Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-06-07
! y. ! II. 8 n. 6 M. yr.
Wonders OF ELECTRICITY.

Wonders 0t Electricity,
ID discussing lec:ugo delivered bofor, tho
S1cicy of Ats 10 London By Mr. Alexander
Siemoa5. o. tho Transmission OF power By e!tc
i:iciy, !hs h21&oa Standard says that ho dealt
1i;h q saliect which is destined to play con-
aFcI0us pr: 10 he tu!u'o OF the worlds his.
| tori. Il: wluG acaem," i: DAYS. AS if much
| no have hitherto d,amad wonderful and almost
pcrtGcs IL i19 d1mail ct practical science Was
shous 10 vsaish a*ey, y new competitor ena
tcrs tie field, srMcd with subtle aud irresisti-
bic power, and promising not merely to perform
Old thirg' IN boster way. but to accomplish
| that whlch has been hitherto uninterrupted, it
uot altogether uodrcamed OF. Even the rail.
way-tho perfection or mechanical and eugl-
ncerlGg arts not secure. 1t may, indeed Ie.
malC; bus theCo sasmS possibility OF under
going change which will mako it new thing
altogether. Exparlmantai railways worked by
electricity have been lG0Rl fer about two years;
but commencement hss now been madn in C
business like tenn. and the suburbs of Berlin
are now to witness tho Opening OF public llue
OF railway, lG wl;ca tho moving power
tskes The snspa OF electricity. Tho begin.
ming is small but 1t is real. and as it al
ready presaGts the spptaTarco OF Success ss Ge may
Icok tor is extension. Tho Prussian authori-
lies have officially decided that the vehicle thus
travelling on rails ia tramciE. and must not 60
ct higher average speed than niue English
m!stJ, or juas tfso,icu moro, per hour. This
So caiicd ttamcir ID in reality an electrical car
riGGs, verg well capable of performing 10 about
iigc mlnu:c1 tho iourGey on whiab it is Compell.
cd to expond twicl that amount Of time. Thare
10 uo resson Why several carriages, each With its
n al - ka,
one train, TIC motive p&war will thus bo equal to
Tho sutmouating OF steep gradients, aud the
mscaocry c2nid ia sn instant be made to cXsr-
c8e Tic most effective brake power.
Tha practoabiIi.g OF m Electric Railway is
a;seady demonstrated. People may ses it for
tGcms:lsca At the Crystal Palace, and the Ger
msn capital aigea yet moro convincing proof.
,iho crest Co;cEcy OF tho invention CONSISTS ia
tho ,faIsmls:lra CT tho motive current BY
simple wire. Whuther through n cable or mere
s!rard, EothlGz eau bo Ioro fEcilo thsn this
| nodo CT cJmmuaicatioa. Gho wiro can DO
burled or hucg aIott, 0: twisted Or turned in
| any desired d!t@0:icn, Gho disGauc, to which
tho current o2a be conveyed, and tho amount
OF energy lost IL the translt. pso matters which
moro Immediately affect tho economical aspect
| q the question. But Showing that only half
| the power expended can bo recovered AID turn
| Cd to acc1lnt, M.. a, Sieme1s shows that
| chcapocss Hcu:d be affected ia many iostan-
| caa az compared with the use Of small steam
| ongip:s. Tho idea is that CT can!raI uta.
tioa, mhero powerful etcsm engines. work
| ing % tho meat economical principles,
| would dIivo o number OF electrical ms-
| chimes to produce tho required currents. 1t
| Gou!d bo easy 10 lay wires from the central
| station, 10 the samo way as wo SEQ them now
laid 10 cast iron pipes 10 tho city. From these
| main ni,es there would be functions esding
! toto the housts, and there would bo DO difficulty
| 10 providing Two separate curreris-oae for
! ligh,irG and the other for poWer-to be used
| as required. Already wo havo tho city illuni
| oated by means Ct currents generated ut dis.
| tarce oloo thought impracticsolc, The trans
mission of p2wcr !y the electric current is
| shcwr, not oniy BY tho Siemers Railway, but
by various other applications. Cranes are
| worked aud ropes era pulled By this agency at
Chart0u, Eosr London, while double iurrow
piougbs aud s!so threshing machine hsv,
brcn wokod by G!amma machine in France.
! Di. SieDcBs IL making tho electric current
perform al! kiaLs OF hacaiTork at his country
rcside1c3 near Tuab.idsa Wells, tho result
b:iGg thst oao nsn a5 tic farm ia enabled 10
do tic wo;S which wcDlt otherwise occupy
| threaa fac: which may ciaiua attention from
| the Agricultural ioteT2sG nara pressed BY t3T-
| cgn conpct;i3r. Sir William Armstrong
has uiz ID The power Of falling water for the
working of machine whereby ho gaios sufiit
cisGt electricity to light up thirty or forty Swan
lamps. Df, SicmGcs turcs wire fenoo to 60.
count by ruakcg j: take tho roturn current
| In sddi!ion TO tho proposal for establishing q
\ centrsl station whnnce tho power should botrans.
m;t.ed to tho points where lis use was required,
| Mr. =. Eiemens suggested tia. secondary bat
te!lss, similar 20 those constructed By b. Plante
and improved By 4. tau.c, should 10 employ od
, TO receive the electricity and keep ii ready 70:
uso-in The ssn.o manner SO gss ;a stored in largo
| ghsholders, and rs eccunuietors are used in
connection with hydraulic machinery. Bu. the
question aEiaes, wacshe7 By storing tni5 tronen-
deus lorcs va are likely 10 create nDy new
sourco OF peril. For tho present, electricity ap-
PEERS TO bo Tie most bencGcelt OF geLi. It
threatens us neither with fire, explosion nor suf-
location. it will iigh. our dwellings without
the steam engine without tic nuisance Of its
preseace. Tho ergiac-or motor Of sone
kibd-muss indeed be employed, but it may be
q mile distant or moro from the spot where its
power is finally e;yol out. Forthe presentth there
ls happily ina prospec. Of much that will benel.
mankind Electricity displays all the proper.
ties Of p most ohedieEt EervGnt. 1t is ssid 10
differ from water or cir III hs7ing 10 mass" or
merits ]. is IN 9a1da1a5ie, and loses none OF its
energy ia turGius 9 corler. Applied To q rail-
road train II c2uid Go made 70 turn every wheel,
and not merely the two which arc now driven
| by ateam in tre locomotive.
|