The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-14
ELECTRICITY BY Wind
Interesting Invention Of Mr..
Andrew j. Coreoran of
This City.

Not many years ago the French Govern
ment, through the Academic Des Sciences
offered to any electrician 5000 francs or
ABOUT Sl,W0, for the cheapest system of
lghting private residences with electric
power other than q high speed engine. It
was intended to use electric light in the
lighthouses along the French coast but the
COST OF generating the electricity wa an ap-
parently i%nsuperable objection. Many plans
were submitted but none W as deemed sat
factory. The eminent electrician in this
country, Brush, invented a plant to supply
electric lights to private residences and like
the preceding scheme it was too expensive.
MI. BTush's plan involved an expenditure of
at least $4,000 for the outfit alone. Then
the matter dropped.
IL mas now remained for a Jersey City man
10 supply that which others have failed to do.
Inns artisan proposes to raise electricity BY
WIND power and Incidentally ''to raise the
wind" He says he has solved the problem
OF supplying electric light to rural residences
without the expense of a high speed engine
ana the attendant cost of risk, attendance
n insurance. Besides the s'chuck chuckn
OF a dynamo, hitherto an objection to it's be-
ing used In private houses, will be unknown
~ SAS Q6NlIS.
MR.. ~CoRCoRAN's
Mr.. Andrew J. Corcoran of windmill fame.
IS the inventor and he is positive he can
bring the luxury of electric light within the
means OF those with moderate incomes. Mr..
Corcoran has now in his yard ut the work
shops on Jersey avenue, the windmill he
claims can accomplish the result. Tn work
men employed on it are wiring" and put
ting up the lamps and giving the final touches
TO the invention which, in a few days will be
ready for inspection. Mr.. Corcoran was
seen last plight by a News reporter who had
heard OF the matter. With becoming modesty
MI. Corcoran admitted the soft impeach-
ment that he was the author of the queer
looking iron tower standing in the ward. It
is 123 feet in height and supports a wheel IS
feet in diameter.
This mill, " he said, 'is the first contri-
vance demonstrating the possibility of pro-
duclng electricity by a small machine.n
he explained that, in the course of his bust
ness hitting up rural residences, he has repeat
edly been asked if he could not furnish sufi-
clent power to supply residences with electric
power without entailing the cost of a high
speed engine.
ing problem presented two difficulties.
The hrst was to get a dynamo that would be
eHectlve with an unvariable speed. Second
y, 70 invent some means or contrivance by
which electricity already accumulated could
be prevented from diverting back to the
dynamo.
PUZZLED AT FIRST.
Mr.. Corcoran was puzzled to find out some
way to remedy the imperfections at the
storage battery. Practice had shown him
that 40 per cent. of the electricity put into
the battery was wasted precisely in the man
ner stated before. 1t leaked out and di-
verified back to the dynamo.
ut was just as bad with the high speed
engine" he remarked. Well Mr.. Cor coran
put his thinking cap on, and after much
cog1tation and many experiments has at
last turned out a windmill, which answers
all the purposes required, and besides pos
sesses none of the defects which other appli-
ances possessed. How he arrived at the So
luton; what the invention consists of. he
wouldn't say. 1t wouldn't dc to give the
whole snap away, but he assured his inter
viewer that be will, by Christmas, produce
such a display of illumination as viii ex-
eel anything of its kind in the country" A
great many people in the electrical world
are watching the result of Mr.. Corcoran's
Invention with deep interest, for it will be
the first step made toward introducing cleo
trio light into residences at a moderate cost.
With plenty of water laid in the house,
and the aid of this windmill, h~ouseholders
will be able to revel in the luxury of electric
light, and do away forever with the dingy,
foul smelling gas. gu