Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1892-06-04
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

-Electricity, in its various forms Of
application. /. said to give employment
to five million persons.
1t is now generally held by electri.
clans that the principle of the aurora
borealis il the same as that shown by
the Gefsslcr tube, in which electricity
Is discharged through rarified air.
"A recent improvement in incandes-
cept lamp sockets for use in dye houses,
bleacheries and damp places has been
invented. which, it is claimed, can be
used In steam or under water with per.
feet success.
According to the recent report of
the Massachusetts gas ana electric light
commission, only five person were in
jured by electricity from electric wires
in that state during the year 1891. and
but one of these fatally. Thirty are
put down as having been injured by IL
Illuminating gas, sixteen Of whom died.
including two suicides.
AT shooting lodge in the Scotch
highlands Is an electric installation
operated by a brook, from which q
column of water dc,cends in pipe six
hundred feet TO a turbine running a
dynamo. Electric current is obtalDrd
sufficient to run 292 lamps and large
number of electric stoves for drying the
cellars and warming the rooms.
An electrical firing mechanism for
Gatling guns was recently tested by
United States naval officers. The ctec-
trica1 apparatus was attached to the
barrel Of the gun SO as to move with it,
while it was so disposed of as not to in
terfere with the elevation and depres-
sion of the gun. 4 BY the use of the .lec.
A.s~ &
matically at a rate of speed. for piece
of ten barrels. N 1900 discharges per
minute and upward.
"A field almost wholly undeveloped,
notes the New York World. seems to be
that covering the introduction Of elec-
tric-heatin9 devices in places where
comparatively small amounts of heat
are needed. Whenever fire can not be
conveniently handled. or where a uni
form source of heat that can be readily
controlled is needed, such devices ought
to find a ready sale. Their comparative
economy would seem to be pretty we'll
attested by the fact that they have al.
ready been adopted by many of the pro-
prietors of the so-called ''syveat shops
for use in connection with flatirons for
pressing clothing.
The true nature and cause of the
aurora is not we'll understood. 1t is un-
doubtedly n manifestation of some form
of electric energy. and, apparently, is
Influenced by the physical condition OF
| the sun. but beyond this we know very
little. Its occurrence is said to indicate
| 4 change in the weather, but no such
influence has ever been observed. Be
yond interfering occasionally with the
transnis.ion Of photographic messages,
we have no reason to believe that the
| earth and it's inhabitants either 70,
! good or evil. We are now approaching
one of the periods of greatest activity,
and during the next year or two may
expect the frequent occurrence of au'
roras of unusual brilliancv.
Electric lighting on commercial
scale dates from April, 1852. About
| 5000. 900 incandescent lamps are now in
use in the United States. and arc light.
| ing also has made great progress. The
electric lighting of railways trains has
become frequent. The first practical
electric railway in this country began
operations in Cleveland six years ago
! Now go electric railways are running
! in the United States. embracing 2,02l
miles of track, and $3.50 motor cars,
with 114.435 horsepower. These rail-
! ways represent a value of over $40, ,000,'
600 in a total of Sl64, 900, 900 for all our
| street railways. The Review states
| that the average cost per car mile OF
| horse railroads is 81. of cable 2.5, OF
! electric 2.2, and of steam ) ccnts.-To
| ledo Blade.
| .,NAn@ ~pN NAsLAT