The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-04-15
ELEcTRIC HIGHT.
seme OF the Peculiar Features OF Ets Prosiac'
tlon.

Il
ations on both hemispheres have
done the same thing, and 1t Is fact
that humanity never wrestled With
anything that SO persistently kept IT.
self hid, or which manifests such q
subtle opposition TO investigation. In
spite of this, human intelligence has
produced some wonderfuul results
without even knowing very much
about the principal agency with
which 1t worked. 1t Is not quite
sixty years since Faraday, the emil
nent English scientist, discovered
what is known as ssmagnetic induc'
tion."
What Faraday really discovered
was, that if you take q wire formed
in a hoop or loop, with the ends
united aud move 1t in front Of a mag
net an electric current is generated.
OF course the more rapid the move
ment, and the numerous the
wires and powerful the magnet or
magnets, the greater the result pro-
duced.
A visit to the new electric light
station, on Ontario street, where
nightly the wonderful process Is go
Ing on by which the great lights on
Monumental Park and Superior st.
are produced, does not impress one
with the importance Of the mighty
work going on before your very eyes.
There the eyes are useless senses.
They convey no knowledge to the
mind. There is monstrous engine
revolving with tremendous power (;
there are the great furnaces eating
up coal with a ravenous appetite, and
there are the large steam boilers, the
receptacle of the enorgy Of that coal.
The purpose OF that engine, boilers
and consumption of ceal Is to turn
the machines which rest on raised
platform at one corner of the room.
The space occupied by each machine
might be five feet long, two feet wide
and eighteen inches high. This Is
all the eye discloses. This little ap-
paratus is the Brush dynamo-electric
machine, which produces the electric
lights. 1t is constructed upon the
idea embraced in Faraday's discov-
cry with the wire loop and tho mag
nets. And while there are many
things about its operation which sci
ence has not disclosed, and many
more known and imperfectly under
stood by the electrician, which can
not be conveyed to the ordinary
reader, there are yet many interest
ing things which all may know, and
TO q certain extent understand.
There are many forms of energy
or power in this world. Some of
these may be transferred from their
normal or most familiar forms into
other forms. For instance coal pos
sesses q certain amount Of energy
(pewer), and the transformation OF
that energy into light illuminating
energy is the object OF gas compan-
les. To transform power (energy) In
any form into light Is the purpose OF
the inventor Of the Brush machine.
In burning ceal under steam boilers
a certain amount of its energy Is
transformed into steam-by the most
improved methods some l2 or Is per
cent of the energy of the coal IL
saved or treasured up in the boilers
in this manner the balance passes
off in heat. Through the engine this
steam energy (the same as when in
the coall Is transformed inte mechan-
ical energy. By the engine power
thus secured, in its application TO the
dynamO-electric machine, this ener-
gy is transformed again into electric
energy, or electricity, which pro-
duces the wonderful light. It will
be seen therefore that the power or
energy secured from any source or of
any nature, in sufficient quantity,
properly utilized, is what produces
the wonderful results.
The sixteen lights new in opera
tien on the Park and Superior street
consume fourteen-herse power. The
capacity of the engines at the light
ming station, when completed, will
be $50 lights OF 2000-candle power
each. This would require the con-
sumption of $50 pounds Of coal per
hour, and the light furnished would
be equal to more than 10000 gas
burners. Having arrived at a
basis Of operation by something
of an understanding of the forms of
energy and the methods of transfer
ring them into other forms, the reader
is ready to learn what is to be learned
about the application of this mechanical
power-whether derived from steam,
water, or any other source-into elec-
tric energy in the form of electric
currents by its application to the
Brush machine. In the construction
of this machine Faraday's discovery
has been utilized, and to such admir-
able perfection that it is marvellous
success. 1t is a well settled fact that
great discoveries are very slow in be-
ing practically applied or utilized for
the use of mankind. There is little
doubt that Cardinal RicheIieu had
the problem of steam navigation Of
fered to him, but he was 80 absorbed
in building up great nation Of cath
Ollie monks and friars, in caring Tor
the concerns of world he knew moth
ing about, that he could see no use
for such thing as steamboat, even
If it could be made to navigate the
ocean, and 80 rather than be impor-
tuned and besieged for aid by the
needy inventor, he locked him up in
an insane asylum and went on with
building up the power of the pope.
The problem had before been offered
to Spain, with about the same result,
and SO it rested for ages till Robert