on both sides. Against each
face of red lead is laid sheet of parch-
ment. The plate thus overlaid is sewn
up in cloth jacket, With the exception
of a small portion of one corner, left
barefor the purpose of connecting plates
together in metallic circuit A wooden
case, such as one of those on the Labra-
dor, contained fourteen such plates. !
They are arranged Ike voltaic piles, |
seven of the plates being connected by
a metal strip at one end of the box to
form the positive pole, and the seven
alternate plates connected at the other
end of the box to form the negative
pole. There are several forms of &C
eumulators, but all are constructed upon
this principle. Acidulated water is
poured over the plates SO as to cover
them, and the apparatus is ready for use.
There is no waste of substance, and the
came cell may be charged and recharged.
A fourteen plate cell, like those on the
Labrador, is charged with 800 amphores
of electricity of two volts tension. A
sixty-cel battery would keep fifteen
continuous hours. One of the merits
claimed for the invention is that the cur
rent given off is steady, even flow, so
that electric lights fed by it do not fuc-
tuate in intensity. The quantity of
power stored can be multiplied indei-
nitely by increasing the number of cells.
A Faure Company has been formed
for the United States, with a capital
stock of $40, 100000, $25O,OOO paid up.
Mr.. Walter B. Whiting is one of the
promoters.
"What are you going to do % he was
asked.
"We are going to sell force for any
purpose. We can drive locomotives,
steamboats,, or train cars, and light
streets or buildings. We can drive
locomotive 200 miles an hour with ease
and smoothness, for there will be no
piston rods to rack the machinery. In
Paris last July we ran tramway Car
carrying fifty people with the force sup
piled from forty Faure accumulators
placed under the seats. We lifted
wheel and got the car off the track. It's
motor was strong enough to turn it
around on the cobblestones and put it
back on the track again. Any rate of
speed can be obtained. The power is
self-reghlating, and can take any gra-
dent"
"What about the cost ?"
"We will contract to run any number
of street cars eighteen hours day at
81 day each. We have submitted an
offer to light the Labrador at the rate
OF SO day, which is less than the oil
lamps cost. The uses to which portable
electricity can be put are endless, from
lighting stand-lamp, rocking cradle,
or running a sewing machine, to driving
railway train or Illuminating city.
The systems of electric supply which
convert team power into electric force
require machinery of the best construc-
ton, as inequalities of action cause cor
responding fluctuations of force. An
arc light supplied from an unsteady
machine is in a constant waver. It
does not matter how unsteadily the sup
ply comes to an accumulation, and
water power can be utilized as we'll as
steam power. The force is stored and
given off in a steady stream"