Omaha daily bee., 1884-01-24
ELECTRIC ECCENTRICITY.
Some Things About Itthat No Fellow
Can Find Out - Talks with an
Electrician An Electric
Light by Which Colors
Can BE Matched.

mo, sir; the science of electric lighting
is not yet perfected, and | doubt whether
it ever will be perfected"
The speaker was the president of a well
known electric lighting company, whose
headquarters and mandatory are in this
city.
Electricity is yet an unknown, mystic.
rious quantity. Every day we are brought
face to face with a new and ~unaccountable
manifestations. Let me illustrate: The
other day | became aware of certain
peculiar sounds in my otiioe-a bubling,
cracking sound, which seemed to be
located no where in particular. l went
upstairs to our electrician-thc inventor
of u system. Said L: Charley, where
do these diabolical noises come 'front.'
Charley Is one of those nervous, absorbed
fellows who don't care anything for eff
fects outside of the particular one he is
searching for. 'Oh,' said he, Il don't
know where anything in this line comes
from. All l know is that electricity has
two currents-the positive and mega
tive. l suppose the positive comes from
heaven and the negative goes to-the
other place That's all the satisfaction
1 ever got.
"Let me give you another illustration.
In our mandatory here we will make
two 40-light dynamos from precisely the
same material, using the same pattern,
etc Everything about the two machines
is identical. We put them in operation
from the same shaft, with the same
power, and transmit the electric current
generated over two lines of wire of equal
length, quality, and size. What is the
result2 One gives 44-light power, and
is what we call a quick machine, and the
other falls far short, and is known as a
slow machine. Can you tell me the
reason for that? No; nor can anyone
else tell it. We are simply brought up
against a blank wall. Understand, how
ever, that every dynamo that we turn out
is guaranteed to prossess the specified
light power we claim for it.
"But there is no question that certain
systems of electric lightning are uearer
perfection than others. The different
systems are characterized by distinct
grades of excellence. A good way of
judging a light is by its color and steadi-
iiOoo. Do you llOtlCC IlOW bUeduy UlluU arc
burns, and its white color? Some lights
are yellow, while others are violet. The
word electric is derived from a Greek
word which signifies sunlight. The nearer
an electric light approaches sunlight, the
better the light will be. AS an evidence
of the progress attained in this respect, l
will merely say that Messrs. Farwell &
Co. and Carson, Prize, Scott 81 Co., two
| of Chicago's largest dry-goods houses, are
now using the Van Depoele light for
matching colors.
GAS for danger to life, if you have got
the nerve, I'll demonstrate the answer to
that question with this are light. Ours is
what is called the low-tension' light.
There never has been a man hurt by one
of our lights"
This generous offer was declined with
regret, owing to a temporary indisposi-
ton on the part of the interviewer, who
plunged hastily into a discussion con-
corning the merits of the tower light
ing system, to which this company is
giving special attention. The gist of
the information elected on this tack
tended toward establishing the fact, that
for moderately large towns and small
cities the tower system is undoubtedly
superior. AS evidence of this, the re-
cent successful adoption by tho city of
Elgin and other towns in this state of this
system in connection with the Van De-
poole light was cited. 1t was
stated that by means of one tower
1875 feet high a section of coun-
try within a radius of three-fourths
ola mile is brilliantly illuminated. In
response to a question concerning the
popular superstition that the shadows
cast are dark and dense in proportion to
the brilliancy of the illumination, it was
asserted that this appearance is only il
~lusIve, as the light in use in the towns
above specified appears to possess the
quality of permeation to such an extent
that it is possible to read ordinary news.
paper print within the shadow. The
question of cost was taken up and die
posed of by an offer to discount the
prices of gas companies.
Permission to inspect the extensive
mandatory adjacent to the office was OK
tended and accepted, under guidance Of
an employee. the presiding genius of the
manufactory-the inventor of the system
MT. SudTlcb d. Sdu bclOele-Wds IOunC
in the laboratory experimenting the
operation of his latest invention. The
machine which Mr.. Van Depoele has
Just perfected, and which first attracted
attention in the laboratory, is called the
transformer" Its value lies in It's pow
or to transform the electric current drawn
from an arc circuit into tension suitabl,
for incandescent lights. By using one
of these machines, the desired change ID
made without affecting the main circuit
In company with the inventor an inspec
ton wal next made of the wIre-room
where the cotton-covered wire is wounc
upon the hollow iron armatures and 6elc
magnets, the lamp-room, where the diff
ferent parts of the lamps are turned
out of brass, finished, and put together;
the pattern-room; the stock ROOM, with
its stores of duplicate parts-globes
wire, etc. the machine-room, where tn,
iron castings are planed; the construc
and mounting-rooms, and finally in the
basement, the testing-room.