Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-12-22

rrnnr-.. nj ri,,,rl,n, pi.cor,rn

dent ui the British Association II was only TO
be expected that he would deal very largely
with the recent wonderful development of cleo.
tfical science, which, ,obcrly speaking, con.
,tilutc some Of the greatest maryels of the
present marvellous age Of discoveries, and it
need scarcely be said that this expectation was
fulfilled The facts that piece of ambcrwhcn
rubbed will attract light bodies; that two
different kinds Of metals placed In immediate
iuStapostion will, under certain conditions,
generate galyanic action and that a certain
kind Of iron ore would not only draw towards
itself pieces Of steel, but had the marvellous
power Of rendering pieces Of steel similarly
attractive, are, OF course, the main sources
whence are derived the extraordinary forces
which are threatening to fast reyolutioni,e the
mechanical world.
The properties jas, described, however, are
by no means the only ones which render cleo
tncty especially useful at the present day.
A. the learned doctor remarks:- Electricity
is the form Of energy best suited fortransmssion
OF an effect from one place to another. Were
not this the case. battery or dynamo.machine
might be utilised somewhat as a steam engine,
a water wheel, or windmill. but its opera
iions would be necessarily local. OF only be
capable OF conveying force to a distance by
means at once costly and inefiicacous. Nor
is the fact that the electric fluid is thus capable
OF being easily transmitted by any means its
most remarkable property. a properly con.
s,ructcd main will conduct water or air under
pressure, so that the force generated in the one
place may he rendered available at distance
OF many miles, but both air and water so en-.
ploycd are sluggish in their movements, while
so much friction necessarily results that only a
small quantity ofthe original energy is available
for any practical purposes. On the other hand,
the velocity the electric discharge approaches,
II it does not equal, that of light itself Then,
again, it passes readily through certain sub.
sianccs-thc mctals-but will not be con
Quoted by.oSidsed substances, glass OF gums.
II is therefore easy to conhne the electric
current within bonds, as well as to transmit it
through very narrow channels Of immense
length. As an illustration, the Atlantic cable
may be given. II consists Of a copper wire,
OF strand of wires, some 5000 miles in length.
The electricity is confined within the cable
by thin coating of gutta percha The result
is this, that the current to be transmitted pre-.
fers to proceed to America and return, by
means OF the earth by the good conductor,
rather than force its way through the bad con.
ductor, and return to the generating battery by
journey of few feet or inches. BY an i'm.
proved arrangement the alternating currents
employed to work long submarine cables do
not actually complete the circuit, but are sub
merged in a condenser a, the receiving station
after having produced their exceedingly slight
but certain effect upon the receiving instrument,
the beautiful syphon recorder of Sir William
Thompson. $50 perfect is the channel, and
so precise the action, OF both the transmitting
and receiving instruments employed, that two
systems Of electric signals may be passed sim.
utaneously through the same cable in opposite
directions, producing independent records at
either end"
With respect to the progress made by the
development of the telephone, some wondrous
things may be stated, and possibly more womb
rous s,illexpecied. The electric currents caused
by the vibrations of diaphragm acted upon by
the human voice naturally vary in frequency
and intensity according to the number and de-
gree OF these vibrations, and each motor cur.
rent in exciting the electro magnet forming part
of the receiving instrument defects the iron
diaphram, occupying the position Of an armaturc
to greater or smaller extent, according to its
strength. So delicate are the workings of this
instrument that the detail OF wholcchoruses per.
formed at the Grand Opera in Paris are now
distinctly heam by an audience which may be
many miles away.
Some difficulty has arisen regarding the
working OF the telephone, owing to the extreme
delicacy Of the currents generated. The in
sirimenis used are often by FAR too sensitive.
The wires employed are in the habit OF
catching up portions Of currents that may be
transmitting signals along other wires, so that
signals received are occasionally OF a rather
poly glot character. The objection, however,
seems to have been at last got rid Of by certain
arrangements adopted by Mr.. Jacob, This
will be great point to be achieved, since the
wires OF the telephone system may be arranged
in cable fashion, as has long been the case with
sespeci to those OF the telegraph.
Regarding the transmission of power to
distance, it is urged that the electric current,
as before limited at, has successfully entered the
lists against compressed air, the hydraulic &C.
cumuator, and the quickly running rope. With
IL.
Of power over moderate distances is said to be
only 10 per cent, as against some so OF 90 per
cent. of the other methods named. Another
advantage, too, in favor OF the use OF the cleo
tic currents is found in the fact that the wires
ased are immensely less weighty than would
be the pipes or ropes employed in carrying out
the rival systems.
Working electric railways is as yet in
embryo; but iii is possible TO successfully
impar force to an electric locomotive by
simply sending currents through the rails OF the
permanent way, wonderful advantage will be
gained. The weight OF the engine will be
sonderiully lessened, no transport OF either
fuel OF water will be required, while there will
be no danger Of aceidss,s from boiler exp
losions, at any rate on the track itself. The
forces OF nature, too, are now likely to he
everywhere utilised. The hurricane, the rain,
fall, the cataract. viii be pressed into service.
and made to drive our machines, light our
cities and heal our furnaces and dwelling. -
Lsa.ies Nature.
A baby lived only i've minutes, but in that
brief existence had time and ability to say,
Famine for hye years !" Plenty Of people in