The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-16
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

-Gall2tin. Tenn. Is to put in an cleo.
tric lighting plant to be- run by the city.
There AFRO in Philadelphia over 8, 900
buildings lighted by electricity. So far
tho industries have not lost n dollar
from firos caused by tho wires.
An invalid's chair propelled by cleo
tricity is among the great novelties.
Tho battery is capable of propclling tho
chair over an ordinary road for nino
hours ut tho rate of six miles an hour
Interest in the proposed cable bo-
tween Australia and Vancouver is on
tho increase. If laid, tho cablo will lo
$1,000 miles long. and will cost 50, 900, Ocn.
on which tho British Government will
guarantee per cont. dividend.
The term electrical WAS first en-
ployed in 1000 by Dr. Gilbert, TO dcsig-
nate the attraction which ambor and
other substances of its class exhibit
when rubbed and presented to light
bodies, such as bits OF pith or paper.
The mills in this section arc quito
generally adopting the now electric ap-
pliance for quickly stopping engines and
water wheels in cnse Of accident The
pressing of any ono Of number OF but
tons distributed near tho moving ma
chinery will shut down the ontirc mill
ut oncc.-Boston Herald
"A leakage OF electricity at Detroit,
Mich, recently, Was tho cause of q
laughnble sight. Tho current became
connected with the iron steps Of tho
Lyceum theater. and tho genu- flexions
OF tho people who passed ovor tho
steps wore as amusing to tho spccta-
tors as they were surprising TO the por-
formers
An idea OF tho profits in electricity
is afforded by the statement that tho
Thomson Houston Company {, the first
nine months of the fiscal year shows an
increase OF business over last year of
81, 226, S03. Its profits for this period
ovcrexpcnses were 81 l.7i5, an increase
OF S656. 49,. The conipany's not profits
for 1889 wcro ovor 81. 5On.OlO
The largo proportion that the cost
OF platinum bears TO tho cost OF mean
descent lamps is shown ly tile following
figures: ] is estimat, that during tho
year 1901 there will 10 sold about TO-
100000 ld-candle power lamps. To man.
ufacture these lamps will require 125,-
600 ounces OF platinum. which will cost
about 81, 100000. which Is ono-third OF
the sum the lamps will sell for Tho
discoverer or inventor OF some suhsti-
tute for platinum will mako q fortune.
TO find cut the amount OF slack Civ
en- to electrical GALES as deposited in
the ocean ut the time OF paying out,
Messrs. Sitmens brothers arc using n
steel piano wire. paid out Simultaneous
ly. with tension sufficient to make it
tant over sca-hottoIn. by mechanism
on board. which measures the rate OF
paying out cable and wiro the necessary
slackness in the cable can be determin-
ed and constantly verified. thus avoid
ing all unnecessary slackncss, and saw
ing large sums OF money.
Tho enthusiasts who predict that
use OF the electric trolley for towing
canal boats will once moro make bus.
ness lively on tho canals are little too
fast They forget That the fac. that
prevented tho introduction OF steam
canal loats was that the wash OF such
boats destroyed The banks OF tile canal
much more rapidly than boats towcd in
the old way. So far the cable appears
to he the only practicable one of mod I'm
methods for prorelIing tho oats, and
this, while it works we'll for the draw
ing OF street cars, has not yet Leon suf-
ficcntly developed to make it commer-
cially practicable foi use on canals.
There is now being perfected in this
city an electric tricycle., which promises
great things. The tricycle. is made pos
sible by ~ recently invented motor,
which weight for weight and bulk for
bulk is al out twice rs powerful as those
of the old models. The machine has
now reached u point where it can be run
for distance of from fifty to sixty miles
without the storage battery. which fur
nishrs the current being rechnrged.
Those interested confidently predict that
when the machine is placed upon tho
market 1t will he provided with q bat.
terry powerful enough TO propel the ma
chine for distance OF mt least one hun
dred miles. The tricycle. will probably
be offered to the public next spring.