Omaha daily bee., 1888-09-16
Electrical Engineering.

Electrical Engineering.
Engineering and Mining Journal:
The field of usefulness of electricity
appears to be boundless in whichever
direction we look. We have frequently
called attention to the immense advan-
tages this means of utilizing the en-
ergy of waterfalls will bring in many
districts. In fact, so great appear the
possibilities in this direction that the
long-negiected water powers all over
schemes for transmitting their Energy
to distant mines, mills or factories are
OF ganizing by the hundred.
Many of these enterprises are specu-
lative and will fail, but the benefit the
development of this method of utilizing
waste energy will confer upon the in
dustries of the country is beyond calcu-
latiOn. 1t promises to greatly lessen
the cost of production of many import
ant articles and vastly increase the
w~ell-being of people.
We have the most satisfactory re-
ports of the successful working Of the
underground pumps and hosting ma
chinery at Aspen, Col; the under
ground haulage at Lykens, Penn; the
long transmission at the Feather river,
California; the innumerable surface
roads worked either through fixed con
ductors or by storage batteries, and the
infinite variety of small operations that
are now being conducted by power
drawn from the electric wires in our
cities. In every direction we find the
field widening and the demand multi
plying for electric motors, and as yet
we see but the faint beginnings of the
uses OF this new agent of civilization.
Electric welding is not only promls-
ing, but is performing excellent work;
already large bars of all kinds Of metal
are being welded by it, and we hear Of
its success in welding the separate
wires of wire rope.
Undoubtedly the storage battery will
be improved, and WI shall before long
harness the winds Of heaven and the
waves of the sea, and even materialize
the dream of that grand old man and
eminent engineer, Ericsson, in utilizing
the now wasted energy of the suns
heat. We shall see our streets filled
with electrically propelled carriages,
and the horse and his too often barbar-
GUS driver will disappear. Our mines
and mills will in many places pay divi-
dends out Of the the saving affected in
their fuel and labor accounts. The
mines will become safer by being better
lighted, and mines will produce more
by their labor with the aid of this will
ing and "tireless" helper.
The nation which first takes full ad-
vantage of this wonderful agent, in de-
veloping new industries or improving
old, will gain a strong and commanding
position in the markets of the world,
American ingenuity and enterprise
have already placed this country ahead
IF oil nthnn- in thn rnltantinpn nf
electricity, yet even the most sanguine
Of the dreamers probably underesti-
mates the benefits which will accrue to
us and to mankind generally from the
development of electrical engineering.
No better field is open to-day to the
young man than that to which we refer,
and most Of our technical schools have
already devoted special courses to this
subject.
Electric Light at Naval Mnneuvers.
The electric light has been very
prominent during the recent English
naval maneuvers in the Irish sea and