Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-07-23
SCIENTIFIC.

Use Of Electricity. - III electricity
lends its aid in the raising OF ships, 1t
also contributes to their DESTRUCTION
through the ignition of torpedoes by
electric wires. 1t is at once the pane
and antidote, so to speak, in TINS species
of warfare, since our iron-clads are
now fitted with electric lights and re-
fiecting apparatus, likely TO De oil go0u
service i'm protecting them from night
attacks of torpedo boats. The electric
lights provided on Admiral Hornby'
ships are described as appearing as
As bright as star of the first magni-
tude at distance of thirty miles on
clear night. In this powerful light the
smoke of steam launch betrays Itself
at distance of two hundred yards, SO
that its value as preseryatiye OF our
costly war vessels from destruction can
scarcely be overrated. Electricity,
however, can equally be adapted for
purposes OF attack as for defence, Tor IL
seems that on board ship the electric
fuse is superseding the old lanyard In
tbe firing of heavy cannon. Ii is, as
we have on former occasions shown,
specially convenient for turret guns,
a. il is not only possible to take better
ann DIV Inls use VI CitNbiAS'gS
effect of the shots Is more terrible,
through the concentrated hre oil SIM
ultaneous discharge OF several project
lies, which will penetrate heavy armor
when single shots are comparatively
harmless. As, owing to the smallness
of port holes and the nearness OF guns
to the water. the sighting Is better per-
| formed by an officer stationed above
them, he can by electric wires dis
charge the guns simultaneously at the
moment he thinks fit, while being
/ likely to act with all the more coolness
and judgement from being out OF the
way of the smoke and hustle below.
As an illuminator fol military purposes,
the electric light will probably ere
long prove equally useful. The Rus
sian government has been experiment
ing recently at st. Petersburg with the
special object of increasing the distance
To which The light produced by elec-
tricity NAV be thrown. The power OF
the light was found to be greatly aug
mented by covering the carbon burner
with a thin sheet of copper. BY TINS
means the Alteneck lamp was made TO
increase the power OF light from ten
thousand two hundred and ten to six
teen thousand two hundred and fifty
five candles; and even this increased
power was again raised 10 that repre-
sented by the light OF twenty thousand
Two hundred and seventy-fiye candles,
by a slight alteration in the position OF
the carbon and its covering. By this
light, objects are clearly visible al
night at a distance of three thousand
Yards. From such experiments II
seems that the improvements in the
sy stem of electric lighting are largely
TO produce important effects ON the
arts OF war and peace. Such are few
of the uses to which this strange pow
er has already been applied; and yeI
, electricity, like steam, may still be con
sidered in its infancy. In future
article we shall have the pleasure o
laying before our readers some further
notes ol this interesting subject, lnclu
ding what has been done and what i
likely to be done in the way of iilumin
|, ating large cities such as London, by
electricity.