The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-05-31
IN PRIVATE HOUSES.
THE USE OF THE ELECTRIC LIGHT
GRADUALLY INCREASING.
The New Method of Measuring the
Amount of Electricity Consumed
The Electric Mat-Less Fear of Elec-
tricity Than Formerly.

bFIC1UN Inan EOTmeTlys
The loud and continuous ringing of bell
rather startled HERALD reporter as he en-
tered the new store of the Washington Elec-
trio Construction Company, and he paused on
the threshold. The ringing continued until
Mr.. Charles s. Pardoe, one of the members of
the firm, said: 'Would you be kind enough to
step from that mat ?' The reporter was
standing just inside the door on a mat, which
he learned later concealed an electrical appli-
ance which rang bell. ''We feel perfectly
secure" said Mr.. Pardoe, Gin leaving our
front room without any one in it, as that sim
ple-looking mat is sufficient protection. One
could hardly step over it, and one cannot step
on It without ringing that bell. 1t is guard
that cannot be beaten. To touch it is to give
an alarm, and no amount of money can bribe
it. These mats are used to quite an extent in
Washington They are an excellent contri-
vance not only for public offices but for
private residences, for in the summer time
one could leave his front door open to catch
what breezes might be stirring and at thesame
time feel perfectly sure that no one could
enter without setting off the alarm.
eyes, continued Mr.. Pardoe, in reply to
question, ''the use of electricity, and
especially electric lights, is increasing in this
city. AS the people gradually realize its many
advantages and comforts and it's adaptability
to all demands, whether for lighting or deco
rating, it becomes each day more popular. OF
course, every large store, warehouse, and pub
lie building that is now erected is supplied
with electric lights, but / refer especially to
the fact that in private dwellings electricity
is gradually being more and more introduced.
The extension of the electric conduits of the
United States Electric Light Company has
naturally been the immediate result of this.
Senator McMillan's house is fitted throughout
with electric lights. The same is true of Mr..
George w. Baird's residences, while Mr..
Lothrop, of Woodward 81 Lothrop, is now
having his house fitted with electric lights.
Besides these the homes of Senator Sawyer,
the late Senator Hearst, ex-senator Henderson,
DR.. Magruder, George E. Lemon, Mrs.
Burgher, and a large number of others are
wired and but waiting for the conduits to
reach them, when electricity will be used for
lighting purposes.
''Probably the cause of the slow introduc-
tion of electric lights in private dwellings is
the price. The Electric Light Company only
supplies the current, all the apparatus being
put in by the owner of the house. The COM
pany will not make any more contracts to
supply light all they do is to furnish the cur
rent. The cost for supplying any house with
electric light fixtures is about three dollars for
each lamp, including the wiring But once
the house or store is fitted up with wires,
lamps, ETC., they are the property Of the
owner, and after that the expense is not so
great.
formerly, and up to short time ago, the
company put in the entire apparatus and
charged SO much for each light, but the in
vention of an ingenious contrivance for
measuring the amount of current supplied has
changed this method. On all the premises
now furnished with electricity the company
places meter which records accurately the
amount of current supplied. In appearance
it is similar to gas meter and can be read
and checked in precisely the same manner.
There are on the face of it number of dials,
which show the amount of current which
passes through it. The unit is what is known
as an ampere, and it is by this that the cur
rent is measured. One ampere represents
certain amount of intensity, and in passing
through a magnetic coil produces a fixed
amount of magnetism This magnetism is
used to move a set of wheels which record the
number of amperes used. This method of
supplying electric light is much more salts
factory and just to both the company and
consumers, for the latter can turn off the light
when not needed, and thus knows that he is
not paying for what he does not use. The
meter now used was the invention of Professor
Thompson, of the Thompson-Houston Com
pany.
SIN this little book" said Mr.. Pardoe, as he
picked up small handbook, sis contained
world of knowledge. To show you, it tells
precisely many little things, as, for instance,
the amount of heat given out by the various
kinds of light. With light of 100 candle
power Students oil lamp gives off 6S,000
calores or units of heat an ordinary gas
burner $4,000 ealores, while an incandescent
light gives off but 300, thus showing the incan-
descent light to give only from one-ffth to
one-tenth as much heat as gas jet of similar
power.
'The fear of danger from electric wires in
houses has no foundation in fact. There is
absolutely no danger from incandeseent lights
at the present day if the premises are properly