The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-03
LECTURE ON ELECTRICITY.

Only three more lectures remain in the
course given IN the university course, and
after those have been given, no doubt,
many people wiH be sorry they failed TO
avail themselves of the opportunity.
The course here has been given at a
price that was barely intended to cover
expenses.
The same course given in Topeka was
put 1T S4 instead of 50 as given here and
their expenses were much lower owing to
less railroad fare and hotel bills.
At the close of the Kansas City course
13S persons who had taken the course
signed request that the same lectures be
repeated, they agreeing to attend.
Professor Blake refused offers to give
these lectures this winter in Topeka, Leav-
enworth and Kansas City, feeling that he
could do more good for the cause of uni
yersity extension by coming to this more
remote, but not less important part of
Kansas
That the course given here has not been
dry rehash of time-worn statements was
strickingly shown last night by an expert
ment devised for this special lecture, and
which was the first time it had ever been
shown. 1t consisted of miniature motor
run at high speed by batteries and having
protecting cover of glass on which fine
iron filings were strewn. BY this means
he showed the distortion or changing of
direction of the lines of force when the
motor was running. This was projected
on the screen and showed the motion of
motor and change of lines of force.
With the stereOptican and arc light he
projected a large number of forms of
armatures, and numerous forms of dyna-
mos, motors and other appliances of like
nature, so that the audience not only saw
them distinctly, but gained a clear concep-
ton of their operation.
Starting with a simple wire cutting the
lines of force between the pole pieces of q
powerful magnet, he rapidly explained the
many forms of electrical machines now so
much in Use, and showed that we had
learned to keep this force from being
wasted in the air TO illustrate he stated
that it Was unsafe to carry a watch within
several feet of the first dynamos, as the
leakage, as we would call it, of the force
was so great, whereas now we confine this
force so closely to the place where wanted
that watches are seldom affected.
The marvellous works at Niagara Falls,
by which thousands of horse power is to
be realized from a very small part of
the power annually going to waste
is one of the grandest tri-
umphs of man over nature.
From l to per cent. of that great power
which has gone to waste for ages will not
only furnish all the light and power used
miles away in Buffalo, but Will run vast
factories in nearer places.
No dream of Romanar; no Alladdin's
Lamp; no Prince in the fairy tale exceeds
this wonderful reality. From the theorist
with his clumsy batteries and awkward
experiments TO the experiments in Ger
many of last year at the Falls in the neck
or river, it was a mighty stride.
But even the transmission of that power
over slender wires, and running twelve
thousand electric lights by the power of
water fail over one hundred miles away is
TO be eclipsed.
The Imagination pictures countless
millions OF giants that have through all
the ages gene tumbling and shrieking over
the vast Niagra Falls suddenly commanded
in the name of science aud obedieat to
that omnipotent call vast number of
them leave the river for peaceful canal
from which they plunge into great turbine
wheels one hundred and fifty feet down
into the earth. From this the water is
carried through a tunnel that could furn-
ish room for ii double track railroad and
poured into the river below the fails.
But our giants are whirled into dyna
mos, and out over miles of wire TO their
work where all invisible they tnrl the
giant factory wheels; send hun
dreds OF street cars swiftly along
their course; light the cities with
the brllancy of day; cook the
food: print the papers; and enter into all
the complications of modern civilization.
The nine days wonder viii soon be SO
common as to scarce excite comment but
still it is marvellous as chapter from the
Arabian Nights.
Professor Blake spoke hopefully of a
time when the vast power of the water
falls ia the Rocky mountains miga. be
utilized in doing the work of the steam
engines even ia Wichita
Such plans are not mere dreams but are
rapidly being accomplished.
We no longer worship the sun as did the
ancient Mexicans, but we harness him as
we harness the horse. for when we trace
out the source OF the power in Niagara
falls it is but the falling OF water lifted
from distant oceans by the suns heat.