The Penn's Grove record., 1884-12-27
Electric Science.

European telegraph instruments diff
fer materially from those In this Coun-
try. In Europe most Of the lines are
under government control, and as they
insist upon keeping a record Of every
thing transmitted. we use the Hughes
printer and BaudOt seXtuple printer
instead of the Morse system of trans
hitting by sound. The telephone IN
Europe is not used to 80 great an extent
as here, but it works more perfectly.
We use two wires instead of completing
the circuit through the ground return
current, and by that means We get less
induction. But the chief difference
between electric science in Europe aud
in America Is this: Here most of the
experiments of to day are conducted
with a view to the perfection Of the
electric light, but in Europe our tner-
gies are mainly directed to the consider
alton of the problems of the accamula-
ton and transmission of power and its
application to railroads, machinery,
domestic, and even military purposes.
In this connection the Paris house Of
the Rothchilds has entered into an
agreement with DR.. Herr under which
experiments are being conducted on a
large scale. The contract calls for the
transmission of 200 -horse power from
| Creil on the Northern railroad, which is
owned by MI. Rothschild, to the rail-
road workshops in Paris, a distance Of
81 miles, with a loss Of powet not to
exceed 80 per cent. M. ROthschild has
contributed 100000 francs to the
enterprise-about 81, 600, 900. The work
Is being conducted by Marcel Deprez,
in my opinion the greatest scientific
engineer now living, In the event Of the
experiments proving successful, as |
have no doubt they will, companies VIII
be formed by DR.. Herr and M. Roth5-
child, and nearly every waterfall on the
continent will be used as u source for
the transmission of power all over the
country. There is nothing impractiea-
BILE about it. In Germany there are
already SIX lines of railroad Tun by cleo
tricity, and the time il surely coming
when improvements III the modes Of
accommodating and Transmitting power
will lead to the utmost universal use Of
electricity for nearly every purpose to
which steam power is now supplied.
"May not the greater use Of el9ctrict-
ty introduce new elements Of danger to
human life2"
perhaps 50. But it is, after all,
difficult to say what amount of tension
Is actually sufficient to destroy life.
Last year | witnessed some experiments
at Nuremberg, which were conducted
by Schubert for the Bayarian govern
ment in response to the suggestions OF
philanthropists, fur the purpose Of devil
sing a speedy and painless method Of
executing criminals. A current with
the high tension of 1000 volts, which Is
probably a greater power than any like
ly to be brought into practical use,
merely burnt the skin of the animal
slightly at the points of contact and the
sheep skipped away as though nothing
had happened to it, the reason beng
that the current merely passed over the
skin, which proved "A better COTuuCJOf
than the nerve system OF the animal.
With rabbits and other animals, some
were killed and others were not. Now
as to human beings. Last year, during
their discussions, members of the insti.
tute deprecated the practice of expert
menting with these high tensions as
dangerous to life, and in reply M. Co.
run member of the institute, stated that
shortly before that time, while a
ing a tension of over 5000 volts, he
picked up the two ends Of the wire with
naked fingers, inadvertently emitting
to protect himself with the rubber gloves
used for that purpose. He was thrown
back by the shock and dropped the wires,
but Immediately recovered himself and
went on with his work, the only neon
~yenience being a slight burn Oh the tips
of his fingers, caused by the spark pro-
duced by the forming of the arc as he
broke the current by dropping the wires,
In this case again the current must
have used the skin as a conductor, 50
that, while there is no doubt that under
some conditions death might be produ-
ced by a powerful electric shock, cleo.
trlcity as a means of inf citing capital
punishment must be regarded as unre-
liable. AS to an underground system
of telegraphy for your large cities, you
have great difficulties to contend with.
In Paris our system enables us To carry
our wires underground, while they are
suspended practically in the same man
ner as if they were in the air, but if you
attempt to carry the wires punched in
masses in trenches or tubes, | doubt
much whether any method of insulation
yet discovered will prevent IN induce
ti0n, which will be so great as to render
the wires wholly useless.