Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-03-31
Heating Railroad Cars by Elect richly
A statement has been going the rounds

A statement has been going the rounds
of the newspapers for some time that cleo
tricity has been applied successfully as a
heating medium at the Hotel Dieu hospital
in Paris, and il is said the other large hos
pitais of that city will be warmed by 1t In
stead of coal.
The Washington Republican says: ''Of
course we know nothing of the apparatus
by which this result is accomplished in
Paris, but we had the oppc .nuity 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
full and satisfactory. The invention con-
sists of a chain made up of alternate OBJ
structions and free conductors, arranged
compactly by being rehexed In grooves, and
the apparatus covered by metallic plate
and placed in front of each seat, in order
that the feet of passengers may rest on
them. When q 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 radiated to the
metallic plate.
Associated with the apparatus is ano
ther, which is called circuit changer,
and by.means of it 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 of
the instrument, the same caloric effects are
produced in each. 1t may explain this in
strument more fully to compare it to a mu-
sical box. except that the points on 1T are
arranged spirally, and instead of a musical
sound a contact is effected. Now, by re-
volving this with great speed an almost
continuous current is kept up in each cir
cult.
1.-The difficulties in the way of applying
chemical 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 rsquisiticn, land the small
steam engine in the basement of the
winder building employed to driveit. The
numerous pcrS0ue pfcocut Wsfc oAunzco ~
the power of the current produced, for
with it twenty feet of No. 20 iron were rem
dered red.hot; and when it was applied to
a single heater the platina connections
were melted in short time. Afterwards
the current was applied to several heaters
connected together. and in a short time
the heat was equally developed in each,
thereby proving conclusively the equal dis
of the current. Following this
experiment, the circuit changer was con-
nected with several of the heaters. and it
was found to do its work thoroughly.
1.-The advantage of employing this me-
thod of warming railroad cars must be OBJ
vioas. BY connecting the magnet machine
with the axle of the Car motive power is
of scarcely any additional cost;
and regarding the entire feasibility of this
the inventor is supported by
the best scientific men in the country as
well as by practical rsilroad men. In case
of having a train thrown from the track,
instead of being roasted alive with red-hot
stoves, the passengers escaping the perils
Of being crushed by the wreck of the car
stand some chance of escaping a horrible
death by burning. Upon the whole, the
experiments were entirely satisfactory, and
clearly the entire feasibility
Of employing electricity as a heating agent.