The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-25
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

- ucrInan inventor, MI. SieSegaug,
has constructed an ingenious electric
monograph which is said to produce
the infections of the voice with Won
derful fidelity.
After exhaustive experiments, tho
French post-oflicc lAs decided to sub
stitute Il copper-G,atci steel wire in
place of the ordia drJ iron wire for tele-
graphic and tHlephotiic ~rcrvice.
Storage battery traction is being
rapidly pushed il New Orleans. Thirty
cars in all are to be installed within the
next few months. Thirty trucks are
already mounted with motors and pre-
pared TO receive the car bodies.
Tho dOnkeys in some of the mines
through which electrical wires have
been run have learned that they are
dangerous, and in going through the
mines show n marked intelligence in
avoiding the wires, thus proving that a
donkey possesses caution, if not any
higher mental quality.
The demand for rare clements for
the manufacture Of i~ncnndesccnt gas
burners has greatly increased the pro-
duction of several uncommon minerals.
Thus, according to the report of Mr..
Day upon the Mineral Resources of the
United States, there was sold in the
year 1SS7-SS twenty-five tons of zircon,
four tons of mona2ite, one ton of allan
lite, 600 pounds of samarskite, and $500
worth of yttrium compounds.
-Vicc-Prcsidcnt Morton's country
home Mt Rhinecliff., n. Y, is provided
with $50 incandcscelt lamps. An inter-
esting feature is the wiring of the house
in such a n that should any win
dow or door be tempered with by bur-
glars Il special automatic switching de-
vice will throw into circuit n number of
lights, thus giving the noctural intruder
a bright and warm welcome.
"A quick piece of cable service is re-
ported from Montreal. A cablerram
was sent from that city ovcr the Com
mercial cable to London at 1927, and at
1910, just IL minutes. a reply was re-
ccived. The message had been sent
from Montreal to Cnnso, thence to Ire
land, and on to London. a transaction
was effected on The London Stock OK
change, and the reply was written, sent,
and received in the time named.
AN electrician of Brooklyn. n. V,
has just completed an electric boat
which is commanding some attention.
According to the Electrical World. at a
recent trial six cells of ordinary cautery |
battery of the inventors own construc-
ton ran the boat very successfully.
The boat is described as being very
nightly constructed, of canoe shape, and
capable of carrying two persons. The
motor used is built to run Mt 10 volts,
and to take 40 amperes of current. Pad |
die wheels are used which feather the
water automatically, the paddles being
in an upright position. and never turn
ing over, as they would in the old style
of paddle wheel,
The well-known electrician, Nikola
Tesla, in taking part in n discussion on
Alternating motors in the columns of an
English paper, made some remarks well
worth the attention of young e%lectri-
clans. He says: you state thai | have
misintcrprctcd my results, and it looks
as though you believe my views to be
unsound. You arguments are those of
an eminent scholar. l was myself a
fair scholar. For years l pondcred, so
to speak, day and night over books, and
filled my head with sound vicws-very
sound ones, indced-thosc of others.
I could not get to practical results.
L eiiCh logan " WV =ilhi HIN l-ltlc- |
Gradually my views became
.unsound, but they conducted me to
sound results"
"A recent addition to the application
of electricity to mining is Il portable de-
vice for detecting the presence and ma
ture of a mineral where the latter is
exposed in the rock or earth. The APP
paratus consists of Il battery and spark
coil, which are inclosed in a box, and
the conductors end in two platinum
points. If the points be connected to a
conducting body and the circuit rup-
turcd, a spark will be formed, the flame
and color of which will give some indi-
cation of the nature of the body which
the electrodes have touched. Thus, by
placing the two points against a rock
containing metal in n free state, it's
may be detected by merely
applying n electrode and passing the
other rapidly over the surface. The APP
paratus, which weighs about 10 pounds,
is arranged to be carried on the back,
and can be used to explode blasts in con.
nection with electric primers.