The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-05-14
ELECTRICITY.
What Would Raopcr if Electricity
Were SLut off a Day.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING APPALLING
Few Realize Ihe Importance OF this
Nature Power to the World.
Electric News.)

III IQlS DuSy WOIlu UcCduSS lue ouDIlS
current has become SO universal and
common as to pass almost unnoticed.
And, ike all things OF common good,
it is missed only when it is gone.
People use the telephone, the tele-
graph, ride on the street cars and
turn on the electric lights without a
thought of the hourly Importance Of
electricity to their comfort and con-
venience. 1t is only when the"juice"
is gone and the lights refuse to burn,
the cars do not run and the wires are
carrying no messages that we relize
what gift is that greatest Of Ma
lures treasures-electricity.
Suppose by some great catastrophy
of nature all electricity should cease
some night at the hours of twelve,
that the gaint water wheels and
steam engines should continue to
whirl to huge generators but not an
ampere of electricity would flow
along the miles and miles of trans
mission wires.
Just suppose such a thing to be.
Your efforts to turn on the elec-
trio lights in the morning would be a
dark and dismal failure. You would
wait in vain for street car to take
you to the office because the cars
could not move an inch. A hasty
walk would take you over to your
friend Browns but his electric door
bell would not ring. By pounding
on the door you finally summon him
and ask to be taken down town in
his auto. He is perfectly willing
but the machine cannot be budged
because the igniter, which depends
upon an electric spark, will not work.
Then you try to telephone in to ex-
plain your delay but to your aston
1shment even this will not respond.
A cab, summoned by small boy,
takes you slowly down town and
leaves you in from of the tall office
building in mob of people jostling
each other as they hurry to their
work-all of them late. The motor
driven elevator is idle. After climb
ing seven flights Of stairs you never
know existed, you enter your office
and throw open all the windows, for
the electric ventilating fans are not
running. An effort to start the
desk fan is also fruitless. Your
urgent kilograms come back with
the explanation that the wires are
down" After all the important
letters are written you learn that
the steam trains are not running
This puzzles you not a little until
you find out that the complicated
electric signal systems are not work
ing and without them it is unsafe tc
run single train along the tracks.
A riot starts in the street but the
police cannot be called from the pa
troll box. A fire breaks out few
blocks away but the fire department
does not respond until messenger
has driven in haste to the neares'
fire station and told them of the dis
aster. No police or fire electrically
operated alarms are working in tht
city.
;, If electricity should suddenly fai
+ to act:
The restaurants and homes de
:. pending upon electric heat for cook
d ing could not prepare meal.
E Industry and industry would b.
without power and thousands woult
, be thrown out of employment. TIL
dentist could not fill teeth; the ply
!. sicians could not use the X-ray O
p other electrical apparatus; the ar
:, tisans could not run their small mo
tor-driven machinery until the oil
foot power could be restored. TIL
J, printing presses, which are drive
y by motors, would stop and ever
d motor-driven convenience would re
y fuse to do it's work.
n The compass would not work an
d it would be impossible to sail tn
y seas.
h All communication from place
E. place and from nation to natlo
would cease.
The daily news service would stol
u Electricity is so identified with e.
D cry industry and the preparation
5 every product that the prices
nearly everything to eat, wear, ,rea'
or use would be seriously advance
* * Nearly all water power development
i would be worthless, mourning 10
3 of billions. Coal would advance
se hundred per cent. IN price. Stea
81 engines would be the only form
al
tie DeWitt's Little Early Risers a
ht small, safe, sure and gentle little pill