The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-11-26
PROFESSOR BLAKE's LECTURE.

While the gentlemen who inaugnrated
the lecture on electricity have incurred
expenses which will leave them to bear g
heavy deficit unless the citizens show
greater appreciation of the work and give
larger audiences. it is not in their nature
to be small souled in this public educa-
tioual movement.
The teachers having changed the hour to
accommodate those wishing to attend
Professor Blake's lecture, Rev. Mr.. Ship
pen, for the Unity club. extended an in.
vitation for all visiting teachers to attend
the lecture free. As a result the lecture
was attended last night by great number
Of residents of surrounding cities.
After brief reorganization of the princi-
piles involved, he explained the use of cleo
tricity for heating and cooking. He said
that in Montreal today cooking is
done by electricity. Numerous tables
used by electricians were put on
the board and fully explained.
To cauterise, q small platinum wire is
put in the circuit with copper wire ard by
offering greater resistance to the current
it becomes intensely heated. The ply
stefan uses this to remove various growths.
Tie principal electrical welding device is
the Burton 10000 amperes are used in
welding two inch steel bar, while only
ten amperes are used in our electric light
But it comes in low tension of one-half
volts and is not dangerous. The regular
time for certain forgings by the old pro-
cess is twelve minutes, but by tho cleo
trlcity it is done in forty seconds, thus
saving time and money. Electric welding
is monopoly because the patents are in
the hands of the Thompson & Houston
company. Elihu Thompson who invented
the process was at one time teacher of
chemistry in the Philadelphia high school.
Two boys with thu electric welding ma
chine can do more work THAI five men
with the old process.
Tests made at the Watertown arsenal
showed that the welded iron broke any
place rs quick as at the weld. The Stude-
baker wagon works use nine electric weld
ing machines, and weld an axle every
minute. Nearly all the tires on the Stude-
baker wagons are welded by electricity.
Steel rails for our roads are electrically
welded, and it is proposed to weld all the
rails so as to make a continuous rail. The
wire-wound guns now made by our gov
eminent are thestrongest guns made, and
all the wire wound around the tube of the
gun is electrically welded. The heavy
chains made in the navy yard once took
twenty minutes to make, by the new pro-
cess only takes three minutes.
A full description of orereduction ma
chimes WAS given.
The current was made to leap between
the points of copper wires, and not only
burned the wire like paper, but actually
welded it. Iron wire was treated to
the same current and burned with
dazzling effect. Zinc gave a gorgeous
effect in blue fame.
In 1904 Sir Humphrey Davy made the
first arc light with carbon points. By
means of the electric lantern he projected
the arc light on the screen SO that the
He showed that the presence of magnet
disturbed the arc and even broke tho
circuit On this principle the lightning
arresters now in use are all made.
The arc carbons are made from residue
of tar in gas works, and the finer quality
have hard core and soft surrounding.
The heat of the arc is s., 900 fahrenheit,
and iron burns in it as shown by expert
ment.
The search light on Mt. Washington is
so powerful that it can be seen over 100
miles while a newspaper can be read
twenty miles by its light.
The search light on Nov. Sch for ell ecti
news in New York was projected ia GER
tain directions to indicate certain RESULTS.
There is no question about the direction
they pointed that night.
The thermo-electric-pile used in measur-
Ing the heat of the sun and stars was next
shown and the fact stated that by point
ing it to cow half mile away the heat
radated from her sides would effect an
electrical disturbances that would be regis
tered by the Z alyacometer ATTACHED to the
instrument.
This was practically the close of the lee
ture, though u plumber ALWAYS remains to
ask question for an extra half hour.