Mystery Box - Leyden Jars?

[newbell]

I was wondering if you could help me deal with or identify the purpose of this. I have found a wooden box under the house (built 1922) with the following markings:<O:p</O:p
<O:p
Size: (approx.)<O:p</O:p
Length: 30cm<O:p</O:p
15cm<O:p</O:p
Depth: 22cm<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

Stencil print on outside of box says:<O:p</O:p
Refined Oil<O:p</O:p
In Patent Cans<O:p</O:p
Sone & Fleming works<O:p</O:p
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:p</st1:State><O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

Inside the box:<O:p</O:p
Are three glass jars with mirky white stuff in them.<O:p</O:p
The jars have wires attaching them to each other.<O:p</O:p
The whole thing is wired to the house!<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

Photos attached.

I think the box is unrelated to it's contents but... I did find online at: http://www.answers.com/topic/john-wesley-van-dyke (http://www.answers.com/topic/john-wesley-van-dyke)<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

'In 1879, Standard Oil purchased the Sone & Fleming Refinery in <ST1:p<st1:City style="BACKGROUND-POSITION: left bottom; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(res://ietag.dll/#34/#1001); BACKGROUND-REPEAT: repeat-x">Brooklyn</st1:City>, <st1:State>New York'</st1:State></ST1:p

I'm new. Go easy.

[Ashore]

G'Day and welcome
Looks like batteries of some sort , possibly a door bell or room to room bell/intercom system :rolleyes:
I would definately say not the origional box contents



Rgds

[GraemeCook]

Hi Newbell

These look like early wet cell batteries, possibly for telephone, front door bell or servants bells. If the latter there may be buttons in major rooms, often discreetly hidden beside fire surrounds, on edge or bottom of window frames, in wainscotting or wood panelling etc.

Is there anything written on the sides of the batteries themselves? Often the glass is embossed with makers name, etc.

Standard Oil was the initial vehicle of the Rockerfeller robber barron dynasty and has taken over thousands of other businesses over the years and has morphed through name changes to Esso and is now called Exxon.

Cheers

Graeme

[Clinton1]

Have you really, really, annoyed someone lately? :rolleyes:

[Wongo]

Have you really, really, annoyed someone lately? :rolleyes:

Are you thinking what I am thinking B1? :p

[newbell]

Thanks for the info Graeme. If there are buttons in the walls we will find them as all the walls are coming down (necessary due to re-stumping).

As for markings on the jar...to be honest i didn't want to touch it for fear of Clinton1's remark!

It is being removed by an electrician today sso i will inspect further this evening.

[Simomatra]

It would appear to be the original Leclance type cells.

As others have sugested it was probably for the door bell, servants bells or phone

Checout thsi link http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.geocities.com/bioelectrochemistry/leclanche.htm

[Auld Bassoon]

Alternatively, as Clinton and Scott have alluded to - CALL THE BOMB SQUAD!







Just kidding - they're early wet cell batteries as suggested.

[Zed]

call the bomb squad and they'll take it away for free and dispose of it correctly too..:)

its prob an old batt setup as mentioned before but its old so the chemicals are probably quite nasty by now.... maybe you can wire your battery drill up to it to see if its still charging ?:rolleyes: