The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-04-30
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.


During the exhibition in Edinburgh,
Scotland, there were over one hundred
thousand persons carried in electric
launches along the canal from the city
to the exhibition.
Files are now sharpened by elec.
tricity. They are immersed in liquid
and the current turned on for twenty
minutes, at the end of which time they
come out as good as new.
The ocean cables of the world now
stretch over 12025O miles. There are
1000 cables in all, nearly all of English
manufacture. Most of the cables are
owned and operated by private corpora.
tlons.
Science may yet make all war
bloodless. Edison says that with twen-
ty-five men he can defend any fort
against assault by squirting electrified
water on the enemy. The invaders
would not be killed, but only tempo
rarily stunned.
1t is announced in Practical Elee-
tricity that newly invented electric
carriage will soon be exhibited on the
streets of Boston. Mr.. E. d. Chaplin is
the inventor of the motor, and DR..
Orazio Lugo is the inventor of the stor-
age cells which furnish the power.
The motor is of closed-field type,
working at one thousand revolutions
per minute, with potential of forty
volts. Upon a level grade speed of
from ten to fifteen miles an hour can
be accomplished.
There is no need now for any man
forgetting his engagements, no matter
however much occupied his time may
be. recent invention is made up of a
switchboard, connected with clocl,
and an alarm, so arranged that, by
plugging the proper hole in the switch
board, the alarm will be rung by an
electric current at any time desired.
All man has to do in order to be sure
to remember his engagements is to
plug up the proper holes in the morn
ing, and when the times for keeping
them come round the alarm will be
automatically rung.
An electrical parcels delivery van,
constructed by the Ward Electrical
Carriage Co., of London, is described
as compactly designed vehicle upon
four rubber-tired wheels, and is driven
from front seat similar to that of an
ordinary van. Switches are used to set
the motor in operation and apply the
brake, while a verticle wheel and end
less worm are revolved to change the
inclination of the front axle, and there
by the direction in which the vehicle
travels. The motor is worked by ac-
cumulators of sufficient power to run
from two to two hours and one-half at
a time, and at the rate of six miles an
hour.
"A telephone and phonegraph ex.
pertinent, illustrating,the clearness and
power of tone of the phonograph, was
recently made by A. +. Spencer, of
Bridgeport, Ct. Calling up the tele-
graph operator at Erie, Pa, 700 miles
distant from Bridgeport. Mr. Spencer
attached to the wire a photograph, con-
tanning musical selections by different
military bands. The phonograph was
then set in motion, and the operator at
Erie distinctly heard the pieces which
had been played into the phonograph.
Conversation was also carried on with
other Erie citizens, and they found it
more difficult to understand than to
catch the notes from the monograph.
which were exceptionally pure and
clear.
When the telephone was first intro
duced, boys, between the ages of 16
and 49, were employed, but the results
threatened to be destructive to the in
terests of the company. The boys
would not obey the rules as to imperti-
nent profanity when dealing with
''crusty" subscriber, and the conse-
quent dismissals were so numerous that
an immense relay force had to be en-
ployed. In consequence of this the ex-
pertinent of employing girls was made,
with most satisfactory results. The
phrase, "frisky telephone girls" is a
great misnomer, as this young woman
is almost part of her instrument, hav-
ing just enough individuality to give
two subscribers line of communica-
ton. The girls themselves are abso.
lutely forbidden to talk over the lines.
Each girl has fifty subscribers to look
after, and, no matter how often he
calls, she makes the connection he re-
quires The girls work from a. m. to
p. M, with three forces. each of which
works 9 hours, with half an hour for
lunch and fifteen minutes recess morn
ing and afternoon. Salaries range from
$50 to $50 per month, according to apti-
tude and experience. Monitors receive
$12 per week
Chasing Man With Bloodhounds.
In lieu of genuine hunting, which is
| temporarily at a standstill, the novel