The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-25
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

The electric light of 90, OOO 900 cam
dle-power i'll the lighthouse ut IIanst-
holm, coast of Jutland, said to be the
most powerful light in the world, is now
lighted for service.
Electricity derives its name from
the Greek word for amber, elcctron, be-
cause Thales, about 600 Il. c.. discovered
that amber, when rubbed, attracts
light and dry bodies, and i'll the twelfth
century the scientific priests of Etruria
drew lightning from the clouds with iron
rods
The city of Appleton, Wis, is to DO
lighted by electricity. In this there is
nothing remarkable. but the reason
given for the resolution of the city
council on the adoption of the electric
light is an entirely novel one-being
that better light than gas is required
from the fact that Mt present so many
women are insulted nightly in the
streets.
An account of an interesting bal
loon ascension experiment is told by q
traveller who has recently returned from
Thorn, Prussia. The balloon was 13x15
metres, and required / 200 metres of gas
to I'LL it. The car was connected by
f'-'D''N " I'M 81 Liz
apparatus worked splcndidly both ways,
anu the voice OF the commandment of the
garrison could be distinctly heard ut u
height of 600 metres.
In view of the fact that the statis-
tics on the use of the telegraph during
the year 1890 in the various European
countries will shortly bc published, it
Is interesting to note that the number
of kilograms for every 100 inha bitants
during 1889 is as follows: Great Britain,
16;'; France, IS; Germany, 10; Italy, 20;
Austria, 90; hungary, 10; Russia, o. For
1855 the figures are: Great Britain. ITO;
France, 50; Germany. 10; Italy, so; Aus
tria, -; hungary, 10; Russia 0.
The cutting of venccrs is now done
by electricity. The vcnccring machine,
instead OF cutting or shaving around
the entire circumference of the log, as
usual, takes thin slice from the flat
side of it. The logs are of any diameter
and arc cut into lengths of ten feet.
The vcncering cutting knife is fixed be-
tween two parallel shafts and the log
is carried up and down in front of it
with circular motion by revolving
cranks and is fed against the knife by
n rachel and pawl in the ordinary man
ner.
In the United States 1856 cities have
2ST electric lines Boston has 312 cleo
trio motor cars; st. Louis, 207; Rochcs-
ter 200; Pittsburgh, ITO; Cleveland, 1G2;
Minneapolis 40; ST. Paul, IS; Cincin-
natl, Il; Nashville, 81; Davenport, Ia,
60; Milwaukee, IS; Richmond, Is; Utica,
so; Scranton, Pa, 20; Albany, IL; SYRIA
cuSe, 10, etc. The systems represented
are all single trolley overhead Four
10 ten storage battery cars are run on
the Fourth avenue line, New York
Two storage battery ears are run on the
Beverly IL Danvers road in this State,
and six III Dubuque, III.
Not many months ago a new system
OF sending pictures by telegraph was
described in the electric journals. The
principle of this process was the divis-
ion ofthc picture to be sent into squares,
each square being numbered to corrc-
spond with paper similarly prepared
ana to be drawn upon according to the
direction sent from the transmitting
station by the number communicated.
While applicable to pictures having only
straight lines, this process was not
found feasible for the transmission of
portraits For this purpose an improved
method has been suggested. by which
it is claimed that an exact reproduction
In chiaroscura of the original photo
graph can be electrically transmitted to
the receiving station.
An industry which promises to at
tain very considerable dimensions is tho
manufacture of the electric blower,
which, started not many months ago,
is now rapidly growing. This appa-
ratus was primarily designed for use in
dynamo and engine room of steamers
and other places where the space is lin
tied and where at the same time rapid
and thorough ventilation is absolutely
necessary. Owing to the extreme com
pactncss of the blower, it may be
placed in the smallest room, and proves
most powerful exhaust. 1t was speed
lily seen that such Il device was invalua-
BILE on warships, and its installation on
the Baltimore was soon followed by its
adoption on nearly all the modern war
ships of the United States navy.