Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-02-14

The magnitude of the interest affected
by an invention like this will be appre.
ciated when we call to mind the fact
that the Western Union Company alone
requires something near 100000 miles
of wire for its connections in this coun-
try. The telegraph lines of all Europe
will aggregate something like half a
million miles. 1t must not be forgotten
that for every mile of real wire employ
ed in telegraphing the introduction Of
the quadruplex systems gives three miles
OF "phantom wire. In other words,
the system makes every wire so used
equivalent to, four wires under the old
system: and no one can say how far
improvement ID this direction is or is
not possible.
The future of electricity in the sphere
of light giving is daily becoming more
apparent. The iimpossibilities of last
year are the achievements of this year;
and even if we were compelled to say
that hitherto the electric light has not
passed beyond the experimental stage,
the positive gains made during the past
few months are guarantee that in sew
eral directions practical success is as
sured.
Our readers are already familiar with
what Mr.. Edison has accomplished.
Many other more or less successful
inventors are at work upon one or
other of the various and very promising
systems of electric lighting, both in this
country and in Europe. In London
steady and remarkable progress is
reported in the working of the Jabloch-
koff candles employed, at the Victoria
station of the Metropolitan Railway and
on Waterloo bridge. A 20-horse power
engine already sustains 60 lights (of
from 800 to 200 candle power) and 80
lights are promised when another couple
of Gramme machines are put down.
The length of cable used is up
ward of mile and half, the length Of
the circuit over three and a quarter
miles. 1t is claimed that the limit of
the power of the engines has not been
approached. The light already fur
nished exceeds 1900 wax candles to the
horsepower; and yet the margin
for improvement is enormous. The
actual energy of the coal used is not
less than eight times that really devel-
oped as light
In still another Objectionable devel-
opment of thermo-electricity by direct
solar radiation. by the utilization of the
waste heat of our fires, and the like
the possibilities are incalculable and the
work Of invention but scarcely begun.
In the near future, too, men will draw
upon many now neglected sources of
power, which will give them through
the mediation of electricity a greater
supply of motive force than is now de-
rived from all our coal mines. In a
recent issue of the Scientific american
Supplement the progress made in the
Utilization OF electricity as a carrier of
power economically developed in large
engines operated by steam power,
waterfalls, and the like, was described
at great length by Professor Ayrton.
The transmission of power by elec
tri city both for short and for long dis
tan ces, is not only practicable but eco
nomical; and the sanitary and other
advantages of drawing power from a
distance, for small manufacturing and
for operating domestic machinery, are
so enormous that the new system is sure
to work great changes in all branches
OF industrial affairs. In every depart
ment of life this most nimble and will
ing servant of humanity is becoming
useful, or, rather, men are beginning to
discover how infinite is his capacity for
usefulness, and the marvellous econo-
mics possible throughout his employ
ment. He is as ready to work for US as
to run our errands, or watch our prop
erty against thieves and fire. And it is
no stretch of imagination to say that
our children if not ourselves will see
the small steam engine everywhere dis
placed by the electric motor, which
will convert into motive power the SUBJ