The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-09-29
STORAGE BATTERIES.


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From one point of view it may be
regarded as remarkable that the tel
egraph companies, by far the most
conservative of electrical organiza-
tions, should lead in the use of the
storage battery. Their conserva-
tism, however, is a matter of neces-
sity rather than one of choice or vo-
lition, for it is essential in the prop
or conduct of their business that the
source of the electric current neces-
sary to operate the lines must, first
of all, be such that practically abso-
lutte dependence can be placed upon
it. For many years primary bat
teries furnished the only means of
obtaining current for telegraph
work, and in large Offices, like those
of New York, Chicago, etc., as the
business expanded the question of
battery space and maintenance even-
tually became a very serious prob
lem. The necessity for a more sat
isfaotory method of generating cur
rent in such offices was met in the
adaptation of the dynamo to tele-
graphic requirements. While dyna-
mo plants at large stations have
proved both efficient and economical
and displaced thousands of cells of
primary battery, yet there are q
very large number of places where
it would not be economical to substi-
tute dynamo plant for batteries.
In such the storage battery meets an
ideal field of application, and that its
advantages are fully recognized by
the telegraph officials is evident
from the fact that their use in tele-
graphic work is increasing rapidly.
Some idea of the growing impor-
tance of the storage battery in its re.
lation to the telegraph may be OBJ
tanned from a few figures. Up to
July, 1896. according 70 Mr.. Maurice
Barnett in an article on the use Of
storage batteries in telegraph work,
3, lie storage cells of different ca
pacities were at that time doing the
work which formerly required 20, .
407 primary gravity cells to per-
form. The original cost of the bat
teries is given as SIC, 2O3. 50 and that
of the storage cells between IS, 400
and IS, 500. After adding to the lat
ter figures the cost of the auxiliary
apparatus necessary for the opera
ton of the storage battery plant the
difference is still in favor of the stor-
age battery.
The advantages and economies are
still farther increased by the large
saving in space. Output for output
the primary battery requires four to
six times more space than the stor-
age battery and space in most busy
oenters nowadays is easily resolved
into it's equivalent in dollars and
cents. Another economy in favor
of the storage battery plant is in the
cost of maintenance. The primary
battery, such as is used in telegraph
work, is proverbially wasteful, yet its
use has been tolerated because moth
ing better had been put forward TO
take its place until the advent of the
motor dynamo and the improved
storage cell. The latter as manufao-
tured today is device far more re-
liable in service than formerly, and
it is quite as much due to the cer-
tainty that given cell will supply a
definite output as to the more
weighty economies above referred
to that the storage battery is finding
SO much favor in this particular
branch of electrical industry.-Elec-
trical World.