The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-22
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

-America has 100000 telephones;
tho world 100000
Madrid now has an electrical systcm.
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 arc being intro
ducod on tho underground railway In
London.
1t is proposed to establish near
Dresden an electric station to fur
nish light and power to 10S small
towns.
In Germany iodoform is boing mado
by uso of tho electric curront. An alco-
holic solution of iodido Of potassium
travcrscd by current of carbonic acid
is subjected to tho electric current, and
iodoform is produced in tho shape of
small yellow capsules.
Tho proprietor of tho Chicago News
is considering tho advisability OF in
stalling an electric motor plant with
which to drive his presses. Tho pro-
posed plant will havo 4 capacity Of 500
horse power, one-half of which will be
duplicate plant to DO hold in reserve.
In observations with kites and bal
looms, Prof. Leonard Weber has found
that tho atmosphere is negatively cleo
beyond which it is positively electrified
in degree increasing very rapidly with
tho distance from the earth. The mega
tive clectrifcation of the lower strata
Of tho air is attributed to tho presence
of germs and dust PARTICLES.
1t has boon suggested, in view Of
the serious loss suffered by tho electric
al companies from timo to timo by tho
hasty and clumsy cutting of their wiros
by firomon, that it would be worth their
whilc to keep corps of men with wag
ons equipped with appliances for cut
ting wires, who should go to fires and
watch and handle tho wires in the in
terest of the companies. "A still moro
practical idea is for the companies to keep
man at each engino-housc, who shall
go with tho engines to fires md direct
the wire cutting operations.
There arc not many electric light
installations in Spain, but an important
central station has been erected in tho
Gala do las Nozas, Seville. The mains
are all placed underground, and branches
are taken off at suitable intervals. Tho
cables consist of copper wires, insulated
by several layers Of puro vulcanized
india rubber. tho whole then being
placed in loaden pipe. The glow
lamps vary from 1O-candle power to 100
candle power, and tho arc lamps from
500-candlo power to 1,00O.candle power.
"A new diving dress has been adopted
by tho French navy. 1t contains but
three pieccs-hclmet. collaretto and
body-the holmct boing fitted to tho
collarette by screw spring adjustment,
by which tho necessity for all loose
pieces in the way of nuts is obviated.
The helmet is fittod with an incandes-
cent lamp, inclined forward at an anglo
which enables the diver to derive tho
fullcst advantage from it, and fitted with
protector and mirror. At present tho
battery is carried in n boat, which re-
mains near tho scono of operations, but
it is proposed to equip the diver with q
water-tght lknapsack, fitted with cells,
somewhat after the fashion adopted for
ballet girls whom special light effects
are required on tho stage. In conjunc-
ton with this form of divers dress, a
respirator has been devised, fitted also
with an electric lamp, for uso in asccr-
tanning the seat Of a fire in ships hold,
when as yot there is moro smoke than
fire.