Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-19
DIGGING FOR ELECTRICITY.
ProspectOrs Find the Fluid in Wells
Puzzle for Scienists

PrOspectOrs Find the Fluid in Wells
A Puzzle for Scientists.
From the San Francisco Examiner
They dig electricity out of the ground
nowadays in Oakland. Wells containing
electricity Of sufficient force to run an ordi-
nary light works have been dug. ana It
looks as though the prophecy Of the board
of trade, that the soil Of Oakland is capable
of wonders, has come to pass
The electricity that they dig out Of Oak
lands subst-ata has never been assayed to
see how much it is worth in gallon lots or
quarts. and nobody has yet suggested put
ting 1t Up in Theoretically sealed bottles to
feed the baby on. but the supply is unlim-
TIED. and as soon as storage battery electric
be formed to peddle the output of the city's
electric wells in fve-gallon lots, with q pat
ent faucet can thrown in.
Electricians are astonished. They have
seen TWO wires coming out Of the ground,
ana have watched in amazement the mani
festations that these two current conduct
ors produce They have seen sparks Of
electricity ny from these wires; have seen
buzz saws cut wood when attached to the
supply in the wells. and have seen a whole
mousse nghted with glow lamps that were
served with electricity out of the bowels
OF Oakland.
Then they put their heads together. ex-
,nniii the strata underlying the munic-
1paNty. and they explained the strange
occurrences that they witnessed by long
scientific dissertations on how leaky sewage
ana the extract of Oakland's dumps. COM
Dnlns with salt sea water, oozed through
the sandy strata of Oakland and formed
complicated corrosions with magnetic iron
ana carbon, which exist in small deposits
all over the city. These explanations seemed
satisfactory, and so everybody who has
been accustomed to denounce the West
oakland marsh has now lost sight of it's
unheaithy condition in their pleasure at the
prospect of Oakland's new enterprise
Inc wells are located in Peralta street.
put. like the artesian water enthusiast.
there are hundreds of property owners anx-
1ous to tap the source of the city's under
ground electric supply. With permanent
supply OF chemically pure electricity in
wealth. They can peddle it out for medi-
clnai purposes. sell it for cooking purposes,
or lurnish the state enough in cast-iron
tanks for the electrocution of criminals
These are possibilities of the future, and
the very thought of 1t has developed enough
interest in electrical science to create "a
general demand for books that explain how
electricity can be harnessed and driven
through tandem dynamos.
With electricity bubbling out of the
ground in Oakland the Athens Of the Pa
cine Will be able to give the natural gas
towns OF the coast cards and spades and
electricity will travel an unlimited distance
over wires Oakland may soon become a
huge electric battery. from which all the
their sources OF light, heat and powe. All
that W Ill be necessary will be to plant two
wires In the ground in Oakland and the
electricity will flow continuously
The process Is the invention of Michael
Emme. practical electrician living at
113 Peralta street, and who has already
organized the Emme Ground Electric Cen
orator Company.
Emme is wizard in his way and his
home looks like the abiding place of some
strange genius rather than the home of a
human being. He studies his electrical
books under an incandescent electrical
light while in front of him on table is a
miniatuEe electric buzz saw, steamship pro-
petiers, fans and blowers all in motion and
making such a hum that the apartment
resembles machine shop more than a
study room. The electricity for all these
manifestations comes out of holes dug in
Mr.. Emmes back yard. The supply is mex
haustibie, and IL is easy to generate
l,0o no: sepower as 1t is TO supply enough
fluid to light a one-candle- power lamp.
Instead of glass batteries Mr. Enme lust
digs holes in the ground and puts in plates
OF carbon and sheets of zinc Then he fills
the holes up with sawdust and connects his
plates together as any ordinary battery is
connected. When he pours water slightly
adulterated with acid on this sawdust the
electricity is found.
From this battery he runs two uncovered
wires underground as far as he pleases and
they carry the electricity as far as he
wants 1t to go.