Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-07-27
WHAT ELECTRICITY CAN Do,
From BlackWood's Magazine. .<i.,

rTOin DldckWOOu ) IMdSdZlue. s#.|.
Take once again the illustrations of
waterwheel. In former days such
wheel could give power to grind our
corn, or weave our cloth, or make our
paper, or crush our quartz, provided the
materials could be conveniently brought
to the water-power. Now, not only can
such water do the same work miles from
where it it running, by its power being
used to produce electricity; not-only can
it work our clocks, drive pater familias'
lathe and masters sewing machines,
pump the water, turn the spit
work the dinner hoist in
our private houses, and thresh, grind,
spin, weave, and calender in our factor
ies-it can with ease do much more that
the water power could not do, even if
close at hand with the most complicated
appliances. 1t can make the running
water far away ring our bells, regulate
our clocks, rectify our alcohol, plate our
spoons, gild our ornaments, multiply
our engraving plate, make permanent
our photographs, and work our ploughs
and our tram cars.
These are but illustrations of what can
be done and is being done. But even
here the wonders do not stop; for not
only will power such as water, when,
employed to produce electricity,
be available at distance from the
place where it exists, and for purposes
which it could not of itself fulfil-strange
as it may sound, the power of water will
produce by its new application of heat
and light. A water wheel, by being en-
ployed to generate electricity. may light
our rooms, cook dinner, and ripen our
peaches. We can have light from it by
which we can work as easily at night as
in the day-a light which will neither
consume our fresh air, nor vitiate it with
foul gases, nor smoke our ceilings and
destroy our curtains; which can set fire
to nothing; the globe of which can be
booked to an invalid's bed-curtain with
ont risk, or attached to flexible wires and
taken into the most confined corner to
give light to workman, without danger
of fire. s.@
1t would fill a volume to state at
length all the practical advantages which
this development of electricity has
opened up already, and more than a vol
ume2to statesaH that it may be expected
yetto accomplish Let it also be UNDER
stood that while the foregoing iflustra-
tions have been stated in relation to wa
tertpower, they are equally true
forsany other power such as steam
or :: human labor. The fixed
engine on farm can do the ploughing
hundreds of yards off. The gas engine
that pumps water by day can light the
house at night. The horses that drag coal
carts for many miles to work asteam-
engine in some outlying place can be
used at home instead to work an electric
machine, with no loss of time, and in
many cases with less waste of labor. The
conyicts on tread mill can be doing
work by it in any part of, or even out
side, the paison.
Ina word, theipower for work can be
generated by any ordinary means, and at
any place where the means exist and
can then eeeconomically conveyed to
the spot where 1t is to be tisefuily ap-
Piled, without1oss of time, and practical
ly in full strength. The tide on the shore
can do worksinland; the stream in the
mountain gorge can do work on the hill
top; the windmill the eminence can
do work in the valley; the horse In the
yard or the man In the out house, can
do work in the dwelling. And with all
its power, and its universally of applica-
ton, this new servant which science has
| supplied us with is the most tlocile OF
| animals. A touch of lady's finger will
| bring into action power which a
| thousand men could not resist; another
touch will stop its action or reverse It in
| a moment.
But even this is not all. This power
| that can be thus used for thousand diff
| ferent practical purposes, and with count
less varieties in the mode of application,
cannot only be obtained freely, and at q
moments notice, and at any place, and
in illimitable quantity; it can also be
stored up when needful for future use.
Within the past few years the problem
of producing electricity, and storing it
up for immediate use, has been fpracti-
cally solved; SO that Sir William Thorn
son could in Glasgow perform powerful
mechanical work by electricity which had
been generated in Paris, and brought
ready for instant application from Paris
to Glasgow, just as clock wound ul
abroad could be brought to this count ~
and set going here. OF course it will be
understood that this is only popular
description of the eoperation-the reader
| being presumed to be at present only in
terested to know what can be done.
A scientific explanation of the process
would be out of place here. The fact il
is desired to impress upon the reader is
that not only can the force of electricity
| be carried far from the generating source
for immediate use by being conducted
along wires, but that it may be bolted
up in movable vessels, which can be car
ried like any other goods to distance
and at once made available for any plr.
/ pose for which the electricity could have
been used at the spot at which it was
/ first produced. Electricity can be stored
in square cases, which can be conveyed
| by hand or carriage to any spot where
II is required. The doctor can take hi: