Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-10
LIGHTNING ON TAP.
BONE or rHE MODERN ELECTRICAL AP'
PLIAHCEs.
Power, Heat, and Illumination Ia Peace
and war-rAe Welding
Process.
New York Timos.l

this process the two pieces OF metal 10 nc
Toned sre secured in hrm end contact 10y
pair OF adjustable ooppev-clamps, which are
placed uIon the top Of the apparatus. An
Electric current Of large volume u passed
through the pieces. and the contact between
them being Of less conductvlty than the
Homogeneous metal, heating cnsues az ths
place a. the juDcture Is brought 10 The
proper temperature by the gradual motion
OF the regulating lever, and a. the metal
soiteps the CLAMPS are pressed toward each
other % insure a continuous metallic union
acrOss the bar.
The weld begins at the contre and pro-
ceeds radially toward the surface as ihc tenn
perature becomes greater than az the inte-
rlor. The heating n further increased by
The fact that the resistance OF The bot metal
Is greater than that OF cold metal. The
work Is not manipulated during the process
except when Il j. desired 20 reduce The purr
OF the weld. The time for makiug weid
varies from fraction OF second 20 ABOUT
two minutes. Nothing over two inches In
diameter has yet been welded. The pro-
cess Is far cheaper than hand welding. It's
applications IN practical work thus FIR have
been confined 20 butt welding for many pnr-
poses, such - continuous Wire'w0rk' c'r-
rage work, aXlcs and tires. cotton-bale ives,
barrel boops. and wire cables. \ large neld
Is thus opened up IN the execution OF oFnA-
mental design In metal work, where The pro-
cess will suppant screws, riyels, or solder
for fastening- and in other evident applica-
tons.
Another notable feature In The prac'ical
development Of electrical science Is The IN.
teftst taken In motors bY railroad'insu IN al
uartc Of the country. Tho subject was an
OvCrshadOWIng one M the recent railroad
convention in Washington. Here in TINS
CITY there Is renewed activity on the part OF
the Innon-Sirect Company. and they pros
mise 10 have TIE maiden metropolitan elcc-
tric surface car line in operation before
Chrigfmss. Fresh experiments are 10 be
made with the DAFT motor Franklin on the
Ninfb.avenue branch Of The elevated rail-
roqd. Since the last experiments with Y the
power Of thc motor has been doubled for the
purpose u testing it on the stcepest grades
with a Gvc-car train.
The applration Of electricity FOR practical
use power, Illumination, aud hclt-i' grow
ing m rate that surprises even electricians.
THIS wasindlcated 10 a considerable measure
al The recent meeting - the Electric cub,
when CAPTAIN T.. l.. Zauski, Of The United
STATES mmy. who invented the pneumatic
gun. showed so cevcrlv how "chiincd
lightning" h1s been and II being utilized by
the Government for sca-cOast deicDcc'.
Among the applications 81 The subtle force
IN time ~ war hc discussed communication,
range aud position finding" lightne'
motors for manipulation Of guns, dlrlgible
torIedOes, and ignition and firing Of mines,
torpedOc,. and guns.
There has been an Improvement on The or
binary uses Of electricity Tor communication.
Tho ordinary Geographic apparatus saw
practical service IN the rebellion. Perma-
neut G,fcuccs hereafter viii doubtless he
uIuplied with fixed lines ~ wiring in Subj
ways. wpll protected from injury 10y the enc
iay's fire. For emergencies the more I'M
rorlant lines viii lc duplicated. 10 addi-
ton field equipment ~ insulated wire on
reels. when can be easily carried by one or
two men. VIII be provided. This plan has
been brought into Use recently. hnaps6cks
having Teel- containing onc-quarter ME
lengths have been made ln England ana
GERMANY. These can be slung on the back
aud manipulated by one man. The light
cables made ON the other side have been OK.
