The historic times. [volume] (Lawrence, Kansas) 1891-1891, 1891-07-18
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

Air brakes on electric street cars
are to be introduced on Pittsburgh
roads s+
1t is stated on excellent authority
that over one-fourth of the street rail-
roads now operating in the United
States use electricity for motive power.
"A company has secured charter
from the legislature of Ontario giving
it permission to construct an electric
road the entire length of the Niagara
river.
| During thunder storm at McMinn-
I Vile, Ore, the electric light wires were
I struck, and the shock was carried along
/ to station mile away, deranging the
plant and plunging the city into dark
ness.
The national powder mill at St
! Medarden-Jalle in France, has recently
| been lighted by incadescent lamps, and
/ is believed to be the first mill of its
/ kind on the continent to use electric
lighting.
The collection of electrical appara-
tus on exhibition at Frankfort-on-the-
Main has been insured against fire and
damages by explosion to the extent OF
$500, 900 marks. The risk has been
. undertaken by twenty-three of the
principal German insurance offices.
An odd kind of headgear has been
adopted for the use of the Italian garri-
son artillery. This is neither more nor
less than a telephone bonnet" which
is worn by the gun detachment COM
manders, so that they may be in con-
slant communication with the officer
commanding the battery or fort.
An ingenious apparatus has been
introduced to prevent the wheels OF
electric and other street cars from slip
ping 1t consists of revolving brush
connected with the forward axle by a
belt AS the axle revolves it sets the
brushes in motion, clearing a path for
the wheels There is also operated in
connection with the device box which
allows the escape of a sufficient amount
of sand or salt without the slightest
waste.
of all the European countries Swe
den has proportionately to its popula
ton the most extensive telephone sys-
tenn. For the further perfection of the
service the General Telephone Co., II
Stockholm, now offers to put apparatu:
in subscribers houses for S2.75 per year
each The tariff for each call will be
Ok cents extra. The lowness of the
price is the result of competition be
tween the government telephone sys
tenn and the General Telephone Co.
London was slow to accept the cleo
trio light but is now making up 10
lost time. At the general meeting o
the Metropolitan Co. the chairman re
ported that within a year the numbe
|, of the lamps supplied by them had in
creased from 6, 600 to so, 900. AS to thei
system of underground mains, he sal'
that the length of the conduit at pres
ent laid was forty miles, and into thes'
conduits there had been laid ninety
miles of mains and not one fault Of
leakage had occurred
, "A startling electrical display oc
, Cured in front of store on Pear
street, Albany, N. Y. A boy caugh
hold of the iron hosting bar of tn
awning and tried to raise himself up Il
order to look into the window. Their
is an electric light in front, and the iro
= frame OF inc dWA1uS OCCdhC SOhAAO~OO
with it. In an instant flashes of electric
ity few out of the boys feet with detc
nations like pack of crackers. He wa
completely charged with the fluid, an
could not let go his hold. A bystande
, caught hold of him and pulled hir
, away, but in doing so received shoe
, himself and was knocked int
the street The boy was dazed an
stunned, but was soon restored, an
walked to his home apparently III
injured. The voltage which passe
through him was about 2, 500.