Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-01-31
SOUTHERN STANDARD McMINNVILLE. TENNESSEE
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

America has 100000 telephones;
the world 100000
Madrid now has an electrical system.
The English own it.
Church lighting by electricity is
making Roadway in England
Storage batteries have displaced
primary batteries in the Berlin offices.
Electric motors are being intro
duced on the underground railway In
London.
There has been designed in Vienna
new electric lantern for the use of
lecturers. The lenses are so combined
that an enlarged image of an object
may be thrown on screen in its natural
colors.
In Germany iodoform is being made
by use Of the electric current. An alco-
holic solution Of iodide of potassium
traversed by a current OF carbonic acid
is subjected to the electric current, and
iodoform is produced in the shape Of
small yellow capsules.
The proprietor of the Chicago News
is considering the advisability Of in
stalling an electric motor plant with
which to drive his presses. The pro-
posed plant will have capacity Of 500
horse power, one-half of which will be a
duplicate plant to be held in reserve.
Heretofore reports in relation to tho
comparative power Of different illumin.
ants, as seen through fog and haze have
been against the electric light. Lately,
however three prominent English
scientists say that when the electric
light is deprived in a measure of its
highly refranGible rays by the haze, its
further progress is not more cut down
than the light from oil or gas.
In observations with kites and bal.
looms, Prof. Leonard Weber has found
that the atmosphere is negatively cleo.
trifed up to a height of about 100 yards,
beyond which it is positively electrified
in degree increasing very rapidly with
the distance from the earth. The mega.
tive identification of the lower strata
Of the air is attributed to the presence
of germs and dust particles
1t has been suggested, in view Of
the serious loss suffered by the electric.
al companies from time to time by the
hasty and clumsy cutting of their wires
by firemen that it would be worth theiI
while to keep corps of men with wag
ons equipped with appliances for cut
ting wires, who should 60 to fires and
watch and handle the wires in the in
terest of the companies. A still more
practical idea is for the companies to keel
man at each engine-house, who shall
60 with the engines to fires and direct
the wire cutting operations.
There are not many electric ligh
installations in Spain, but an importan
central station has been erected in thu
Gala de las Mozas, Seville. The mains
are all placed underground, and branche
are taken off at suitable intervals. TIT
cables consist of copper wires, insulated
by several layers of pure vulcanize(
india rubber, the whole then beinl
placed in a leaden pipe. The GLOW
lamps vary from 1O-candle power to 100
candle power, and the arc lamps from
5OO-candle power to 1,0OO-candle power.
"A new diving dress has been adopted
by the French navy. 1t contains bu
three pieces-helmet, collarette anC
body-the helmet being fitted to tn
collarette by screw spring adjustment
by which the necessity for all loos
pieces in the way of nuts is obviated
The helmet is fitted with an incandes
cent lamp, inclined forward at an angle
which enables the diver to derive tn,
fullest advantage from it, and fitted witt
protector and mirror. At present tn
battery is carried in boat which re
mains near the scene of operations, bu
it is proposed to equip the diver with
water-tight knapsack, fitted with cells
somewhat after the fashion adopted TO
ballet girls when special light effect
are required on the stage. In conjunc
ton with this form of divers dress,
respirator has been devised, fitted ais
with an electric lamp, for use in ascer
tanning the seat of a fire in ships hold
when as yet there is more smoke thai
FIRE,