Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-01-24
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

by new ueVlce, pieces OF metal
may be shaped with great rapidity by
being forced under dies while rendered
soft or plastic by an electric current.
The use of electricity for slaughter
ing hogs is proposed. tits claimed that
the current will not only kill the hogs,
but will kill trichin@ at the same
time.
Experiments with the 25,O candle
power search lamps show that vessels
three miles off can readily be detected,
and that, by throwing the light on the
clouds, signaling is possible at distance
Of fifty miles.
M. Hegfroky, who recently, before
the Hungarian Academy, read paper
involving the results of five years study
Of thunder storms, stated that he accept
ed Sohncke's theory that the electricity
of thunder storms is due to the friction
of water drops on ice.
The perfected target for firing at
the small-arm ranges is worked by cleo
tricity. BY means of contact and bat
terry, there is communication with the
indicating apparatus at the firing end Of
tho range, showing which section of the
target has been struck.
The German post-office officials
have been experimenting with the North
Sea cable, 70 kilometers long, between
Heligoland and Cuxhaven, to test the
possibility of using submarine cables Of
considerable length for telephone pur-
poses. The results have been very favor
able, distinct communication having
been obtained at both ends.
Electricity has not been practically
applied in the art OF music heretofore,
except, perhaps, in the operating mech
anism of Church organs George Breed,
OF the United States Navy, has devised
method by which the passage of a
broken current over conductor IN
magnetic field produces musical tones
OF varying pitch and volume.
The latest wonderful discovery is
reported from Syracuse, N. Y. A man
there has discovered bed of what he
calls electric rock" which, according
to his reports, is endowed with wonder
full properties. 1t will generate unlim-
tied power, and give any amount Of in
candescent light equal, If not superior,
to that produced by manufactured cleo.
tricity in addition to which it is cheap
er than kerosene One small charge of
400 pounds of rock will produce light
and power enough for a whole year
before losing its force, and it is perfect
ly harmless, making insulation entirely
unnecessary.
The idea that electricity flows
through wire somewhat as water flows
through a pipe is likely to pass away,
as reasons appear for believing that the
energy is not transmitted by the wire
at all, but by the surrounding ether. In
some experiments by Prof j. j. Thorn
son, the velocity of electric disturbances
along wire surrounded by air was
nearly double the velocity along the
same wire surrounded by sulphur, and
the velocity of the discharge through a
vacuum tube so fet long was comparable
with that of light The conclusion is
that the conductor merely guides the
discharge impelled through the ether.
Every locomotive has power and
weight to spare when its train is in mo-
ton, but is frequently unable to start
the same train from condition of rest.
The difficult point is in the adhesion of
the wheels to the rails. TO prevent the
wheels from slipping sand is used, but
more modern and effective method of
increasing the traction is to pass cur
rent of electricity from the driving
wheels to the rails A Baltimore and
Ohio locomotive has been fitted up with
apparatus of this kind. The explana-
ton of this phenomenon is that the cur
rent produces heating effect at the
point of contact of the wheel on the
rail, softening both and thereby in
creasing the area of contact and conse-
quently the amountof adhesion.
"A recent writer observes that cleo
tricity is gradually invading the whole
domain of commercial chemistry. A
factory for the manufacture of chlorate
of potash by electricity has been estab-
lished in Switzerland; soda is being OBJ
tanned by electrolysis of sea salt; the
electric bleaching of paper is largely
carried on in France, and the manufac-
ture of electric soap on a large scale is
proposed in Germany. The transforma-
ton of wood into paper pulp by the
electrolysis of salt solution into which
sawdust or wood is immersed has been
proven to be practicable and the new
industry is to be established. Some SUI
gar works in Havana have adopted APP
pliances which greatly hasten tho
process of sugar making.
Told by the Bishop OF London.
When Doctor Temple NOW Bishop of
London) was the head master of Rugby