The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-06-25

katroptric or dioptric contrivances, or, to
speak Ices antiquely, when they are col
lccted from behind by mirrors or bent to-
gether In front by glass, there Is nowadays
little need to tell. ] was informed by
Messrs. Whicldon & Cooke, the London
manufacturers of the machine in use at the
House of Parliament, that Her Majesty
has ordered one for her yacht, and that
Mr.. Ashbury and other yachtmen are fol-
lowing suit. If the cost can be reduced to
the trihe promised. there seems indeed
good time coming, in which collisions at
sea may be almost confined to cases of
gross negligence, and in which, in spite of
the darkest nights, vessels can pick up the
buoys and thread the most tortuous of
channels
The competing gas-light, Wickman's,
consisting of three powerful argand-shapcd
flames, one above another; each of the up
per lights being intensified in its flame by
the hot current from the light below, 1t
being led round its base. The heat in the
little chamber, notwithstanding the smart
westerly breeze that now blew through its
well perforated sides, was far from pleas
ant, a circumstance attributed by the at
tendant to the defective construction of the
iron pipe by which the products of the
combustion was carried Off. The exhibitor
is from Dublin, and his light is in extensive
use on the Irish coast. He complained sad
ly of the quality of gas furnished him for
his experiments, declaring that it was 25
candle gas only, instead of the 80 candle
gas with which the lamp should be supplied
to develope its advantages to the full.
The electric light on the occasion of the
visit made to it on Thursday conducted
itself, am sorry to record, without due
consideration of the discredit it was likely
to bring upon the engine whose powers it
was intended to display The light went
out a circumstance ascrbed by Nj. Wor-
dcrmann, the gentleman experimenting
the experiment, to the mechanism for
regulation of the carbons being unsuitable
for the lamp in use. The accident, so far
as Grammc's engine is concerned is imma-
teriol inasmuch as by the adoption of the
new machine, Gas | think | have already
notifed), we are no nearer the solution of
any problem connected with electric light
ing than we were before. The sole element
in this engine is simplicity. The only re-
suit insisted On--cheapness
1t is difficult to state in few words the
extraordinary progress of this the youngest,
hopcfullcst of the children of science,
magnetic electricity. 1t dates-or at least
our knowledge of il dates-no further back
than 1881, when Faraday drew the attcn-
ton of the scientific world to singular
phenomenon. He had observed that on
the approach of coil of copper wire to
one of the poles of magnet a current was
introduced in the coil in one direction, and
that on its withdrawal similar
current was introduced in an OPP
posite direction. Who shall measure
the consequences of the discovery in
time to come In 1882 it had borne fruit
NJ. Pixis having constructed copper
wire coils with iron cores, which he made
to rotate before the poles of powerful
permanent magnet. In the following year
Saxton submitted similar machine before
the British Association The invention in
this form is well worthy of attention, en-
abling us, az it does, to appreciate more
fully the beauties of the latest and simplest
form in which it has appeared. The cur
rents were of course reversed in both Pix
ISIS aud SaXtons, and this circumstance
necessitated the employment of ''commu.
tator," or an arrangement whereby at the
critical moment the currents were severally
caught up and made to run in the same di.
rection.
Beyond an improvement Important in
its way) by Siemens in the mode of coiling
the wire the engine remained without
change until 1866, when Wilde made al
important addition to our knowledge OF
misunderstanding He conducted thu
current obtained by Siemens's armaturt
round an electromagnetic, and found that
tho magnetism thus excited was far great
er than that of the entire series of stee
magnets hitherto employed. He fonnt
in fact that where series of per
manent magnets, taken collectively, wal
compent to support 40 lbs, the electro
magnet, which they excited, sustained {
weight of loss pounds. He went further
forming his electromagnetic from larg'
plate of iron, and placing between its lonl
poles n cOrrespondingly long armature
similar in shape and construction to tina
of the magnetic electric machine, he oh
tanned from the second armature current
of enormously greater power than thos
obtainable from the first. These current
could in turn be sent round
second electromagnetic, formed iron
larger plate of iron. Thu
second electromagnetic produced effect
previously unknown. One could well for
give some little indulgence in great proph
, ecyings. Rods of iron quarter of al
inch in thickness were fused by the current
which were found when discharged betwee
carbon terminals to produce an intolerabl
brilliancy-the electric light Whether b.
way of ''tall talking or in sober earnes
1 cannot say, but the English Compan
have, am assured, actually proposed t
light the entire area of Hyde Park wit
eight electric lights, and confidently ant
cipatc that the objection now felt at tn
{ dazzling briliancy and deep shadows of til
electric light as ordinarily shown will b
obviated by the intersection of their ray
where several are employed at once.
: l should like to reserve my judgment I'll
l can see what is done.