The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-04-16
The Telephone.

be not only extending far and vic. :,
but progressing at an increasing pace.
In the United States forty thousand
new subscribers have been added in
one year. In Paris, thanks to the
energy OF the Government in taking
over the existing networks, the num-
Der OF subscribers has doubled the
last eighteen months, while the urban
networks have risen franz % to 119,
and the trunk lines from IL to So.
Berlin, according to Electricity"
has now agreater number OF subscrib-
ers than any town or city in the world.
They number at this time IL 900, and
the service is reported to be most eff
cient. In Switzerland. Sweden, and
Norway the telephone has also been
brought within the reach of the COM
munity at large, The subscription
generally in those countries and in
Germany is only sixty-four shillings
per anum for q maximum of 800
conversations-additional converse
tions being charged :or at trifiing
rate OF halfpenny each. Complaint,
however, was made, rs will be remem-
bered, at the Frankfort Congress of
the wasteful use of the telephone. The
average number of conversations per
subscriber per day in Germany is from
twelve to thirteen, and it has been
proposed by DR.. Strecker to fix the
telephone tariff according to the length
instead OF the number of converse
tions.
A New Alloy.
An Austrian inventor has lately
prepared a new alloy, which is stated
to be of great utility in connecting
metals with glass for electrical and
other purposes, Theoretically sealing
glass tubes, etc. The alloy consists
substantially OF ninety-fve parts by
weight of tin and five parts OF copper;
but other ingredients may be en-
ployed as well. Thus, if this alloy be
combined with from O.5 to per cent
of either lead or zinc, it may be rem
dered softer or harder, or more or
less easily fusible, as required. The
alloy is prepared by pouring the
molten copper into the molten tin,
each being taken in proper proper
ton. The molten metals are then
we'll mixed together with q wooden
stirrer and the alloy which results is
either cast or granulated. The use
fulness OF this new alloy consists in it's
property OF adhering very strongly to
clean glass surfaces. 1t melts at $50
degrees, and possess the same co-effi-
cient of expansion as glass, SO that
parts that are cemented with it are
not ruptured on heating, owing to un-
equal expansion. The alloy may also
be used for coating metal and wires,
as it gives q fine silvery sheen to their
surfaces.
Steam Engines.
A German authority affirms that
four.fifths of the steam engines in
in the last 25 years. France has At.
500 stationary engines, 1000 loco
motives and 1850 marine engines;
Germany $4,000 stationary engines
and boilers, 10000 locomotives and
100 marine engines; Austria only
10000 stationary engines and $500
locomotives. Excluding locomotives,
the force of the Steam engines of the
United States reaches 100000
horsepower; of those of England, T..
900, 900; Of Germany, 100000; Of
France, 3,OOO,OO0; and of Austria,
100000. At the beginning OF 1890
the worlds locomotives numbered
105, 200, representing from 8, 500, 900
to 100000 horsepower. The total
horsepower of the steam engines and
locomotives on the earth may be tax
en- at 40, 100000. This represents the
working capacity Of more than !, OOO,-
600, 900 men, or double the number
of workers in the world, the horse
power of an engine being estimated as
equivalent to the power OF three
horses, and the power of horse a.
equivalent to that of seven men.
Eleotric Lamps for Omnibus Inspsc-
tors.
The uses to which the electric light
is being put are mNitifarious, but the
latest is somewhat novel. Since the
introduction OF the ticket system the
London General Omnibus Company
have employed a number OF inspectors
to examine the ticket en- route, aud
at night these men have experienced
great difficulty in deciphering the
numbers in dimly illuminated
bus, Therefore the company have
provided the inspectors on the North
London roads with tiny electric
lamps, which are placed in their but
ton-holes, and the light of which can
be switched on and off at will.
The Depth OF the Mediterranean.
The deep-sea exploring ship Pola, Of
the Austrian Government, has made
number of valuable soundings in the
Levant, between Greece, Alexandria,
and Ras Milne. Fifty nautical miles
southwest OF Cape Matapan she found
a depth OF 2,4O6 fathoms. which is the
greatest as yet recorded in the Medi-
terranean, and has been called the
"Pola Deep" The great depression
of the Mediterranean has, therefore,
to be shifted further east on cur
maps. Between Gambia and Alexan-
dria there is another deep basin at
tanning to 1910 fathoms, 20 miles
south OF Grandes Bay.
A New Torpedo.