Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-07-25

AFTER Octopef lst, as everybody Knows,
The city lamps now Burning gssolene are
to be superseded by electric lamps.
But everybody does not know-and
the GAZETTE is the first to make this
public that theAe new electric lamps are
20 be run by the dangerous alternating
current. Ths Westinghouse system,
which has been go extensively advertised
of late by tho desperate efforts Ut its
friends to lissuaie the New York author
tiles trom using it for the eiectrooution
Of the murderer Ksmmier, is the one that
has been adopted by the Wilmington
Electric Company for these new lamps.
There are sbnut 400 gasolene lamps in
che city. The Wilmington Company's bid,
which vas much lover than that OF any
other bidder, was; $t3 per Rnnum for a
I6 candle power lamp; $l4 81 for 90
candle power lamp, and $16,T5 for "a
candle power lamp; tue contract to run "a
months. The Pennsylvania Globe Gas
Light Comphny'B bid for gssolene lamps,
Of is TO 2O.candie power was Sal per
lamp.
About dozen Of these lamps are scat
tered rather curi0usly among the gas
lamps in the heart OF the city. The rest
ere distributed all over the extremities,
In the Forty Acrss, McDowellvills, New
Italy, Andersonville, Silverbrook, Hsdgs-
VILE, Browntown, South Wilmington
running down Christina avenue to the
Lobdsll car whosl worksl, PicEelsville
aud BEandywine Village. Poles and
wires must be pu. MP TO connect with ali
these widely scattered lamps. The work
OF erecting the poles will bsgiu next
week. The first shipment Of 800 to 400
poles has been received, and more are
Do, st, ~
which have arrived are being painted,
the laudahle intention of the electric
nen being to make them things OF beauty
even though they may no. prove joy
fosrYer.
wBY AN ALTERNATING CURRENT,
To ascertain why an alternating cur.
ssnt has been decided on for the new
ssnps. ard also what the nature of an
Alternating current is and wherein il
differs from the continuous current in use
on the Edison incandescent GREATS of
this city, an EVERY EVENING representa-
tive called at the Wilmington Electric
Compsnys Office yesterday afternoon.
He found there Superintendent Trump,
Secretary Gilpin, Captain smith and
Electrician Lighthipe, all ready aud will.
log TO state what they knew about cleo
Of inquiry in particular.
eve don't want you to get the idea
that we ara adopting dangerous system
simply because IL In lover priced one"
said As. Trump 'sEhis company has
adopted the policy Of doing everything
ss safely as it possibly can" But neither
he nor any of bis companions denied that
any alternating system is dangerous az
compared with the practically innocuoua
Edison ncsndescent system. Welooked
into the Edison municipal system the
fiEst tbing," said MF. Trump, 'but we
couldn't do anything with il here. We
can cut in en- Edison municipal system
Bs chesp as an alternating system, bat il
doesn't suit the conditions here's" and
here Mr.. Lighthipe took the subject ur
and proceeded to explain way thi
Edison municipal system would no
answer. This WIS, briefly stated
because there is as yet no prao
ticahie converter adapted to the Edison
system. "On the Edison municipal sys
TEN ihe full current goes and we coult
not use it for that reason. They us
what they call motor converter, com
bine6 dynamo and m1tor, but they ar
expensive snd still IN the experimental
stage. We shall use an alternating systeI
because we oau take it several miles froE
the station and convert il down to q saf
current before using IT, II voult be i'm
possible to light these outlying diatrlc'
on the Edison thEes-wire system whic
we are using, on pocountot tie enolmoI
size of wire required,
Mr.. TRIUMPH understand II is n
prRo.ieable at ALL
Mr.. Lighthipa-"Tt comes down TO Il
question where the interest en- the wire
more than the profit on the lighting"
WHAT rs AN ALTERNATING cudBEST2
'rhe arc current ia q straight curren
and Us. Il. lie Just az deadly ss m sltsrna
Ing current. Tue best Illustration Of
Straight current would be simply astras
Of water running through pipe IL Of
direction. an alternating current
like G pump withols 4 valve workiI
back, ippeiing the water Though &
pipe by rapid in2Gises Thu puf,atiai
run somttIinE like eight to ion thoRsRl
minute. The voltage en- our inca
descent circrits il 40 and 32j vol
Tfe potential u qr alternating cronls
LOCO volts, whieh Is a59Hs ore bait
iae potential Of an arc ligh. cirou
Gsrryiug 30 lamps You take
little Il dynamo; as tho asGatI
feyDlves i gpas tyrm . north pole 10
s9Ith pole continually. IoN got
same effect II yo1 lgt tee srua.nrs st0
Bgi!i and TevoiYs the fed magnet. 50
rose y9u alternate toe current nr char
lag th9 poies t1psdly reversing tss G.
rent rapidly; il amcuntl to taa Al
thing az revolving tie hsld Or the arc
tpEe. This ia IN alternating eUErgn..
"'Ilhe higher the pressure WI run at
further we can 20 with > given LOGS
electricity: Just the aame as With OF
sure on gas or WITH water. ThRt crrr
after We get to the place where sc VI
10 use 1t is too high for use on q lamp,
We convert il down; o. that lustesd
1000 volts in one arupsre We can get 9
20 siupeTea and 80 volts.
Yen have the idea ! presume {
the current has tendency to go 60
aground wherever 1. Can find the sh1rt
poutS?"
Tho reporter admitted that he har
very strong impression o. tnat kind.
''Ihet ia an error replied Mr.. Lip
hire. "Tha cnrrent has no. the Sigh.
pnani'y for the ground It tries 10 "a
che shortest cut 70 the machine, II q
IL properly Insulated you cannot 6
shock from an arc wire anywhere, sta
i.'2 on the eround II there is q leah
aryEaere Or the line, you eau get a 81
by touching the bare wire, and
strsogth Of the BtocR will depend on
dista &c Won are from it, ground and
nnmbnr OF lamps bstwsea you and
generator. Wien one of ous mon
o. a-c lamp ho hondleB with impunity
bkre wire or ths carbon; II IL is d
eight hs takes the preci = ion Of sssnj