Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-19
THE ELECTRIC WORLD.

Enough to Count for Much-Little Leaks
From Ocean Cables-An Electric Ghost
and a Real Estate Deal.
ton to electric light and power, says, re-
Gently: "The electric light, the electric
motor and the electric car have come to
stay. Like all other great inventions they
have their faults, and they are not free
from danger. What form of energy is?
Like the steam railroad, the steamboat, il
Illuminating gas and many other great i'm
provements, they have met with stubborn
resistance, but in time this will all cease.
When railroad trains leaves the rails
and crush the human form into a
shapeless mass. the public do not ask for
the abolition of such roads. When swing
Ing gas jets start a confagration, or when
some unsophistcated person blows out the
light and lies down and passes into eternity,
no one demands the abolition of gas works.
Why, then, should an unreasonable outcry
be raised against the electric light and power
industry when this subtle fluid leaves the
path chosen for it. and causes accidents to
persons and property? From my own OBJ
servation and an intimate knowledge of the
difficulties that it was necessary to over
come 1 am astonished at the small number
OF accidents that have occurred since the
Introduction of high potential currents.
While the business OF electric lighting has
grown tremendously, accidents of all kinds
resulting from its use have steadily de-
creased. This, In itself, is sufficient evil
dence Of the Improvements made and the
care exercised by those engaged in this
business"
THE immense Importance of excessive
care in the insulation of an ocean cable is
shown by Herbert Laws Webb in the
October Scribner. He describes how, after
the cable has been taken on board the
vessel to which is to be entrusted the task
of laying it, it is kept cool and free from
strain or any adverse influence in the ships
tank, where it is submerged in water.
When the time comes for paying out
and the cable is Strengthened and has
to bear a strain of several tons as it leaves
the ships stern, then any slight i'm
perfection will be revealed, and, although
it may consist merely of a minute bubble of
air which has burst and made puncture in
the gutta-percha into which a fine hair
could not be introduced, although it may be
only crack so imperceptible that it would |
not admit of the insertion of the corner of |
cigarette paper, yet the current would es-
cape and. like the insignificant stream
which trickles over dam, would gradually
widen the breach, until the cable was
electrically "broken down" and entirely |
useless for communication.
x*s
ELECTRICITY is being brought more and |
more into connection with photography. 1t is
now used in lighting studios, and for secur-
ing artistic effects of light and shade in the |
subject to be photographed. In order to
avoid dark, hard shadows. the light is pro-
jected on to a sheet of alabaster, and from
this is refracted on to the subject The re- |
suit is soft and exquisite in tone. The cleo |
trio light is also used for printing BY en-
largement, and for balloon and kite pho |
tography. In the latter, the camera is at |
tached to kite. When the desired height |
has been reached, the exposure is made by |
electric current, and pictures are thus Sc
cured which it would be impossible to OBJ
tain by any other means.
wv
The attempt made at Christ Church,
Birmingham, England, to transmit the
church service by telephone to London,
Manchester and other distant points, has
been attended with very fair success. Some
of the difficulties which have to be overcome
before people can listen in comfort at their
own firesde to the voice of their fayorite
minister, may be gathered from the follow
ing description OF the experiment BY one
who took part in it:
''When the morning service commenced,
there was what appeared to be an unseemlv
clamor to hear the services. The opening
prayer was interrupted by cries of Hello
therep Are you there?' Put me on to
Christ Church. No, I don't want the
church, etc. But presently quiet obtained,
and by the time the Psalms were reached we
got almost unbroken connection, and could
follow the co urse of the services. We
could hear little of the prayers-probably
FROM the fact that the officiating minister
was not within voice-reach of the trans
mitter. The organ had faint far-away
sound. but the singing and the sermon were
q distinct success"
~
THE excellent results attained bv Prof.
Barrett, the electrician of the electrical de-
partment of the city OF Chicago, in the pre-
vention of explosions in the subways of that
,ity by the adoption of system of thorough
ventilation have been commended by a
New York paper to the attention of the
Board of Electrical Control, which, from
lime to time, has been much exercised with
he frequent explosions that have taken
place in the subways on Broadway and
elsewhere. 1t is shown that the ventilation
If the downtown subways through the City
Hall chimney is perfect, and that the cleo
ric light posts furnish sufficient ventila-
Ition at other points. It Is also urged that
he city of New York can derive much
al, ~ |
chicago, which has ordered the electric
light, telephone and telegraph companies I
o ventilate all their subways In order to {
prevent explosions. {
AN instance of the advantages attendant I
n the use of the electric light is reported
rom London. Systematic robbery Of the
ard Of a railway station had been carried !,
n for long time; The manager of the {
ard shrewdly flied up the yard with arc =.
ights, and now, not only is three times ;;
nore work accomplished at night than !.
nder the old conditions, but the depreda- :
ions have entirely ceased, and the saving
hus effected has already paid for the cost of
be installation.
~
A STORY which, whether true or not, is
t all events "well found" is told in New t
,ork paper. A contractor, under the stress !
financial tightness, sold house very ;
luch under its value. Puzzling his wits to
ecover his property. he hit on the idea of :
'orking on the superstitious fears o. the t
ew owner. Every night the purchaser b
card rappings and other strange noises, o
ut the tenants were not disturbed. The .
discs had, at last, such an effect on the il
orua n hn fron h. |
, the act of dashing himself from the roof
, the ground in q fit of insanity when some