Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-28
ELECTRICITY IN ART.
Wonderful Possibilities in the Appn-
cation of PyrOgrayure.
SIGNING CHECKS AT A DISTANCE.
Novel Way of Showing Electrical Progress
at the Worlds Fair.
A CURE FOR ALL EAR COMPLAINTS
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcH.J

The new process of pyrogravure, or en-
craving by heat, has immensely increased
the resources of decorative art. This pro-
cess consists in tracing, by means of an in
candescent point, upon wood, leather, bone,
ivory and other materials designs, which,
modulated in tone, depth and tinting,
through carbonization more or less COM
plete, produce extremely varied and re-
markable effects in the hands of the artist.
The fexibility of this device is wonderful,
and while it can be handled by a mere
novice, its possibilities of artistic treatment
in skilled hands are beyond those of any
kindred process.
| The evolution of the invention is inter-
esting. 1t occurred to its inventor NJ.
Perier, over 20 years ago, that a less primi-
| tive method should be adopted for branding
the boxes of wine for shipment. He first Of
| all tried, unsuccessfully, to reproduce the
required sepia tint by adjustment of the
branding iron through red-hot arms These
cooled very quickly and gave uneven and
| indistinct lines. He then went on to expert
ment with gas, and secured much better re-
suits with small soldering irons heated BY
this means Still not satisfied, he continued
to experiment until he arrived at the utili-
zation of platinum wire kept incandescent
| BY the passage of an electric current. He
knew he had reached the right principle,
but as the means of storing electrical energy
was not generally available, he had to bide
his time. This has now come, and the in
ventor is reaping his reward. The princi-
pie of the invention consists in keeping the
tracing point, designed to produce the car
| bOnization of the object to be decorated, in
| oop1oSoo-,f for ipda 1apS,tb e
and always at the same temperature.
The apparatus consists of three principal
| parts, an air reservoir, carburetter and a
| thermo-traeer. Besides being extensively
used In rgery, pyrograyure is entering
largely into cabinet-ma&ing, carpentry, ar
! tistic book-binding and the manufacture of
| decorative leather for chairs and hangings.
Furthermore, by combining it with the art
of projection, drawing or ornament of any
size can be quickly transferred to a panel,
and some beautiful results of this treatment
have been exhibited in Paris by NJ. Perier.
1t is quite convenience to be able to
| quickly transform the ordinary plain glass
| incandescent bulb Into one of any required
| tint, and the ability to do this is now at
hand in the shape of coloring solutions Of
various shades, which can be instantly ap-
piled, and as quickly washed off when no
longer required.
Signing Check Thousand Miles or
In recent article on the possibilities of
the phonOgraph, it is stated that it is now
quite common thing for commercial man
to have his morning mail in New York read
to him over the telephone, while he is in
Washington, Buffalo or Boston. His re-
plies are dictated over the wire to steno-
grapher, who reads mis- ''overAow" notes
into the phonograph for distribution, and
the mail goes out in the evening Just the
same as if it had been in his Office instead Of
hundreds of miles away A leading New
York daily, in commenting on this state
ment, says: ''Of course, we all dreamed of
this kind of thing when we first heard of the
telephone and the phonoSraph, but probably
no one but an electrician could actually
carry into practice the idea of debating in
Buffalo letters to be mailed in New York.
And in a few years, perhaps, We shall be
! able to sign letters at the same distance"
The signing of letters at q distance is no
dream Of the future, it is actually being
DONE An exhibition of the writing tele-
graph" was given in New York only few
days ago, when several thousand words
were written and reproduced in fac simile
handwriting in Chicago. So that, as mat
ter of fact, it is now possible to sign
CuECh d bUOuSduu Ut luOIt IUllcS Oh. Ing
reproduced signature is not simply an ap-
Proclamation to the original, but an absO-
lutte fac Simile. The operator, by means of
stylus writes on a moving strip of paper.
| The movement OF the stylus rod presses
upon carbon discs and transmits currents
into the lines which aetuate the receiving
instrument and cause the pen at the other
end Of the line to reproduce such letter as
fast as it is made at the sending station.
Ordinary writing paper and ink are used,
and the pen Is modification Of
the fountain pen. The speed or transmits
sion is limited by the skill of the writer, but
in the late exhibition an average of % words
a minute was sent with ease. 1t is not
claimed that this invention will supereede
the telegraph, but there are certain lines in
which it is likely to be of special value, for
instance in 'tickers'' in hotels and business
places; for private lines, where the posses
sion of permanent record may be of i'm
portance, or where from noise, errors and
other disadvantages, other means of COM
munieation are untrustworthy, and for GER
tain kinds of news reporting, such as trans
mitting accounts of baseball games and
other field sports to the evening extras.
Electricity at the Worlds Fair.
1t is difficult to estimate the exact value
of the coming Worlds Fair as an educa-
tional medium, but it is certain that the
electrical exhibit will be a succession Of
marvels even to that large section of the
community which is already disposed to be-
lieve that nothing is impossible to the cleo
trio current. 1t is intended, among other
things, to construct at the exhibition an
electric house. The house will be fitted
with burglar alarms, and its panels will be
studded with push buttons for every con-
ceivable purpose. The apartments will be
warmed by electricity, and cooled and ven
tIlated by the same means. The cooking
will be all done electrically, and the food
will be lowered to the dining room and
served on an electrically-propelled dumb
waiter. The washing of the dishes, the
whole work of the laundry, the scrubbing
of the floors and the woodwork, the scour-
ing Of the silver and knives and the washing
of the windows, will all be done by the
same all-powerful agency, and an electric
current will instantly destroy all the otal,
debris and sewage.
Facts About Electrical Quackery.
1t is hardly to be expected that electricity
should be exempt from the attentions Of q
certain section of that large class who live
by their wits, medical men. The eyes Of
the public are to some extent open to the
imposition involved in "electropathio
belts" electric hairbrushes," electric
shoes, ''and kindred devices, but a speciously
worded description of new invention Of
this class, having for its reputed object the
cure or amelioration of human ailments or
suffering, is every now and again foisted on