The daily gazette., 1878-09-28
Transmitting Mechanical
Power bY Elecfricitv

This appears to be the age of great
discoveries In electricity and in APPLYING
Its powers to novel but most important
uses. Prof. Siemens, OF England, the
inventor of the Siemens' furnace, in an
address made by him short time ago
at Glasgow said that the means of trans
mitting power by electricity must soon
be the important problem of the day and
in illustration OF what might vet be pos
sible 20 science he cited the use to which
the enormous water-power of Niagara
could be put, and remarked that If the
whole of that power could be used to
drive dinamo-electric machines it could
be distributed through wires over the
United States so as to give from that
waterfall alone power equal TO the
present mechanical force OF the world
Prof. Edison, while visiting the mining
regions of the West, was so struck with
the enormous labor of the miners IN
drilling and boring that he, too, turning
to the Platt river near by, where many
miners were working, asked his com
panion, Prof Barker, why the power of
the river could not be made to do the
work OF the miners by electricity. On
returning to New York, Mr.. Edison
was invited by Prof. Barker to
visit MFR. Wallace, of Ansonia, Connecti-
cut, maker of electrical machines, and
there TO his surprise he found machine
invented by Mr.. Wallace which not only
generates vast amount of electricity
by the force of the water power that
drives the machine, but can transmit it
to any distance, both for lighting cities
or for mechanical purposes. 1t has al
ready been applied to lighting the factory
OF Mr.. Wallace, and to transmit for the
distance ofa quarter of mile the power
of the Nangatuck river utilized in the
form of electricity-the power of the
river being great enough to drive the
ponderous machinery OF the Wallace
factory, where three hundred men are
employed. Mr.. Edison, it is said, be-
lieves that he can so assist Mr.. Wall ce
in perfecting the telemachon-the name
by which this new and wonderful
machine is called-that power may be
transmitted from one point to another
as though it were telegraphic message,
The modus operandi is thus described:
'sAs an example how the fall Of such
body as the falls of Niagara could be
practically utilized by means Of the
ielemachon, a gentleman who has stud
led the subject for years gave the follow
ing illustration A series OF fiume'
could be constructed from the edge oi
the descent of the American falls TO the
level of the water below of size suffi
cient to carry all the water of the Niagars
river through water wheels. With shaftin!
this power would be used TO turn th'
l tho aIQotrtp nnrrQnt
This current could then be carried II
New York city by conductors, which ar
copper rods. These rods may be tappe'
then at any point, wherever power !
needed, and wires carried into factorie
Just as gas is now carried in pipes throug
the streets. In the factory lelemacho
would be placed of power sufficient
t great TO run the shafting. Thus the entir
power required by the State Of New Yor
T might be taken od atong the line of TIA
I main conductors. The amount OF cleo
tricity taken off at any one point woul
be readily regulated in the same way
which the current taken from batter
: for telegraphic purposes is now regulate
that is, by introducing suitable resistanc
3 in the local line."
AT the same principle can be apple
to waterpowers everywhere, II is obviou
that If the telemachon should be abl
) to do all that is claimed for it manufa'
t tories driven by the transmitted powe
a of electricity may be established any
i where, and the whole business OF manr
featuring, in so far, as 1t depends apo
steam as motive power, will be revolt
. tionized.-Baltimor Sun.