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All Forums >> [Bottle Forums] >> Unexpected Discoveries >> Aqua Glass Battery Help?

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Aqua Glass Battery Help? - 5/28/2007 3:05:38 PM    ronvae2   Posts: 19 Joined: 5/7/2006 Status: offline A friend of mine found this beautiful battery (the picture doesn't do it justice), and she can't find much info about the company that made it, what it was used for, the approximate date, and/or any collectible value (though she wouldn't sell it anyway).  We have been told that maybe it was used by a nearby railroad, and maybe it was the same kind of battery that Alexander Graham Bell or Thomas Edison used.  Can anybody tell us anything? One side says: "THE E.G.L. CO. BOSTON MASS."  (Note the "g" could be a "c".  Also, "THE" is all capitals, but smaller type than the rest). The other side says: "THE SAMPSON BATTERY N02"  "WATER LINE ______________ WITHOUT ELEMENTS" It is 6 & 3/4 inches tall, and 16 & 1/4 inches in circumference.  The lip is narrower, about 4 inches in diameter.  It is a beautiful aqua glass, fairly thin, but a little crude.   Attachment (1) Post #: 1

RE: Aqua Glass Battery Help? - 5/31/2007 2:11:47 PM    lobeycat Posts: 4013 Joined: 9/8/2003 From: RED SOX Nation Status: online Hey Ron! These are called Voltaic Cell Batteries or Collectors. These where used to power many things including early phone systems, household and office intercoms, and as you mentioned railroad signal lights.  Edison did use many of these in different forms conducting electrical experiments. The batteries where usually ganged together in large boxes to supply the power needed. The water in the jar was topped off with the famous Edison Battery Oil, which prevented evaporation. These very common bottles can still be found in bushes around railroad tracks all over the country. As for the value of your friends, I don't know. I've done several searches for "The Samson #2 and come up with little. I do know that some of them are pretty common, like the Delco for instance, selling for $10-$20, less in some cases.  A complete battery can sell for hundreds though and yours just might be rare. Below are a couple cells. The bottom ceramic one is an Edison. These where used mostly in railroad signal boxes. Much tougher than glass. Sorry couldn't be more help, Lobey. Attachment (1) (in reply to ronvae2) Post #: 2

RE: Aqua Glass Battery Help? - 5/31/2007 5:50:26 PM    L C   Posts: 1631 Joined: 3/17/2007 From: Ohio Status: online I wanted to show you folks some of the batteries I have . I can find two that I show only part of being I was unable to even get close to them in the mess I have in that garage of mine, and I could not find the two smaller ones, one being about six inches tall, by two inches square. Went through fifteen banana boxes trying to find the smaller one with no luck. I think the battery jars are nice. I used to sell them for some pretty good money at times. I sold one of the bigger ones like in the picture in a yard sale I had a few years ago for 40 bucks. I would say that was a fluke though, it seems prices on everything have pretty much gone backwards instead of forward as they are supposed to. Attachment (1) (in reply to lobeycat) Post #: 3

RE: Aqua Glass Battery Help? - 6/1/2007 6:42:59 AM    logueb   Posts: 1386 Joined: 1/6/2007 Status: offline Those glass battery jars are nice finds.  Never found a whole one.  What may be surprising to some people is the fact that some types of battery jars are still in use today.  As Volunteer Fire Chief, I receive the manifest of any hazardous chemicals that are transported and stored within the area that our department covers.  The telephone company transports and stores sulfuric acid.  I was shown the site where the series of battery jars were located at the local telephone substation.  In case of a fire I instructed my guys, no interior attack here.  Stay upwind and "Surround and drown". _____________________________ Buster Bottle Bug Bit with no cure in sight. (in reply to L C) Post #: 4

RE: Aqua Glass Battery Help? - 6/1/2007 10:59:04 AM    L C   Posts: 1631 Joined: 3/17/2007 From: Ohio Status: online I did not dig any of the battery jars I have, bought them all at flea markets. The small one I really wanted to show was dug though I believe. These would be a lucky find I would think if a Person dug one whole. (in reply to logueb) Post #: 5

RE: Aqua Glass Battery Help? - 6/1/2007 11:48:01 AM    logueb   Posts: 1386 Joined: 1/6/2007 Status: offline While we're on the subject of batteries, did early cars have the "wet cell" batteries in the glass jars?  I found about ten broken in a dump one time and they had "Exide" embossed in the glass.   I have dug tons of those rods from the early dry cell batteries.  There must be a good use for those things.  Everyone who has dug a toc dump knows the rods i'm talking about.  approx. 6" long, 1" diameter with ridges. _____________________________ Buster Bottle Bug Bit with no cure in sight. (in reply to L C) Post #: 6

RE: Aqua Glass Battery Help? - 6/1/2007 12:44:19 PM    lobeycat Posts: 4013 Joined: 9/8/2003 From: RED SOX Nation Status: online I believe the lights where run by these batteries on very early luxury autos. On the cheaper models you had to have your brother run in front of the car with a lantern. Amos. (in reply to logueb) Post #: 7

RE: Aqua Glass Battery Help? - 6/1/2007 1:57:33 PM    logueb   Posts: 1386 Joined: 1/6/2007 Status: offline I have somewhere an early auto lantern that was equiped with both a socket for an electric bulb and also a lantern base mounted underneath.  I always wondered if the oil lantern was converted to electricity or if it came from the factory with the oil lantern as a backup if the battery failed. _____________________________ Buster Bottle Bug Bit with no cure in sight. (in reply to lobeycat) Post #: 8

RE: Aqua Glass Battery Help? - 6/1/2007 6:55:58 PM    ronvae2   Posts: 19 Joined: 5/7/2006 Status: offline Hey thanks everybody!  What do you mean, Lobeycat "...couldn't be more help"?  That was great, & the pix help visualize how they were used.  Frankly, to us, $10-$40 is pretty high priced--we dive for bottles in Minnesota.  We weren't even a state until the 1850's, and most of the early bottles were collected years ago.  This one was in a trashpile under the muck of a bay, in about 20 feet of water.  It's a miracle it hadn't already been crushed by an anchor, as that's a super-busy bay.  Logueb, I was freaked out to hear they still use them!  I think they're great empty, but with battery acid in them, plus an electrical current?  Eew. Thanks again!!!! (in reply to logueb) Post #: 9

RE: Aqua Glass Battery Help? - 6/1/2007 9:47:35 PM    Brains   Posts: 488 Joined: 9/2/2006 From: Hilliard/columbus ohio Status: offline those square batteries are in some of those concrete boxes you see aong old railroads, usually accompanied with a signal tower or box. I dont know what the boxes that held round ones in looked like, just newer square ones. I found chunks of golith versions along a bikepath that was origionaly a railroad from the 1850's. A good thing to collect. _____________________________ Let me know when the telegraph companies want their hemingray-42's back! bryan (in reply to ronvae2) Post #: 10

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