Omaha daily bee., 1888-04-01

v lttu WIFI an tlCClElt rake OThtu Nv
a pair Of solenoids and a horseshoe core.
II has also a buffer board at each end.
II this board strikes an object on the
track II Is forced inwards, and in NOV
ing it operates switch. which N cuts
of the current ron the motor and di-
reefs il into the brake magnet: (2l re-
verses the brushes on the mator: and ~
switches the current back into the
motor. Thus the car is automatically
reversed. The novelty lies in the method
of carrying the conductor, and making
contact between it and the car.
Put your foot on the square to the
left and press lightly"
The direction was given to q New
York Mail and Express reporter AZ early
evening on the steps of the handsome
browns tone building, No. II East
Twenty-second street. Overhead,
brightly Illuminating steps, walk and
building, hung q lantern Of f~anciful de-
sign. Stained glass, of curious pattern,
through which light shone, was set in
the rich dark wood of the door, while
above was q transom of brilliant colors
and fantastic design, standing out in
the center of which, and surrounded by
n representation of forked lightning
was the word Electric"
1t was the new house Of the Electric
club, just completed. The reporter fol-
lowed the direction quoted above, which
was given by an officer of the club. In
stantly the bolt of the door was drawn
automatically and the reporter
was ushered into a wide
hall, brilliantly lighted from
ing from a long bar held in the claws of
a bronze dragon. The reporters guide
led the way down two flights of steps to
the sub-basement. This was a veritable
storehouse of electricity. The chief
objects were two dynamos of the power
of $50 lights each and 100 cells of stor-
agesbatteries, capable of providing cleo
tricity in an emergencies, sufficient for
800 lights. In an adjoining room was a
new sixty-ive horse power engine, not
able for its noiselessness. Next to this
was a big seventy-ive horse power
boiler, supplying heat and steam to the
building.
At the back of the basement proper is
the kitchen, the novel feature of which
is an electric heater or range, which
radiates the electric current the same
as heat, and with which can be done all
styles of light cooking. A few steps
towards the front and o are in the
billiard room. 1t is tastefully finished
in terra Gotta and is bright with cleo
trio lights, arranged in a novel design,
while electric call bells connecting with
all parts Of the house are upon the walls
at convenient intervals.
SHINE BY ELECTRICITY.
perhaps you would like to have
your shoes polished by electricity" re-
marks the guide. The way is led to a
corner of the hall where there is a COM
rOung piece of wood the shape Of a po-
liceman's locust. Close inspection
shows this to be a circular brush. Touch
ing a button in the wall which connects
with a small motor, the brush %revolves
rapidly, and as it does so an attendant
moves it over your shoes and
they are polished in a iiffy, and in the
most approved fashion.
But the real electrical wonders of this
novel and unique building are on the
main floor, which is divided chiefly into
30x20 feet in size. handsome carpets
are on the floor, and the ceiling is fres-
coco i'll ~fanciful designs in blue, gold
and bronze. Suspended from the center
of the ceiling is magnificent electro
lier, containing many brilliant electric
lights. On the mantel is an electric
clock handsomely carved and OF odd de-
sign. In it's case isconcealed a battery,
which keeps the clock wound up for a
year Wlb1OuJd lly dJlSnJlOl. Lie liO-
tive power is derived from the action of
a fine spring, as in the ordinary clock,
electricity acting in the capacity of a
key to wind up just as mpch Of the
spring as has been required TO run the
clock for sixty minutes.
After one has become accustomed to
the brightness of the two thirty-light
el~ectroliers and the eight four-light
brackets of the parlor, the first object
hat attracts the visitors eye is a figure
in bronze called the goddess of cleo
tricity. 1t stands at the front end Of
| the parlor. With its pedestal it is about
eight feet high. 1t is the figure of u
woman of graceful proportions, repre-
scented as standing above the clouds and
grasping the lightning with m hand
while distributing it to the earth with
the other. The furniture Of the par
lors is richly upholstered with red
plush, and the ceiling is beautifully
frescoed, the design being electrical.
AN ELECTRIC PIANO.
At one side of the parlOr stands one
of the newest OF electrical novelties
an electric piano. In this a series of
levers, one for each key, are placed
under the keyboard. Small rods pro-
ject through the bottom Of the instru-
ment, resting also on Il lever and each
touching a key. When the circuit closes
the immature is drawn down, the rod
strikes the button of a key, and this
makes full action, The circuit is
closed by the positive pole of the bat
terry being connected with a revolving
cylinder, disc, or moving plane. The
projections on this cylder or disc come
in contact with circuit breakers repre-
senting each note or pair of magnates,
which are connected to the negative
pole of the battery, thus closing the cur
rent and producing the desired tone in
the piano. The cylinder used is some
what like that of "a music box, but there
the resemblance ceases. A spring,
weight or motor is used TO make the cyl
inder revolve. No sign of this mechan-
ism is visible on the surface OF the
piano, and, while the cylinder is in
motion, the keys of the piano move the
same as when a person is playing.
AS the visitor steps from the front
parlor into the hall he observes a new
iron safe at one corner. To all outward
appearance it is exactly alike those in
common use. But this, too, is an cleo
trical novelty, in that its combination
lock is worked by electricity. Circuits
run from the exterior to electro-mag-