The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-09
ELECTRICITY.
Papers Read by Prominent Experts,
Something Important for City Gov
ernments TO Study.
Comparative Danger of Alternate
and Direct Currents.
Tho Safety of High Tension Cur
rents for Public Uso.
The Interference of Dynamo Currents
with Telephone Wires Education
of Electricians - Improve
ments and Suggestions.
corrc,nonaencc-ol The Arnnl

| Coucspondcncc-oi The Appeal
NEW York, sept. 6,--.Ihc time is surely
coming, and it might be said to bc at
hand, when electricity will be- the motive
power OF the world The great strides
that have been made IN electrical science
SURPRISES anything accomplished in the
scientific world durnl tHnu.uctccn,h ccn-
tury. The power OF thc Morse god, Thor.
has been hridlcd aud ,s now the slave Of
civilized man. Whcl one thinks OF tho
telephone, the graphorlouc, the phuuo-
graph, the electric light, both carbon
point and the incandc cent platinum wire,
he wonders what will come next. Then
the motors; gradually th,s, will be- inn.
proved So that their as Nil. be universal.
and the method Of heating water Ia pro.
| ducc motive power vii seem as old tn us
rs the mill-ricc and water wheel.
The National Electric Light association
and the National Telephone Exchange ~.
sucia,ion met this week in this city and
rapcs that will be OF iu'prys, TO the read.
ers Of TuE ArrEAL " re read by members
who are thoroughly acquainted with the
subject at hand.
UNDERGROUND WIRES.
Mayor Hewitt read a paper before the
Electric Light ASSOCIATION, in which he
urged, il practicable, tho adoption OF the
underground system oi wires. The an.
swcr 10 this paper came in the shape OF q
formal resolution, as fellows
Resolved, That the National Electric
Light association after full discussion ui
thc subject, desire 10 cypTys, their hearty
sympathy with the views expressed hy
his honor, Mayor Hewitt, in his address
before the association upon the subject Ul
putting wires under " 1unl, and In addi-
ton desire 10 take this opportunity Of oN-
pressing the opinion AT up Ia the PRES.
,nt time mo- commercials practical method
has been brought 10 their notice bv which
high tension direct currents, such ~ are
used Tor arc Lighting, can be placed under
ground. "
ALTERNATE NNn prWCr CURRENTS.
Prof Z. II. Van Ter Wcydc. MD,
read q paper before tie same association
on "Thc Comparative Danger OF Alternate
aud Direct Currents lie took a stand
against Mr. Harold +. Brown, who Is the
champion Of the direct system, and who
holds that the alternate currents arc more
dangerous 20 human life than the direct
Prot Van der Ncyio pursued lengthy
discourse. which would have convinced
anybody but Mr. Brown that IL had not
vet been proven which was the more dan.
pcrous. 81 this remains 10 bc solved.
Elrcrmc MOTOR SERVICE.
A paper on "a Basis from which 10 Cal.
culatc Charges Tor Electric Motor Service"
was then read by II. l.. luikm. In the
courc Of Il lac said that 80 ilr the thcOrct-
ical side Of the electric motor question
had been presented 10 the association and
the practical side had hocn neglected. lie
held that there was general average con
trolling the uso ol machiuuy which II would
be- safe ior electric hgIt nui bower com
panics 20 follow In making their charges
Tor motor service. lie described the ml-
chincry necessary 10 drive exhaust fans,
elevator pumps, sewing machines. etc,
and give his ideas H tp what should be-
charged Ia order To max profit. In con-
clusion lac sdl that lhr supply and rate
ol charge for electric power had become Of
sufficient importance Ca the association Ia
be- represented hy q pvruanc nj committee
10 adjust charges.
ENEMIES o. TnR rlrcTmC LGnr.
Seeing that the electric lighting business
II being endangered by NJ, Iulrrclz NJ the
friends and advocates ul the direct aud ul.
tcrnatc currents respectively, the follow.
ing very important resolution was offered
Whereas Tho National Electric Light
association views with some uncnsincss the
persistent cilOrisol rival interests 30 ciu-
cate the public tO disirust of high potcn-
tial electric currents, aud, whereas, they
would protest with al energy against Re-
cent efforts to pit against each other the
continuous and alternating Cuutnt Eys-
toms Oi electrical distributions, which a.
forts have rs their covert purpose the dc.
HruCilOn oi the harmony Of action now
existing between them, aud, whereas, this
association i0r mutual protection rccOg.
niLc distinctly the danger Ui unfair lcgislu-
ton such IN has destroyed ihc electric
lighting interest Oi Great Britain, therefore,
bc II
Resolved, That the National Electric
Light association cnpha.iwlly declares
that Il is beyond doubt possible 10 produce
aud distribute high-tynslUn currents for
public use without ans moro danger Of
difficulty than attend. the distribution oi
gas and water in our dwellings, and
iutthcr be- il resolved. that they would
impress all Legislators with the fact that
success in the electric light aud power
business Is based chiefly on economy Ia
the size ot the distributing conductors,
and that 10 utilize this fact high.lunsIon
currents were adopted IN The iint stage Of
development Of electric lighting and
have been used ever since and will con-
time 30 BE- used. And further be- II
Resolved, That u Is our conviction that
there is no difference boz thc danger attend
| ing the Use OF continuous or alternating
currents and that both may be- 90 trans
formed before being u.ul as 10 render
them perfectly harmiHs and iuc'ablc
meats Of distributing electric power for
use In cities.
The resolutions were received with np-
! plausc, and there wefp u number ispcak-
crs on the subject. one member held
that the objection TO electric lighting In
! England, which had practically Killed the
industry there, was that the wires were
exceedingly dstgcroua lie said that
there was no doubt bat the bad insula-
ton Of the wires In that country would
not for nm instant be tolerated here. Tho
tendency Of legislation now was to prevent