Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-05-30
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.


"A French electrician has constructed
Wimshurst machine, having IL glass
discs, each 800 inches in diameter. The
machine will give a spark 1917 inches
long
The selectmen of Whitman, Mass,
have granted franchise to company
for right to construct an electric road
from the Abingdon line to Auburnville
in Rockland.
The latest novelty in the way of in
vention is an electric mouse trap in
which the rodent acts as his own exc
cutioneE calmly closing the circuit, but
then rather suddenly doubling himself
up into an ''electrocuted" heap of IMAM
innate matter.
An electric cane has been invented
which will be found very useful by people
who are obliged to be out late at night
in the dangerous districts of cities. By
merely touching an assailant it will be
possible to give him shock which will
be of great value as a measure of self
defense
They are now making 100-horse-pow-
er gas engines to be used for the produc-
ton of electric lights, and gas compan-
les in various sections of the country
who aim to do electric as well as gas
lighting are adopting these machines
for the purpose. 1t is claimed that with
these machines the coal consumption
will be brought down to ~ pounds per
horsepower per hour.
MIR. Plante's new process of engrav-
ing on glass and crystal by electricity
is found capable of producing results of
marvellous delicacy, The plate to be
engraved is covered with a concentrated
solution of nitrate of potash and put in
connection with one of the poles of the
battery, the design being traced out
with fine platinum point connected
to the other pole English Mechanic.
An estimate has been made which
is of the greatest interest to the mining
industry. 1t specifies the relative cost
for mine lighting on Il colliery raising
1000 tons a day, OF electricity, gas and
oil. Under original outlay electricity
is entered as $1,000. gas-main pipes
and fittings-as $3.50, and oil as S4OQ.
Under working cost, including repairs
and depreciation, per annum," cleo
tricity is estimated at $500, gas at 500,
and oil at 500. These figures are sug-
gestive as well as instructive.
Attempts are now being made to
perfect a system of preventing inclusta-
ton in boilers by means of electrical
action. Fairly good results are said to
have been secured by the use of small
acknowledgements dynamo having one
plate connected to the shell of the boil
er and the other to plates suspended in
the water. The theory involved is that
the passage of the current deposits al
ternately hydrogen and oxygen on the
submerged surfaces, and the union of
these two gases form a film of chemical
" pure water, which protects the
metal.
The smallest town in the United
States which has an electric street rail
way in operation is Southington, Ct,
with population of $500. Two cars
are in service over two miles of track,
and the average daily receipts are 81
per car. The power for the operation
of this road is furnished by the local
lighting company, and costs S1.25 pei
car per day. The largest electric rail
way is at Boston, Mass. This entire
system compromises 2s4 miles of track
sixty of which are electrically equipped
and there are 312 motor cars in opera
ton. During the month of August they
had 300 motor cars in service, making q
total mileage of 3S4, 100000.
1t seems not unlikely that electric
ity will be applied to smelling furnaces
in the near future. An electrical fur
mace has been patented in England
which is said to have given eXcellentrc
suits in the series of tests to which il
has been subjected. The electrodes are
blocks of carbon secured in meta
cases and placed opposite to each othcl
in the walls of the furnace. The meta
cases containing the carbons are KEEP
cool by circulating water around them
and the carbons themselves arc capable
of automatic adjustment to compensate
for wear. Provision is made in the fur
mace for the escape of gas and for thu
introduction of the charge, and the cleo
tromotive force of the current can b.