The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-02-20

ELECTRICITY at frcSSure AhAI rs Simply
wonderfuI-what May Be Done with a
Current of As, GOO Volts Can Hardly BE
Imagined-Remarkable Sights.
Several tests have been made with
alternating currents Of electricity at very
high pressures. As only l, 900 volts were
needed to kill the condemned murderers
in Sing Sing prison, the effect Of $4,000
and 48, 900 volts on animate and imam
innate objects can hardly be imagined.
The difficulty of insulating the enormous
force is very serious, as an arc will flash
across four or five inches of space be,
tween the electrodes, and high tension
currents have not been used much. The
current for the lights and power at the
electro-technical exhibition at Frank
fort-on-the- Main was transmitted from
Lauffen, where it was generated by
water power, at a pressure of 10000
volts After the close of the exhibition
experiments were made with the wire
and insulators at high pressures, and
they were among the most interesting of
the electrical experiments.
The distance between the cities is
about 10S miles, and the wire, one
eighth of an inch in diameter, weighed
1872, 900 pounds. The insulators were
able to preserve the intensity of the cur
rent. Each was composed of three sec
tions. The porcelain top was fiat, with
a deep groove for the wire. Underneath
was saucer shaped receptacle, and be-
meath that were two more, one of larger
breadth and depth than the other, and
all were filed with oil. The binding
wires ran through the oil, which is a
good nonconductor. At Frankfort a
commutator changed the alternating
current to a continuous current for light
and power. In the experiments the
pressure was increased to 10000, 40, 900
and As, 900 volts.
Beyond $4,000 volts the porcelain in
sulators were puuctured frequently. In
producing an arc between two carbons
pierced very quickly. At $4,000 volts
the intensity was so great that the light
was not so brilliant as it was at 10000
volts. It is believed that $4,000 volts
can be reached with conductors pro-
tected from the effects of weather.
CURRENTS OF 1000 VOLTS.
Almost at the same time the Siemens
Bros, of London, were experimenting
with high tension currents, having had
at the Naval exhibition an apparatus
capable of delivering current at pres
sure of $4,000 volts. This description of
a private exhibition of the apparatus
with 40, 900 volts is from Engineering:
son table was an electrode some
three inches in length, connected to one
terminal of transformer. Over it was
mounted a large sheet of glass three mil
imeters thick, and above the glass was
o second electrOde terminating in sharp
point, the distance between the cleo
trodes being three centimeters. When
the current was turned on to the primary
coil Of the transformer there first ap
peared purple haze at the upper cleo
trode streaming toward the glass. As
the current increased this haze grew il
fullness and definition, and began tt
throw out feelers, which darted outward
and as quickly withdrew. AS the cleo
tromotive force augmented still further
these feelers gathered power until they
beat themselves on the glass as if they
would force themselves through it II
their mad desire to reach the other cleo
trode. The whole space below the point
ed conductor became alive with them
and exhibited mass of leaping, crack
ling threads of purple fire, which writhed
and twisted in impotept attempts tc
burst through the barrier, and failing
that, spread themselves along its surface
endeavoring to rush over its edges, and
SO reach their goal by a circuitous route
"But this was beyond their strength
until the electro-motive force approached
$4,000 volts, when suddenly the entirt
appearance was changed. The curren
overleaped the edges of the plate ant
flowed completely around it in all di
rections. At that moment the intens
purple color of the spark disappeared
and was replaced by white light of tn,
greatest brilliancy, which glistened an(
flashed until the spectators had to turn
| away their bedazzleG gaze.
REMARKABLE EXPERIMENTS.
ga change in the arrangement wa
then made. The upper pointed electrod
was replaced by a brass disk, thre
inches in diameter This was laid owe
the surface of the glass plate with thre
very thin washers of vulcanite, inter
vening between the two. The curren
was then turned on i'll the same gradua
manner as before. The space between
the two disks Immediately filed wit
purple light, which had sufficient motion
in it to recall the flame of a Bunsel
burner, spread out under the bottom O
beaker. Sparks then began to appea
at the edges, and, as they gatheret
strength, to radiate little beyond them
Gradually they became streamers
stretching out along the surface of tn
plate in curved, fanciful forms whicl
twined and twisted and weaved them
selves into aglistening filagree, compares
by an imaginative spectator to an ago
nized japanese chrysanthemum.
This experiment had not the brillian
refulgence of the one that preceded it
but was characterized by a quiverin!
irradiation which wreathed and tosset
like bird beating itself at the bars o
its cage. In spite of its less formidabl
appearance, however, it proved destruc
tive to the glass, which presently fet
in pieces with crash. Several sheet
were tried in succession, but each wa
pierced and broken and allowed the cur
rent to attain its object OF flowing Iii
rectly from one electrode to the other"
In experimenting with an arc at A, 90
volts the arc established itAlf when tn