The Arizona sentinel., 1889-01-26
ELECTRICAL PROGRESS.
Scientific and Practical Advances Made
 During t'le Past Year.

During t'le Past Year.
 Much yet remains to be accom- plished in electric condition but the great gains of the closing year, tech nical and commercial, are abundantly apparent.
 The rate at which electric motors have been installed for stationary power is scarcely less noticeable than the development of electric traction during the year. About the first of September it was estimated that 5000 electric motors were driving machin- cry in the United States. A thousand have probably been added since. It seems reasonable to estimate the num- Der put in operation for the year at not much less than 4,000.
 The use of the storage battery as means of distribution may fairly be said to have made relatively slow ad- vancement, while in many special cases it's employment has been of great value and importance. Its problems have had and continue to enlist the close att tention and skill of many able in- vestigators and inventors, and it can not be doubted that the modern suc- cess thus far attained by this obvious ly important and necessary means of distributing electricity will be followed not long hence by such Improvements as will make the accumulation a general and trustworthy instrument in cleo trical engineering.
 The electric light, arc and incan- descent, has become so familiar to every body, even in the far Western Territories, that its continued rapid spread no longer attracts attention. It is expected everywhere; its absence in any considerable town is more noticed than its presence. Great activity in the installation of central station plants has prevailed during the year, especial ly in incandescent lighting. The suc- cess of the alternating current method of distribution in covering large areas of relatively sparse consumption has largely stimulated the demand for electric lighting in the smaller towns of the country, and has also con- tributed not a little toward in- citing the companies whose business is based upon other methods of distri- button to improving the capacity of their apparatus and the serviceable- ness of their lamps. The life of lamps has been materially prolonged, while reduction has been effected in the amount of energy required per candle power. Whatever may bepthought of the policy of competition in prices, there can be no question of the gener- al benefit of competition in the eff ciency and trustworthiness of appara- tus and lamps. Competition of the former kind, while severe, has crip- pied only the weak, while that of the latter sort has resulted in advantage to both producers and consumers.
 The practical success of the employ ment of alternating currents has re- acted in the laboratories of scientific research, and led to the study of new questions, or old questions in a new light-study and experiment which have already done much to clear the path of the practical electrician in his work, and which indicate the early ac- quisition of further electrical knowl- edge of great significance.
 The years scientific and practical advances are great enough for con- graduation, but not great enough to induce complacent satisfaction and re- taxation of effort. Electrical Engineer.