Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-21
LIGHTNING AND CARS
xedsra Devices that Prevent the Inter
ruptisn OF Travel ss stcrms-How
Motors necems pynsmes.

There ID no science which entrances It's
devotees more or lures them on 20 greater
bones Of future success than that OF cleo
sr,citv-the mysterious force from which
man has already obtained 80 much ability
and which offers such promises In years 70
come.
The new Masonic Temple. on the corner
az Adams and Broad streets, which is itself
che exemplifcation Of architectural art,
when completed will sparkle with hun
8reds of incAndescent lights and furnish a
fitting illustration OF what electric science
az the present age can do. IL Is said that
The magnificent building viii be the most
handsomely lighted south OF New York.
tieaTs ny TEE HUNDRED.
The grand lodge hall will be illumined
bv is2 incandescent lamps. and many OF
these viii be arranged IN clusters, which
viii cast brilliant radiance over the
room.
In the large store TO occupy the ground
floor there will be 1b7 lights. -.
The cupola on the top of the Temple will
be illuminated by arc-hghts OF different
colors. These VIII show which OF the
lodges 10 in session.
In the whole building there will be near
" 100 lights. Two 55-horse power engines
and 5t0-hght machines will generate the
electricity for the building, and the best OF
material and most modern devices will be
used.
cHAr WITH AN ELECTRICIAN.
Messrs. T.. r. Xix a Co., Of Baltimore,
are the contractors who are fixing the
electric appliances in the building; A
representative Of the DISPATCH. who visited
the scene Of their operations yesterday
found AFR. Xix aud one of his assistants,
Mr.. III. W. Wells, busily engaged with their
work. They are both quite young ana
therefore the newspaper-man felt no
flmidity in accosting them and teliing
them that he wanted TO know everything
about electricity which was worth knowing.
Both OF the cleo tricians are enthusiasts
on the subject and were so laxative tnat
they fortunately saved the reporter the e
smbayrassment OF showing that he himself
knew no moro about the subject than he
did about the lost tribe Of Israel.
"In an article published in the DISPATCH
NJ lime lsth.n said Mr.. Wells, Il noticed
that an officer of the Richmond Railway
and Electric Company states that IT would
be injudicious to run the electric-ears
during thunderstorm and also that ~ is
customary to stop machinery on almost all
electric lines during such storms. This
gentleman must have been misquoted, but
III not his experience IL very different from
mine. Can he mention any one place
where II is customary 10 stop operations
during a Storm Do they operate thus IN
Boston, Pittsburg, Wilkesbarre, Minnie
apolis, and other citiesS
NEVER KNEW CARS TO STOP.
al have been engaged in the construc-
ton and management OF street-oar plants
for number Of years. and 10 my know
ledge never knew of plant being shut
down during storm and but one or TWO
ever suffering from lightning. The sys-
tenn Of Neutrality-suspicious. and protectors
"a almost perfect, and lines well construct
cd and supplied with such devices are not.
in nv Judgment, liable to accidents on ac-
count of storms"
Where are any of these perfect devices
In user" asked the reporter.
"In the cities mentioned minute ago,
and on almost all electrical lines In the
country IN successful operation to-day"
CONSTANTLY IMPROVING.
"Thoueh the application of electricity"
continued Mr.. Wells, lis comparatively In
Its infancy II will ultimately supercede
everything else.
"In one of the modern car lines" added
Mr.. Wells. ian ingenious device ls MADE In
this way, The battery store on the car gong
mo hill furnishes current TO the motor
turning the wheels of the car around. When
they begin to go down the hill again the
forces OF gravity carry the car along OF
itself aud the wheels turn the armature TO
the motor. thus furnishing current from
the motor and the motor becomes dyna-
mo In such cases and recharges the bat
tery. thus making almost perpetual mo-
ton. This experiment is now on trial by
The Waddell-En system in Philadelphia"