, 1892-03-12
THE GREAT ELECTRIC SHOW
From the Dai d ~Teiegraph.J

NV iICA4iO IA IN
Electrical Exhibition at the Crystal Palace,
which day 10y day increases in magnitude
aud beauty. Engines are being put INTO
play, Sleam pipes covered, dynamos es,a-
bli>htd, and stands completed. The bug
gcst thing ever lOue al the Palace, that u
what practical men say unanimously When
they have examined the work executed and
IN progress, under the auspices of Captain
IIenslaw Russell and Mr.. w. I. Carr. These
cWlhuS, aSts are not youngsters lhlrOduceu
for the first time to q great Industrial snow.
They are those who remember the CRYSTAL
Palace Electric Exhibition of a little over
ten years ago and they note with pride ana
satisfaction the strides which have been
made in the decade. 1t is worth While
knowing from these authorities what are
the great and notable changes effected dur
ing the period, and what are the latest Illus
~tlations of the new motive tOrce. La the
tiYSt place, an tnOlmuuS Improvement mas
been introduced by the invention OF trans"
formers" whereby "high tension OF the
electric current can be converted from q
cent? oil station over long distances into Glow
tension That is to say, for example, an
initial force of 900 pressure can by means
of the 'tranStormtr" be tapped eff. Dis 1t
were, for use at the pressure OF 100. An
illustration of this is afforded by the llluml-
ration OF MeSsrS Edison and SWaTFS jewell
cd screen of 10000 lights, TO which the mo-
tive power is communicated by the Crystal
Palace District Electric Light Company,
whose eStab ishmcnt al Sydenham is quite
two miles distant. The strength with which
The current leaves the works is reduced by
The I'll auStOImelS' under the Palace, and
the fairy lamps are not only burnt with in
creased economy, but with superior dis
play.
As has been already stated in these co
lumnS, The best practical illustration OF the
system Of CentralIsm Is that shown by
McssrS. CromptOn at the section OF pave
mpnt which the humorous workman has
promptly dubbed 'ClOmpt0n's Grave
Here The citizen Of to-day may see that IT
is Just us easy TO lay on the electric light IN
his bedroom as it would be TO turn on the
gas III Ills paIlOur, In the beginning no
one supposed that, however successful
electric Ii lit might be, household rs would
agree to have their houses attached stimuli
taneously. Hence there was the prospect
that as the use OF the electric hight extend
ed, SO would the nuisance Of perpetual road
aud pavement breaking be increased. The
earliest attempt to lay underground mains
i'm London was that of he KtnSinRtOn Com
pany in the kcnsingtOn-rOad, etweent the
Albert Hal and the beginning of High
street. Mr.. CrOmptOn then, Tor the first
time, made the bold experiment Of making
Il culveIt under the i~0Utway, and laid Fare
copper con dnctOIS within the passage, the
mt ulatoIs being porcelain, similar to those
>ed Oh ovtlhtad lines. His system is, in
iced, beautifully simple. He spaces these
IL6ulatOro III Il distance apart quail to that
between the panty wall Of every second
huuSe-a distance which in London is gene
rally from twelve to fourteen Yards. I'M
m,uia ely above each i~nSuIator he leaves a
permanent opening III The Culvtli, closed by
=. cover made OF material which exactly
matches tue surface Of the pavement, SO that
these cover openings, although occurring at
such short in,tINalS, are hardly noticeable.
1t will be seen that Two OF jects are at once
attained. In The first place, all subsequent
alterations and repairs to the mains can be
carried Out by simply lifting out these COW
erS. In the second, III no case is it mecesSa-
ny To further disturb the roadway, and as the
openings are situated opposite the party. wall
Of each alternate dwelling, access can be
gwen TO every house from this point. This
idea has been followed by most OF the cleo
tic light companies. but the credit of ill.,
ventiOn undoubtedly belongs to Mr.. Cromp-
ton. Indeed, the tlutic in our streets need
never be disturbed, and lhpratepay OF should
accordingly be satisfied The culvert mains
laid down in the Kensington-road have now