The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-06-10
EdIsOn's New Storage Battery
Much Better Than the Old.
WEIGHT REDUCED TWo-THINDS.
10 Many Cases They Work While tho En-
glassr Sleeps Can Ba Successfully
Charged By Water Power

New York, June l0.--When Thomas A.
Edison recently announced that he had
succeeded in making an electric storage
battery OF steel and nickel. which would
do three times as much work, pound for
pound, as the old lead battery, while
combining with this the advantages OF
greater durability and hexibiity OF out
put the public mind turned naturally
toward the automobile carriage as one of
the most important things that would be
sible by the new battery.
Launches. cars and other vehicles as
well as air ships all came In for some
share In the improvements made pos
sible by the new battery. IN
But as a matter of fact the great bulk
OF the storage batteries In use are not
engaged IN running wagons, boats. cars
or other vehicles, but are hidden away ia
cellars doing equally useful but much
less picturesque work
Electric lighting companies probably
use greater number of storage cells
than any other concerns. Next come
the street traction companies. Each uses
the storage battery for a similar reason.
ii is TO carry the peak of the days
load.
In this city. for instance. In the district
where the great skyscrapers are below
the city hail. there will suddenly dash
into use tens of thousands OF electric
lights In the offices in the dusk OF a
winters day In an hour perhaps al
most every one OF those lignu are out
and the offices deserted. Thousanos OF
horse power are required to supply the
current for those lamps, and IL X hsG to
come direct from the engines and dyna-
me ht. ftftlt inv N. M f.f
power house far in excess of ordinary re-
quirements.
The storage battery takes that load.
ana IL is replenished IN power when the
engines otherwise have little or nothing
TO do. Street car lines use the storags
battery TO meet the same sort Of require
ments or 10 carry cars over long, steep
hills. where they need large extra cur
rent for short periods OF time
1t is the storage battery. also. which
runs all-night elevators and lights ifi Of
flee buildings while the engineers are at
home ana asleep.
At great country houses the storage
waterfall or gas engine supplies the
| power TO charge IL. and then X gives out
! power as is required for lighting man
sion, grounds or barns. and tor cherning,
| cream separating, cutting fodder and
| other farm or dairy work.
In city houses the battery plays a part
also which no other device could so well
| meet In one house. for instance, on the
| upper West Side, the storage battery
makes Il possible for the owners TO have
| electric lights. electric cooking appara-
| tus, an electrically equipped laundry and
| an automatic electric elevator, all Under
their own control
TO use the elevator one has merely TO
push button. The car comes 10 the ffoor
\ and stops Then and then only. is u pos
/ sibe TO open the door leading to the car
and Co enter. The passenger shuts me
| door. pushes button marked With inc
| number OF the floor he would go 10. and
| the car starts. No one from the outsiue
\ can influence the movements OF the car
\ while IL is occupied.
| Electric boilers broilers frying pans,
| fiat irons and other kitchen and Laundry
! utensils are all at equal command All
the direct attention that tnis Mhoie pl,sn' ,.l,.
| requires is the starting OF a gas engine.
| once i'm day or two servant enters
| a locked room, where the gas engine Is,
She. lights a match. gives me engine sihe
flame sees that the engine Is actually AT
work. goes out. locks the door hangs up
| the key and goes about o'ier aHairs, Inc
gas engine drives dynamo wnlch ieeos
| fhe storage battery. When the battery
Is fully restored TO power q current %
| electricity is automatically snuhteu ,.q. on !
| to a magnet i'm the engine room. Inc
| magnet in turn turns off the supply OF
| gas. and the engine stops.
| Where water falls or other equapls
| mowers are available the storage pattery
has found valuable use. both on large
and small scales.
| ply lights directly for a Niiaess VI ~ no. 's..
sion is often amply sufficient for the pur-
| pose when it's energy can pc stortu w
| ~ tba twenty-four hours each day. II
has not been possible. however, TO use
The mower OF windmills for this purpose
Their power IL too variable. -,
NJ Edison's battery. IL Is said, Is <ol
destroyed. nor even injured. by beint
rapidlv charged or discharged. ~ car
he wholly discharged In an hour OF ~ w
| orrrent may be drawn upon Tor SIX ncur,,
and the charging may be varied throuSi
like neriods. This would make TX axaii
able for use with wind mins' m wnls, ~.
/ case an enormous new neid OK useiuihes'
would be open before IT,