The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-03-09
NEW USE FOh ELECTRICITY.
The Wonderful Fluid Harnessed Up So a. to
Blow Church Organs

Blow Church Organs
Philadelphia Telegraph.
1t is known that steam and gas en- gines.
though used to limited extent, are costly
TO install. and. requiring skilled attendants,
are expensive to maintain. and for these
reasons have been applied TO only few
large Instruments. Besides this they are
beyond the means of the church or the in
oividuai owning an organ OF average
size Water engines of various
the street mains, have given the
best results where the pressure was sutfi-
Gent, and their use has become quite gem
eral IN places where public water stems
are In operation. In many of these places.
though. and particularly IN larger cities.
the water supply is at time limited and the
pressure reduced too low to make the use
of the water motor for organ-blowing
practicable. On this account organ-bulld-
ers and users looked for some other power
that would equal the water engine and
could be used with as good results.
About this time the electric motor at
tracted the attention of the organ builders,
and one OF the leading concerns, the ROose-
welt orgsn- works of New York. began ex-
perimentIng with the view of adapting
electric power TO their instruments. The
first attempts were made 18th large organs
having two or moro bellows driven by a
continuously rotating shaft connected
of the wind supply was ac-
cOmplished by belt-shlftIng devices
that stopped the action of the feeders of
each bellows when the latter became filled,
leaving the motor running at full speed.
This last-ment toned plan Is now In satlsfac-
tory operation on several OF the larger in
strnmentsbuIlt by this house; but 1t Is not
suitable ifor smaller organs on account
of its expense as wei as
the noise attending the operation.
which necessitates the location of the pow
er plant in a separate room outside of the
Orgau-chamber. Continuing it's expert
ments. the Roosevelt works perfected APP
pliances by which the electric motor could
be used for instruments of any size with
an operation as reliable. noiseless and efh-
cIent as the best type of water engine.
An organ power plant has just been In
stalled In the ST. James Catholic Church,
OF Chicago. and the outfit is typical of a
number in use in the West. There is q
shaft with three cranks set at equi-distant
angles. which lifts in succession each
feeder of the bellows, and gives con-
tlnuous supply OF wind. devoid OF any
are placed inside the case at the
front of the organ, and may be easily
reached by the organist. Wishing to start
the motor. the Organist closes the knife
lever of the starting-switch. thus closing
the current through the field-c0ils and
armatures. The stnrting-switch contains
a resistance which, by the described action.
Is put In series Win the requesting switch
and the armature.
Further movement of the starting-switch
lever cuts out the resistance of the starting
box. and .he armature begins to revolve
moving the feeders of the bellows until
the top rises and lifts the weight
attached to the regulating switch
lever The regulating switch 10 con-
nected with another rheostat in series with
the armature, and Of sufficient resistance
TO stop the motor when il il all in
aeriae the raaisfanca Of fha a a rfing
switch is gradually cut out by the organlst
in moving the starting-switch lever around
the segments. the regulating-switch re-
sistance is added rs the bellows top rises.
The regulating lever now falls and the
speed of the armature decreases, and it
comes to q stop when tho bellows is full.
The action is less automatic. for the bel
lows top will fall, in q greater or less de-
gree. rs there is q demand for wind. The
motor used Is one-borse-power 900 volt
machine.