The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-23
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

An electric railway has recently
been opened in Switzerland which as
cends the peak of Rouchberg ut an
angle of nearly seventy degrees.
On the authority of the Matin of
Paris it is stated that Mr.. Edison has
discovered Il new cure for govt, which
consists in the simultaneous use of lith-
inc and electricity.
Now that the subject of submarine
telephone cables and their future pos
sibilities is being SO freely discussed, it
is interesting to know that the cable
which has been laid by the pilot author
tiles in Finland, between Hanzo, tho
most southern point of Finland, and IL
lighthouse two and half miles from
the coast, for telephone communica-
tions is working perfectly.
Prof. Thurston, in discussing the
possibilities of speed in future railway
travel, states as his conviction that
where railways are carrying large num-
bcrs of passengers on short routes, as
on elevated roads-where, if ever, we
may reach enormously high speeds
the electric motor or some advance even
on that latest marvel of invention and
engineering must come into use. Heat,
light and electricity will then conspire
in that coming revolution which shall
combine for us the speed of the bird. the
comforts of home and the safety of u
hcrmit's cell. And what must come
will come.
"A new unit used in electrical en-
gineering and one that is likely to be
in common occurrence is the Henry. 1t
is the unit of induction, for the express
sion of which no units hitherto used
have been considered sufficient, and de-
rives its name from Prof Joseph Henry,
who made many experiments upon the
subject. The term has not yet been of
fcially adopted by the electrical socic-
ties, but undoubtedly will be at their
next meetings. Prof. Henry will be
the first American electrician to be thus
honored by an electrical term, derived
from his name.-Enginccrin and Min
ing Journal.
The most extensive electric railway
in the world is operated by the West
End Street Railway Company, of Bos-
ton, whose third annual report furnishes
these figures: Total miles of track OPP
Grated by the company, 256.TS; miles
completely equipped with electric over
equipped, 2TGO; box cars owned, S3S, of
which 1874 are electric; open cars, $50. in
Guiding lT3 electric; total miles run DUR
Ing the year, 1865, $50, of which the
electric mileage was, 3,311,743; total
passengers carried, 114,S53,OS An in
crease of AL per cent. in travel has fol-
lowed Immediately on the lines where
electric power has replaced horses.
1t appears that electricity is being
brought more and more into intimate
connection with photography. 1t is now
used in lighting studios and for secur-
ing artistic effects of light and shade.
In order to avoid black, hard shadows
the light is projected upon sheet of al
abaster, and thence on the subject. The
result is soft and exquisite in tone The
electric light is also used for printing,
for enlargement, for balloon and kite
photography. In aerial photography
the camera is attached to kite When
the desired height has been reached. the
exposure is made by electricity, and
pictures are thus secured which could
not be secured by any other means.
The telephone exchanges at Toxic
and Yokohama. Japan, are said to he
nearly completed, and will be put in
operation by the beginning of the new
year. The distance between these two
cities is IS miles, and subscribers are
allowed to converse with other sub
scribers in either city without extra
charge. The annual charge in Toxic is
nearly $40 for each instrument, and in
Yokohama nearly S35. At the public
pay station charge of 5 cents is made
for five minutes conversation, if both
subscribers are in the same city, but if
conversation is carried on between
the two cities charge of 10 cents is
made for each five minutes. In Toxic
the number of subscribers already en-
rolled is 1876, including the government
offices In Yokohama only II have SO
far subscribed. At Toxic there are 10
pay stations, and at Yokohama only