The Portland daily press., 1892-03-25

verSat1on over wire. Ii Will eXplode
mine and will cure diseases. But what
is it? When we ask this question we
are brought face to face with that eter-
nal why or what. Still we have been
getting some knowledge. We know
that the transmission of light from the
sun requires medium, which is called
ether.
"We have discovered, too, by expert
ment that disturbances on the sun like
sunspots are recorded by delicate in
struments, therefore electricity must be
transmitted from tho sun through this
same medium, ether. We have got so
far as to be able to say that electricity
bears something of the relation to light
that heat does. Electricity will produce
heat and light. Heat will produce cleo
tricity, and so will light. l have ma
chine in the other room which if light
gas under it will produce an electric
light or run telephone. Now these
things show the relation of heat, light
and electricity and their common line
age in the sun.
.sLately scientific men have gone
little further. They have discovered
that waves of electricity are propagated
at the same rate as waves of light. They
differ probably only in their length and
their form. This is a step further into
the investigation of the subject, for it
shows closer relation between light
and electricity than used to be supposed
existed. Now, should say that if
machine could be constructed that would
generate electric waves with sufficient
frequency, it is more than probable that
this machine would emit light without
heat. If such a machine is ever made,
and it may be, it will be mighty aid
in the further investigation of this mys-
FERROUS what.
Everybody is familiar with the re-
mark that electricity is in its infancy
and that it is Che coming power Every
electrician has this statement made to
him, and when I hear it now always
say: well, when is it coming? Where
is it coming fromY This brings me
right back to the question which you
first asked me. If it is the coming pow
CT it is coming from coal, because that
is the cheapest form Of energy which we
now possess. In every given pound of
coal there is certain amount of energy
OF power stored there by the sun. Now
the best engines are enabled to deliver
at the belt only from 6 to 10 per cent. of
the energy stored in coal. This may
seem surprising, but it is the result Of
accurate tests.
s'You wonder what becomes Of the
rest of this energy, and are Of course
amazed when I say that it is wasted, al
most absolutely wasted. It goes off in
the form Of heat. You feel the heat
when you enter the boiler room, and you
know that much OF it goes up the CHM
ney. Now. if we can capture that waste,
see how greatly it will cheaper cleo
tricity. One hundred pounds of coal
viii furnish the energy which it takes
ton now to furnish, and that means COM
fort, luxuries, pleasures for mankind
which seem almost incredible. Then
truly electricity will not be the coming
power, but the power which has come
When say power mean the force
which transmits the energy stored up in
coal.
sit will do almost every kind Of labor
which now requires the physical work
of men, and do it for trifle. It will
heat houses in winter and cool them in
summer. It will make genuine cheap
transit. And l might talk for an hour
simply telling the things which this
cheap electricity will do which now re-
quire the hands and arms and muscles
of men to perform.
Therefore as a commercial question
the great problem for electricians is this,
Low to convert the energy which is in
coal directly into the electric current?
If this can be done we shall save the
enormous wastage and do away with
the intermediary steam boiler and en-
CINE. It is inconceivable the untold
wealth which will follow the solution of
this problem. The imagination of man
is not werful enough to conceive of
those stupendous developments for the
blessing and comfort Of mankind which
are in store for us when the energy
which is in coal is converted directly
into electricity"
NTs Safty SSGiltcd IiiIiSOAI W 10 Aui-
pressed by the splendor of the vision of
the future which he saw with his minds
eye, as he thus discoursed, SO that for
some moments he suspended his CONVEX
sation.
At last the writer ventured to ask him
if he believed that this discovery would
be made in the near future. He replied
that Mr.. Edison had been studying the
problem for many years, but how near
he had approached to solution he
alone knew. Mr.. Carly also said that
machines had been constructed which
would do it, but they were rude, unsat-
isfactory and in practical operation
were really more expensive than the
present method of using steam power as
the intermediary.
s'There are many persons who sup
pose," said Mr.. Carly, "that the electric
force is conveyed exactly as the force of
water is upon water wheel, but this
is great mistake. There is no physical
transfer of force as is the case when
1 - = IT,,