The record-union., 1892-11-11

world knows what electricity is lie does
, LulsulI S1vs the universe IS ftlI OF ter
iuatr.al and solar magnetism, and thai a
! dynamo Is simply machine which
pumps out this magnetism SO that it runs
IN a stream along given line, just as one
may pump water out of the ocean and set
stream to running from it. l have my
self heard Edison say this number of
times in response to the question so often
put at him, Mr.. Edison, what is cleo
trlcity, anyway
Now, this is what 1 think Edison is
working on: He is building a machine,
! which is nothing but steam engine, to
pump magnetism out of the universe
without any intermediate dynamo.a and in
| immense quantities in proportion to the
power employed. In other words, in
stead OF complex and somewhat costly
pump, which produces riyulet of ter
reSllral magnetism running along wire,
he proposes to open up a sort OF electric
arteslan well. how, l don't know-that
IS Edlson'S welI-guarded secret-but |
should not be surprised if tomorrow,
next week or next year the wizard We're
10 throw into the lap of man a plaYthing
which would make him almost omnipo-
tent, which would give him command of
forces as yet almost undreamed of, and
reVolutlonize industry mechanics and
transportation as completely, as did the
steam engine itself"
DO you believe The econo mical trans
mission OF electrical power over long dis
tances practicabIe?''
IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC WIRES.
"Yes. We are learning more about
that every day. For instance, in the
electric lighting business we have dis
covered that the heavier the wires the
less loss of power. All wiring done nova
days - properly done is with heavy
wires. Builders of blocks or houses who
save money by having cheap wires put
IN their structures make a great mistake.
The heavy wire saves power for all
time to come and pays for itself a nun
dred times over. Have you noticed that
| the arc lights are burning much steadier
than they did a few years ago? They do
not wink and sputter as they did, but
burn steadily hour after hour. That is
the result OF heavier wiring.
The current is so strong that when a
belt slips on dynamo or anything else
occurs TO Interfere for an instant with the
flow of electricity the small wire is with
out any reserve force, the current is
broken and the light fiickers or goes out.
n heavier wire contains a steadier and
stronger supply, enough to tide over the
temporary failure at the source, and the
lamps burn perfectly and constantly By
the use OF heavier conductors the cost of
producing electricity for incandescent
lights has been brought down to about
one-half cent per hour, as against five
eighths, and arc lights can now be kept
going for little more than two cents an
hour, against two and half with lighter
wires.
'In the opinion of most electrical ex-
perts the question of economical trans
mission of power is largely one Of a con-
ductor heavy enough for the work. We
believe the day is coming when the ener-
gies of Niagara will run factories and To-
comotives hundreds Of miles distant:
when all the great waterfalls in the land
will be similarly used. | believe. more
over, that in few years mining, farm
ing and other operations in the far West
will be carried on largely by means of
energy taken from windmills and cleo
trically stored, so that farmer may plow
or reap miles from his homestead and his
wind engine by the employment of
wire to carry his power wherever he may
chance to want it. Still further. L believe
sun engines-deriving their power from
the fierce rays of the sun-will be used in
all hot, dry countries to pump electricity
out of the earth, to be stored for use or
Immediately distributed. In other words,
we are at the dawn of an electrical age.
and its wonders and glories no man can
torsee."