The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-03-09
ELECTRICITY DOES 1T ALL
Wonderful Things to Be Seen In Fine
New York Houses.

Wonderful Things to Be Seen In Fine
New York Houses,
| The latest fad, as shown in many of the
houses recently built overlooking the
Hudson around the West Seventy streets,
is to have every dwelling provided with its
own plant.
Three rooms were devoted to the mech
anical devices which made, stored and then
regulated the use of the electric current.
In the first room was dynamo, connected
directly with gas engine. Back of the
gas engine were couple of big water tanks
and these in turn were. connected with the
engine through a pump operated by the
engine. The engine was running
The current which is produced here
said the agent, sis used to light the house
and to run the elevator. Everything has
to be so arranged that it can be operated
by ordinary servants and without the care
OF any skilled person. For this reason the
dynamo and engine are larger than are
needed for constant use. There is Il big
storage battery in the next room The
dynamo has only to be run for few hours
a day or for day or two in each week"
On the face of partition between the
dynamo room and the storage battery room
space as big as an ordinary door was
covered with switches and automatic repu-
lators for the currents that were distributed
over the house In room near bv was
another complicated lot of automatic
machinery, which controlled the move
! ments of the elevator.
Now, about the elevator. The house is
only three stories high, and contains only
single family, but no one in the household
would think of walking up Or down stairs,
even if he were on his way to mount the
saddle horse brought him every day to
enable him to take exercise The elevator,
therefore, is kept going almost constantly
1t has no attendant, and vet is so controlled
by the invisible force stored in those great
jars OF lead and calculated water in the
battery room that it it as safe and docie
there as any other of the well trained ser
wants of the house. Do you want the
elevator? Step to the door of the shaft and
press the button If the car is not in use
1t will start at once, whether it be above
or below, to come to your floor. Perhaps
you would like to see it coming? Try to
open the shaft door You can't do it, No.
nor can any other door in the shaft be
opened. Here comes the car 1t glides
along until the car is just even with the
floor you stand upon, and then it stops.
| Now you can open the shaft door and step
into the car.
Before you in the car is a row of buttons
marked respectively, basement" First
floor" second floor" and third flor"
You touch one. What's the matter? The
car does not move. You have neglected to
close the shaft door and see that it locks
| itself Close it now and touch the button.
Away goes the car, and if you have started
from the basement and touch the third
story button, it will not stop until it gets
]
or try locks on the doors, but they can get
no control over the car neither can they
open door so long as you are in the car.
Now, you approach your floor The car
comes gently up to the right level and
stops Now you can unlock the shaft door
and step out. Close the door tightly and
the elevator is released again and at the
control of whoever wants it,
The complicated apparatus which con
trolls the combination of locks and but.
tons was invented for use in this house
and has become the property of elevator
makers Anybody may have a self control
ling elevator now if he can afford to pay
the price demanded. The owner of the
house learns very little of how all these
things work.
so long as everything works, said the
agent 1--WE tell the owner that things are
in order. When anything stops working,
we tell him to be sure and not monkey
with anything but send for us. If they
tried to fix these things themselves, they
might do endless damage. Sending for us
is simple Every house has telephone
and messenger calls"
Then the agent explained that the rooms
where the electrical machinery was placed
had to be so constructed that no sound,
smell or other reminder of its existence
should reach even the rooms immediately
overhead. This is done by doubling the
walls and windows and putting in deaden-
ers of sound-New York Sun