New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-24
THE EDISON LIGHTS GO OUT.
A THRILLING ANNoYANCE-ELECIoN OF COMPANY
OFFICERS.

4 1IlE LINZ ANNOlANNi- Alsi@SiA'-N VI ND-''-A-'A
OFFICERS.
AT 515 o'clock p. m. yesterday $500 lamps in
the first district of the Edison Electric Lght Com
pany went out. The district extending IRON the
East River to Nassau-St., and from Spruce-st. I"
Wall-st was without burning lamps III zen NM
utcS past 8 o'clock, when everything had been al
iusted and all were again lighted. At the Pearst
station of the company a TRIBUNE reporter lOund ;.
b. Eaton, president f. ii. johnson VIce-presidrht'
and T. :. Hastings. secretary and treasurer, super
intending the renewal of the lights. Mr. Eaton cX-
planned the cause of the trouble. The wires used III
conveying the current are of copper, iuSlhle at
about 500 degrees Fahrenheit. If a lamp to
break or q leak should occur AT any point OF the
circuit the enormous heat generated would DE
likely to set fire to any surrounding material. 10
guard against all possible accidents of tins nature
there are inserted in these copper wires AT the
corner of every street. at thS entrance Oh every
building, upon every hOOT ana near every tampa
short JOINTS of lead wire, called safety catches,
which are incloscd IN small boxes easy OF access al
any moment Lead wire fuses at about onc-siNth
the heat required to fuse copper. Therefore when
the current of electricity becomes too strong elmer
from the breaking of lamp or other cause, before
enough of heat can be generated 10 do any damage,
the leads melt away, the current j. stopped ana the
lights go out. These leads must be Of SIZE proper
toned to the number Of lamps fed from the
dyndmOs. In the first district a greater number
than g. 500 have never been used at one time. and
the leads were amply large for that number. Owing
to the dark afternoon yesterday there Vas an alb
normal increase in The number the leads were not
large enough TO bear the current ana they melted
As soon as and larger leads were inserted the
lights all right. Mr. Edison, who was al home
sick did not consider the accident of any scientific
moment. He regretted its occurrence on account Of
the inconvenience TO the public, and says 1t shall
not occur again. , -,
At the annual election of Directors for the Edison
Electric light Company, which took place yester-
day afternoon at the cOmpany's Office in Fifth-aye
the following were elected without opposition !;
Norvin Green, 5. b. Eaton, q. i. LOwrey, Thomas
a. Edison, j. il. Wright, Henry Willard. James II.
Banker, Calvin Goddard, Edward ID. Adams, Ar M
thony J. Thomas, j. F.. dc Navarro, Edward H.
Johnson and W. II. MeadOwCTaft. Major Eaton
president Of the company, said i'll reply toa TRIBUNE
reporters inquiries, that the company had delayed
starting a central station in it's second or uptown
district because the old stock hOders were ayeTse
to furnishing the necessary funds till dividend had
been paid from the profits made in the downtown
district after years business. The first year Of
the company's business for which charges had been
made, would end some time i'll March, and then II
was expected that dividend would he paid. II
this should be done, a central station would bo
built next summer. Plenty of money had been
offered from sources outside the stockholders for
going with second district work, Major Eaton
said but it had been thought best not to accept the
offers.