The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-04-01
Hsating Ranroad Cars By ElectrIcIty

| Heating Railroad Cars bg EieetfIcitl
A statement has been going the rounds
of the newspapers for some time that eIec
tricity has been applied successfully as
heating medium at the Hotel Dieu nospIta
in Paris, and it is said the other large hos
pitais of that city will be warmed by 1t IN
stead of coal. ..--... -,
The Washington Republican says: ''Oi
course we know nothing of the apparatus
bv which this result Is accomplished II
Paris, but we had the opportunity OF wit
Messing. on Wednesday last, at the Winter
building. the experiments of DIR. Leigh Bur-
ton in applying electricity for warming
railroad cars, which were entirely success
ful and satisfactory. The invention con-
sists OF a chain made up of alternate OBJ
gtructions and free conductors, arranged
eompactIy by being rehexed in grooves, and
the apparatus covered by a metallic plate
and placed in front of each seat, IN order
that the feet of passengers may rest on
them. When a current of electricity Is
sent through these heaters it is obstructed
by the intervening non conductors, OF
small diameter, and the evolution OF heat
is the result; and after the chain has be-
come warm, the heat is radlated TO the
metallic plate.
Associated with the apparatus is ano
ther, which is called a circuit changer,
and by means of it a current of electricity
of a given power may be sent through an
almost unlimited number of circuits, and
from the fact that the same current Is sent
through each circuit at each revolution oil
the instrument, the same caloric effects are
produced in each. 1t may explain this in
strument more fully to compare it to a mu-
sicai box, except that the points on 1t are
arranged spirally, and instead OF a musical
sound contact is effected. Now, by re-
volving this with great speed an almost
continuous current is kept up IN each cIr-
cult.
"The difficulties in the way of applying
electricity for heating purposes
being thoroughly understood by the in
ventor, he proposes in this application OF
the invention to employ the magnetic
electric machine, and the object OF the ex-
periments on Wednesday was to test the
fitness of this machine for the purpose.
The army and navy departments having
rendered DR.. Burton every facility for
making these tests, the large magnet ma
chine of the Smithsonian Institution was
brought into requisiticn, and the small
steam engine in the basement of the
Ninder building employed to drive it. The
numerous persons present were amazed at
he power of the current produced, for
With it twenty feet of No. % iron were rem
Tered red-hot; and when it was applied to
single heater the platina connections |
we're melted in short time. Afterwards |
he current was applied to several heaters
together, and in a short time /
he heat was equally developed in each,
hereby proving conclusively the equal dis
ribution OF the current. Following this
experiment.. the circuit changer was con-
lected with several of the heaters, and 1t
vas found to do its work thoroughly.
''The advantage of employing this me-
hod of waru4iug railroad cars must be OBJ
ioEs. By connecting the magnet machine
7ith the axle of the car "a motive power Is
btzined OF scarcely any additional cost;
nd regarding the entire feasibility of this
roposItion, the inventor IS supported by
he best scientific men in the country as
-ell as by practical railroad men. In case
f having train thrown from the track,
instead Of being roasted alive with red-hot
toves, the passengers escaping the perlls
f being crushed by the wreck of the car
tand some chance of escaping a horrible
cath tT burning. Upon the whole, the
xperiments we're entirely satisfactory, and
demonstrated clearly the entire feasibility
f employing electricity as heating agent.