[LB033300], Letter from Alfred Ord Tate to Lehigh Valley Railroad Co, Jacob William Lattig, October 29th, 1889
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Title
[LB033300], Letter from Alfred Ord Tate to Lehigh Valley Railroad Co, Jacob William Lattig, October 29th, 1889
Editor's Notes
I have your telegram asking me to forward you one of our phonograph batteries, which I presume you desire to use on your phonoplex circuit. ### This battery is going to supply a want which has been very manifest in connection with the operation of our phonoplex system of telegraphy. ### I put 12 cells on one of our circuits at Altoona on the lines of the Pennsylvania Railroad. They were set up on the 6th of September last and are running yet. On the 4th October they gave 9 ¼ volts, and on the 20th 9 ½ volts. Since this battery was set up, Mr. Edison has found that its life is greatly increased by covering the surface of the solution with oil. Mr. Logue, who is at Altoona, oiled the battery yesterday and reports it is now giving 10 volts. I do not know what the full term of the life of this battery will be. Mr. Edison thinks we can get six months out of it, and he can make a cell larger than the one we use at present that will run for a year without being touched. There is not the least doubt that this battery is the best one that has ever been made, and I am going to start in and try and displace all other forms of cell which are now used for telephone, telegraph, signaling and motor work. We have had 8 cells in the office of the Gold & Stock Tel. Co., running one of their motors, and which displaced a battery that had to be removed every other day. These people have taken five hours per day out of our cells for twenty-two consecutive days, and the battery is still running and doing their work. The cells such as you will receive, have a capacity of 300 ampere hours, while the zincs have a capacity of 600 ampere hours. I am setting up in Jersey City 50 cells to do the work of a gravity battery and will keep you advised of the result of this and other tests which I propose making. After a while I want to talk with you about displacing some batteries on your wires. Very truly yours, A.O. Tate
Author
Mentioned
Date
1889-10-29
Type
Folder/Volume ID
LB033-F
Microfilm ID
139:814
Document ID
LB033300
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University