The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-02-01

local al licle elsewhere IN the lie
PUBLICAN shows the progress that cleo
tricity as source of light and OF mo-
tive power is making in our city,
While other cities are still lighting the
trolley system for electric cars, viii
mington is enjoying the benefits OF it,
and rapid and safe transit is assured to
our citizens from and to remote points
Yes, but there Is danger In the trolley
SONS say. So there is if not properly
guarded. There ia danger in almost
anything II care is not exercised and
proper safeguards are not employed.
There was the same dangeri in Benjam-
in Franklin bringing lightning from
the clouds on his kite string and hav-
ing no protection he was knocked
down by the force.
That there Is really no danger Of &C.
cidents II ON electricity Is shown by
the annual report Of insurance agents
In Philadelphia, where out of 1896 fires
during the year ending December 81,
last, not single tire was caused by
electricity. We are not surprised that
Insurance agents are waking up to this
fact and they may be expected to Offer
o lower schedule of rates of insurance
where electricity, in its guarded man
ner, has been introduced and is wholly
In use for lighting and for motor pow
or. Our local traces the triumphant
success OF electricity from its humble
Introduction at Third and Lombard
streets, some six years ago, when near
ly everybody fought shy of 1t, and
even those in charge Of 1t had but 6
crude knowledge of the subtle fluid.
From the Arno Company the enter
prise grasped the Edison system, anC
now by the aid Of the estinghoust
system electricity is supplied To-
lighting and for motor power in a ra-
dlus of five miles OF the Wilmington
Electric plant on Fifth street near Tat
nall. From fifty arc lights and three
thousand incandescent lights thre,
years ago, the company has as it were
jumped to one hundred arc lights and
ten thousand incandescent lights the
beginning OF 1892. And besides all
this the Wilmington City Railway
Company supplies its own power anc
many manufacturing firms in the city
have their local plants for supplying
light.
II there is any one man more Ithai
another in Wilmington entitled to
credit for the wonderful progress
electricity has made in this city, that
man is Samuel N. Trump, president
Of the Wilmington Electric Light
Company, and in his son C. Reginali
Van Trump, he has an efficient assist
ant who from his love of electriaa
science readily grasps all the lntrica
cies OF electricity aud is continually
making advances.
And yet observation-disclosures is but in 1t
infancy. When the Morse telegra .
was introduced the world looked Oh
with wonder and when the Atlantic
ocean YVES cabled it was though
electricity had reached the very acm
oil perfection.
The world blundered along wit
teiegraphs for a number of years
hardly dreaming Of the possibiltie
Of farther developments until Ed.so
came like flashing meteor into
world OF electrical possibilities, an
behold the results.
Will anybody attempt to bound tn
possibilities OF electrical frtumnh5
Men of science are at work, might
brains nre busy, ingenuity is regelAu
in now fields of discovery and who WI
dare say electricity will not i'll Il
near future propel our road wager
and coaches. our plows and our Ia
rows, our railroad trains and OIL
Btsb boats?