Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-08-08


Rapidly the age of steam passes off the
stage and the age of electricity enters.
The race stands dazed on the borders of
the wonderland which it is entering.
The electrical industry, in ono branch
and another, now gives bread to eight
millions of people. The miracles it al
ready accomplishes multiply so rapidly
that no one mind can keep track of
them; the miracles it will work in future
none dare predict.
Press the button and ten thousand
lights spring into being. Press the but
ton and the condemned murderer's dead
body lies where the living man was an
instant before. The camera for the TAX
ing of instantaneous photographs by
amateurs is now so prepared that the
operator has only to press button and
the picture is taken. An electrical ele-
vator for single passengers is coming into
use. In this the individual steps upon
platform at the foot of the staircase,
touches the magic knob that forms the
current, and lifts himself from landing
to landing. an arrangement being pro-
vided whereby he can steer himself. The
only drawback to this is that it will make
the race so lazy that the muscular portion
Of their lower limbs will quite dwindle
to nothing This will be unfortunate if
the old fashion Of knee breeches comes
In again, as it threatens There is moth
ing like running up stairs and moving up
and down on tip toe for developing the
calves.
At the Philadelphia postofiice is a ma
chine that cancels by electricity 81, 900
stamps per hour and records the num-
Der. A recent electrical invention is said
to produce from crude petroleum a fuel
gas at seventeen cents q thousand feet
If this does what it claims, at one stroke
the nuisance of smoke. coal and ashes
will be swept away.
It is more than likely that in the ap-
plication of electricity will be found the
solution Of most of the mechanical and
chemical difficulties that have hitherto
bafled inventors. Already we have the
promise that through its agency the
magical metal aluminium will be cheap
~ extracted from clay. In separating
other metals from their ores electricity
is employed cheaply and effectively.
Most fascinating of all to the scientific
explorer is the untrodden field of electro
chemistry. Already the mineral corun-
dunn, the hardest known substance next
to the diamond, has been melted by the
all conquering electric spark. An Eng
lish electrician, Mr.. Parsons, announces
that he has succeeded in making dia-
mond dust. He was endeavoring to pro-
duce hard carbon for incandescent and
arc lights. He placed a mixture of
charcoal. clay and some other substances
in a strong steel cylinder, subjected it to
hydraulic pressure and then passed the
electric current through it. On the sur
face of the charcoal was deposited a gray
powder that scratched the diamond. He
therefore concluded it was diamond
dust.
One more marvel the magic button
has wrought. An English engineer
named Webster has found in electricity a
sure agent for the decomposing and puri-
flying of city sewage. Ithas been known
in all time that thunder storms purified
the air, but nobody has apparently
thought hitherto of applying the princi-
pie to impurities on the surface of the
earth.
Webster's method was to pass strong
electric current through a sewage tank
in which were at intervals iron plates,
which served as electrodes. The success
of the experiment was complete. It may
be that here is an easy solotion of q