The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-06

Electric Railways win the Electric Meter
On.t the steam Lsconetives
opy,.sn. 1899. ~ s. g. N~cim,.

user chose. Why. then. was this wonderful!
servant kept until about fifteen years ago q.
little else than tr&n snitting messages and
performing small! tasks in electro plating
Because. the reply Ia. It's wages had to be paid.
not In the Goals, wherewitl steam, was wei
content. but In ar equal weigh OF zine. costin <
FORTY to Fifty times as much. Before the great
career OF the electric current could fairly
dawn. 1t was necessary that the voitaic
battery he superseded by \ coal-con sum-
ing contriNance. This demand was satisfied
In tho invention OF the dynamo. which begin
ming az u toy-liko machine. most wastcful in
operation. has gradually been enlarged and
improved until to-day. when. converting the
power of the mightiest steam engine into
electricity. 1t has an efficiency rs high as ~
per cent. Every successive advance in the de.
sign and operation OF the steam engine, and
every economy In the usD Of water power. di.
rcctly tend to chea pen the electric current and
multiply its applications How far. then is the
electric motor likely to supplant othcr sources
Of power? What promise has 1t for tho relief
Of domestic drudgory? Applied to traction
may We expect to see It rival the locomotive?
That electricity can be transmitted long dis
| tances instantly. and almost without loss is n
highly important popularity. and one which
has direct bearing OH these questions The
familiar. is after all but the electrical convey
ance of motion. Led into the wire by the
transmitter. the current swiftly moves at the
other end Of the line the armature OF a recev-
Ing Instrument. creating the sounds which the
operator interprets as q despatch. Increase
the size OF the vibrating iron bar OF the receiv.
or to that OF the armature In an electric motor,
and It's force can be made to drive the heayl.
est machinery. To have work done by steam
or compressed air at = mile from the boiler or
compressor. is not only to incur enormous ex.
pense for piping. but also to suffer serious loss
Of power Contrast this with electrical trans-
mission.
POWER CARRIED 100 MILES,
Last summer. at Frankfort. or. the. Main, an
electric current estimated at 300 horse rowor
was brought all the way from u waterfall at
Lauffen. 100 miles of. with dminution OF
but % pcr cent. To reach this extraordinary
result special pains wero taken in insulating
the wires which we're strung in tho air on
poles. In each insulator wore deep grooves
filed with oil. a much more effective non con-
ductor than any solid substance, and in these
grooves the wires lay. As tho pressure
OF the current was extreme. varying
from 10000 to $4,000 volts. the insu-
lation had to he as nearly perfect as pos
sible. What so high q pressure signifies
can be understood when We remember that
that on the trolley wires Of electric railways
as limited to 500 volts. higher pressure being
doomed dangerous to life. The enormous
voltage used by the German electricians was
employed for a very good reason. Apart from
the incidental losses against which thorough
insulation insures a current. the greater its
voltage the lighter the wire suncng as con-
ductor. just as the higher waterfall tho
smaller the duct necessary to yield horse
power. Each Of the three wires carrying
the current from LaufYen to Frankfort
was somewhat less than one-sixth OF an
inch in diameter. about tho thickness
Of common telegraph wire. In generating
the current. dynamos Of noyel and effective
design were IN harness ut Iaufrcn. and tho
motors at the Frankfort end OF the line were
their counterparts. As poured forth by the
50 volts to be intensified for Transmission it
TOOK rs way Though transformer seal ed in
tank lea with insulating OIL
as Gxalt i. and that application was made Of It
at Frankfort. where tn" electricity as supplied
pressure OF 100 volts. ''' '''' lamps ""' "
by this remarkable achievement. tho Ger
mentally possible rather than commercially
practicable Forthe nsnlissi on OF currents OF
10000 volts i will NOT do 70 rely bare wires;
carried on poles. protected simply bya painted
skull and cross bones: costly underground
condpits must be provided. and this Of neces-
from a waterfall can DO carried in competition
With elrrtrcity, generated by steam. This
To sx S Se s IN rS@ rY
American cities have large water powers run
n r.y Eas tho is ;. s
very soon will he impressed into sending O
hnwerfnl current TO buffalo, twenty-five miles
to Chicago during the Exhibition next year is
under discussion
the MOTOR IN THE WORKSHOPS.
Whether produced by IL waterfall ~ ,enm
engine. electricity. besides being the most de-.
siruhe form OF motive power. can be- the
cheapest as we'll. Its cost depends upon the
room Is ! cent per horse power per hour: il
only 100 horse. the cost rises TO > cents. With
proportonateIy that putting electricity on tap
from y large reservoir hestows an estimablc
instance. is a, tailor with halt y dozen sewing
machines in his shop: next door u cabinet
maker hasn lathe or two and circular saw:
i'urrishers nj work: each Of these tradesIneI
is provided with an electric motor. which il
rsu be And So ian goes sS Tho
city: ever small Workshop is independent OF
engine; boiler and FIRE: il need not have. as
wl,lcIi destructive ham. may pass Tho mower
missed: it asks no pay beyond tho moment its
work ceases: In transmitting working cur
Esn Il" pm'ay nor s9pheT c"nd.,orS nay
the voltage he Low. sunposn that a central
nnnnn,. With u current At 10 volts. the limit
beyond which T. will not pny to deliver
the power is tjOn feet. two-thirds OF 4
mile. Al e5u volts tho distance lnnethrus TO
] miles: mt 300 volts, Ia g, miles: ri LOCO
volts. to ~ miles: at 5000 volts. to II, miles.
IN Europe tho voltages empIoyediu electrical
transmission are usually much higher than
the American standard. and another element
of ECONOMY IS Introduced in the, rn"rmous
uf three distributing centres has three units
~ .4ini horse power. ut fourth centre there
are four such units.
When. in large manufactory. scattered
through several buildings. power /, ia demand
al man points 1t pays to ceptraliHe tho 81 en m
plant and convert 4. energy into ."y,iric
al the Edison Machine Works, Schnnotniy.
\. y. wler.: as demand arises. LOO horse
'lnrclh"re. Even ina single large binding II l.
advantageous TO Adopt this plan. I'll" lrc-
the toll levied Ly dynamo and n series u
motors; he dminution OF lar aud vibration
4 a T., int