Coucd by American manufacturers.
n is sin am oVcn question as 10 the instIu-
mcnts best fitted for electrical commune
Gallon in time Of battle. The telephone, the
dial telegraph. and TIE Morse system are Oh
ittlcd 10 for various reasons. 4 reliable
printing telegraph b. a de-idcratum for this
work which army officers would like 10 see.
Besides communicating directly through the
m,ion ~ wires 10 IL nov possible 10 COM
wrnicaJe ~ night lv means of flash lights
and hy lamps suspended 70 considerable
heights. both from smali balloons and from
Kites. The circuit is made and broken by
IL kew, so that the Morse code can very
readily bee used. II was found that skill and
practice vas required 10 distinguish and read
The long-aud-,hogt-ilash method from a
single lamp, so q double-lamp system was
devised.
Lieutenant John j. Finley, Of the Signal
Corp, Uutcd States army, invented one
form. consisiiugoi two lamps at the eXtrcmi-
ties Of % short cross bar. having q t6eodOhtc
ut the middle. an being supported on tripod.
Captain /alinsti thinks that triple lamp sYs-
tenn. having the third lamp mounted few
feet above aOd between The others. would
afford greater certainty Of results. The
middle lamp, retained constantly ahght,
serves as a definite reference point for the
flashes of the other two.
TIE object ~ grange and position find
ing " s. 20 rapidly ascertain tho distance and
location Of the cucmy's ships. In this way
guns can bc directed without The target
being visible 10 thc gunncrs. As the smoke
very quickly ohscurcs the direct field Of
AN efficient military defence. II may sound
strange mention Of tho fact that expert
mental firing made with The assistance OF
such system, The gunGcrs I'm laying their
guns not seeing The target has gwen better
results than when the Guns We're sighted di-
Tectly ON the target. This has been the ease
to conspicuous degree where the target
wa, in motion. The system Is necessary Tor
the operation Of fixed submarine mines when
they are exploded at The will 0f an operator.
This II how il Is done. In all cases the
distances are plotted on maps divided
into numbered squares. Tables are pro-
Vidcd for each gun, giving the horizontal
and vertical angles necessary 10 attain the
middle Of each square. The traverse circles
IRE divided for the horizontal angles, the
meridian line being usually taken as the zero
line. The number Of the square INTO which
the target is likely tOmOyc beng teiegraphod
10 the gun 10 can be pointed very quickly,
and The instant o. firing indicated after
ward from the observing stations. la this
way q very large oumbcr OF guns can be con-
oentrHted from different batteries on asingle
vessel or group Of vessels.
Electrical communication Is utilized for
range and position dnding Of various sys-
TENS Two general methods are I'm use
Que having two observers at the eXtremilles
IT horizontal base line, aud another with
silgle observer placed az some height above
THE general level. In the two-obSeryer me-
th0ds the angles are measured, and either
plotted directly or are transmitted to CEN
trl station for plotting. II is essential that
this work shall be done very rapidly and
accurately. TO read the angles and then
transmit and plot them involves loss OF time
AMI chance OF errors IN each step OF the Ope-
ration. Efforts have therefore been made
% eliminate the necessity OF reading the
angles and % transmit and plot them auto
maiically. The Siemens apparatus is con-
sidered a typical arrangement for this
purpose. II consists OF two parts, used at
what may be called the plotting aud the
auxiliary ststion.
A plain table, divided into squares, has
map OF he hsrbor thereon. On this table Is
telescope with cross lines, carrying an ali
dade or straight edge. At point repre-
sentins on the map the other observing sta
ton is "step-by-step" electrical mocha
ntsm carrying a very light aluminium alldsde,
which is operated bV impulses received from
The auxiliary station. At the auxiliary sta.
ton box Il placed containing Il small hand
dynamo aud q telescope with cross lines.
The hand dynamo being worked, the teie~
scope Is moved 10 bear upon the target. II
tbe instrument Is In adjustment, the slumi.
nun alidade al the OF her station viii move