New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-06-12
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.
STORING UP ELECTRICITY.

Sir William Thompson has written TO The
London irnes, reporting on the box Of stored
up electricity recently sent 10 him by NJ. Faure.
He says concerning the system, which has been
already explained in thus column that he has
air a1y ascertained enough regarding its
qualities To make 1t quite certain that it solves
the problem OF storing electric energy in
manner and on scale useful for many i'm
por ant practical applications. He hopes that
only short time will eapse before the Faure
battery will do for tie electric light what
water cstcyR IN house does for an inconstant
water supply. y little battery of seven boxes
suiiices 10 give the ncandesccncc in the Swan
or Edison lights 10 the extent of one hundred
candles for SIX hours without any pcrceptible
diminutiOn of brllliancy. Thus, instead OF
needing gas engine or steam engine 10 be kept
at work as long as the light is wanted, with the
liability of the lights failing at any moment
through the shipping Of the belt or any other
breakdown or stOppage OF the machinery, and
instead OF the wasteful inactivity during tho
hours of the day OF night when the light IL not
needed, the engine may be kept going all day
and stopped at night OF il may be kept going
day and night, which undoubtedly will be the
most economical plan when the electric light
comes into general enough use.
Sir William also points out another important
use of the accumulation in its application to the
electric lighting of steamships. dynamo
electric machine of very moderate magnitude
and expense, driven by belt from a drum on
the main shaft, working through the twenty
"a
lator full, and thus notwithstanding the irregu-
larltes of the speed of the engine At sea, or the
occasional stOppages, the supply of electricity
will always be- ready 20 feed the lamps in the
engine rooms and cabins, or arc lights for the
masthead. and red and green side lamps, with
more certainty and regularity than have yet
been achieved in the gas supply for any house
on shore,
SALICYLIC ACID AN ANTI-FERNfENT.
The applications Of salcylic acid, since Kobe
made il n commercial product, have become
very numerous. Among these Oately reviewed
by N. Scumbcrgcr, in n note TO the French
Academy are disinfcctOn and sanitation of
stable, sheep-pcns, railway wagons, for carry
ing cattle, etc. and the cure OF certain diseases
of animals (bces. fowls, cattle, etc. 4 large
Cattle-brceder near Gotha, has, for four years
past, given his animals some Of the acid daily
as % preventive against contagon, and he has
thus escaped while ncghhOrs have suffered The
preservation Of solid and liquid articles Of food
with the acid is now very extensive. Saicylc
acid seems To act on Tactic and acctic fcrmcnts IN
preference To alcoholic. IL treating beer, II IL
introduced twice. The first dose acts only on the
Tactic fcrmcnt, allowing the yeast 10 transform
is done, a second dose of acid Is given to pre-
vent acetic fermentation. The two together
are only about 1-ZO,OOOth or O.O5 grains per
Ltre. For wine, beer or cider the dose of
acid rarely exceeds l-fO.OOOth. Wines of "a
cold. rainy season, or otherwise rendered poor
in quality. are saved 10y the acid. II Is cstl-
mated that last year at least 5,OOO.OOO heCtO-
litres were salacyliZcd in France. There was
a suspicion that the daily uSe Of sallcy lied
food or drink might inJure health hut during
six years use no injury has been recorded.