Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-24
RUNNING OUT OF AIR.
Downtown Business Men Clamorlng
for Additional Power
TO OPERATE ELECTRIC FANS.
Heavier Voltage Next Year Will Necessitats
New Machines.
THE HEAT CREATES A BIG DEMAND

There have been number of complaints
recently from firms downtown who desired
| to put in direct current motors to operate
electric fans in their buildings because the
Allegheny County Light Company would
not furnish the power.
A call was made at the company's office
yesterday to ascertain the cause of refusal.
Secretary MacGonigle said: sour inability
to supply power to more patrons is less
tantaliZing to them than to US. Our Virgin
alley plant is too small, we have no room
for increasing it, and we cannot move to
our new works on Twelfth street for
several months to come. We cannot
now furnish power current to another Gus
toner, and some of our own offices are
compelled to do without. Any office which
has light current, however, can use the
small, alternating current fans without
any trouble, the fan using no more current
than an ineandescent light. Anyhow the
power current we will furnish when we get
to our new WORKS will be increased from no
to 800 volts This will require motors
specially adapted to that force, and the
motors now being used with 110-volt cur
ones So it is really as we'll for our pa
irons we cannot supply the power they
want, as it would be an extra expense to
them for new machines next year."
ALuxury That Is Becoming General
Three or four years ago the mechanical
fan was luxury that could only be afforded
by hotels, saloons or restaurants doing a
hrood huoipocv tod
by steam power, others by electric motors,
but it is only recently that the electric
alternating current which is used for do
nestle lighting was adapted to operating
fans. The motor fans, those which swing
long arms over head and which are gener-
ally used in restaurants, barrooms and large
offices, require direct current
and a special wire to supply the
power, but the alternating current fan
can be attached to the fixture in any house
where incandescent lights are used and
without any preparation except pulling off
the light bulb and putting on the fan racket.
The current does the rest.
Nearly every large Office building bar
room, restaurant and hotel in this city has
adopted the alternating current fan during
the summer season, and the hot weather of
the past two or three weeks has caused an
unprecedented demand for them.
Keeping Manufacturers on the Jump.
One manufacturing company alone has
sold upward of thousand this season and
they can't supply the demand. The cleo
trio supply houses downtown report large
business also in this line. Orders from
large Offices come in for halfdozens and
dozens of the fans, one being placed in each
room. The breeze created is surprisingly
refreshing, and on hot night fan placed
in bedroom makes slumber possible where
it otherwise would be out of the question.
Their use in the sick room has been grow
ing greatly within few weeks. and many
are sold for that purpose. A customer told
one downtown dealer the other day that one
of these little fans had undoubtedly saved
the life of a sick member of his family last
week by it's cooling, refreshing breeze.
Another good point about these little
machines is that the fan can be taken off
and power furnished to run sewing
machine.