The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-09-29
ELECTRICITY AND WATCHES.
1be Curious Manner in Which the
Electric Light Machines Affect

Electric Light Machines Affect
Watches,
fFrom the Rochester Post-Express
III you have got watch, don't 90
near that machine, said Superintendent
Redmond, of the Electric Light Com
pany, to reporter of the Post Express,
as he entered the company's building at
the lower falls few nights ago. having
safely passed the +" Positively no admit
lance sign and gained an entrance at
the usually barred gates. As he spoke,
he pointed to one of the five generators
which stood on one side of the building.
ard which, like all the others in use,
emitted constantly bright sparks of light
from the rapidly revolving machinery.
Each OF these generators keeps forty
electric lights burning all night, and is
run by the water power of the falls, one
of the largest rubber bands III the state
being used IN making "the wheels 90
round. The noise III the building.
caused by the thousands of revolutions
a minute, is almost deafening, and con-
versation is impossible except at a lung
splitting tone of voice.
What possible connection there couId
be between such a large piece of ma
chInery and watch, even if it be of the
cumbersome kind carried by the report
er, was not clear at a glance, and he
looked interrogatively at the superin-
tendent. eff you go within a certain
distance of that machine" said NJ. Red
mond, lit will spoil our time keeper. ~
Taking advantage of the {" timely warn.
ing, the reporter kept within the pro
scrlb limits, and gained some points
OF interest not generally known to the
public.
One of the most peculiar things con.
nected with the electric light machine is
the curious effect it has on time pieces.
Placed within few feet of the positive
pole OF the electric machine, the watch
stops absolutely;i If exposed Immediately
to the negative pole Of the machine, it
Will resume its accustomed ticking, and
1t is said very little ba effect is noticed.
Very many watches have beeA utterly
ruined, however, by careless persons
going too close to the machines, through
Ignorance or the neglect of attendants
to warn them of their danger. None of
the men employed at the works OF the
lower tails carry any costly watch, and
Superintendent Redmond contents him
self with low priced piece with Amen
can works, which is difficult to get out
OF order, and which, American like, will
not admit of defeat from such a small
concern as an electric light machine.
One of the most prominent watch
makers IN the city said to a reporter
yesterday, "That electricity or magnet
ism Is one of the worst things we have
to deal with. A magnet would create
more mischief in a bali hour among
these watches than it ever did in Gros-
venor's hardware shop in Patience, and
more than / could undo in MONTHS Per
haps [ never could remove it entirely. [
wouldn't have a horseshoe magnet in
my place for big sum. Yes, I've
known of several watches being serious
ly injured by the electric light machines.
You see the difficulty is with the bal
ance wheel and hair-spring, both of
which are made of steel. The positive
pole of the magnet influences them and
causes the watch to keep all sorts of un-
reliable time. While we can replace
the spring very easily, it is more diff
cult to remedy the balance of the evil.
Principal John @. Allen, of this city,
had costly watch affected some time
ago through exposure to the machine in
Powers Block. I took it and after
working at it three months succeeded in
demagnetizing it, by the use of the neg
alive pole of a magnet. That's Inc
only case I've heard Of in this city, al.
though there are a lew other eases,
where it has been done. The finer the
mechanism the more damage is likely
to be done, and it is through the most
untiring patience that they can be
brought around to anything like their
original state. It's about one in hun
bred that ever is.
The reporter also found a gentleman
whose $50 chronometer had been ruin.
ed III this way.