Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-01-08
THOUSANDS OF VOLTS.
STARTLING EFFECTS OF SOME HIGH
TENSION CURRENTS.

wonderfui-whst May Ito Done with
Current Of 80. 900 Volt. Can Hardly lie
Imagined sights.
Several tests have been made with
alternating currents OF electricity nj very
high pressures. As only 1900 volts were
needed 10 kill the condemned murderers
in Sing Sing prison, the effect OF 1900
and 5000 volts on animate and imam
innate objects can hardly be imagined.
The difficulty Of insulating the enormous
force Is very serious, rs an arc will fash
across four or Eve inches Of space DO
tween the electrodes. and high tension
currents have not been used much. The
current for the lights and power at tho
electro.tcchnical exhibition Mt Frank.
fort.on-the-Main was transmitted from
Lauifen, whore II was generated by
water power, at pressure Of 10000
volts. After the close Of the exhibition
experiments werc made with the wire
and insulators at high prcssurcs, and
they werc among the most interesting Of
the electrical experiments
The distance between the cities is
about 1O3 miles. and the wire. one
eighth Of an inch In diameter, weighed
1a2 900 pounds The insulators were
able 10 preserve tho intensity Of the cur
rent. Each was composed Of three sec
tons Tho porcelain top was Hat, with
deep groove for the wire. Underneath
was a saucer shaped receptacle, and be-
meath that were two more, QUO Of larger
breadth and depth than the other, and
all were filed with oil. The binding
wires ran through tho oil, which is
good nonconductor. At Frankfort a
commutator changed tho alternating
current to n continuous current for light
and power. In the experiments the
pressure was increased TO 10000, 10000
and u, 600 volts.
Beyond 1900 volts tho porcelain In
sulators were puuctured frequently. In
producing an arc between two carbons
at 10 900 volts plate Of glass was
pierced very quickly. At 5000 volts
tho intensity was no great that the light
was not 10 brilliant Us 1t was at 10000
volts. II Is believed that $1,000 volts
can bo reached with conductor pro-
tected from the effects Of weather.
CURRENTS OF 10000 Volts.
Almost at the same time the Siemens
Bros. OF London, were experimenting
with high tension currents, having had
ut the Naval exhibition an apparatus
capable OF delivering current at pres
sure OF 5000 volta. This description OF
u private exhibition Of the apparatus
with 10000 volts Is from Engineering;
"On n table was nm elec,rode some
three inches in length. connected to one
terminal Of transformer. Over II was
mounted large sheet OF glass three mil
llmoters thick, and above the glass was
a second electrodo terminating in sharp
point, the distance between the elec.
trodcs being three centimetcrs. When
the current was turned on to tn. primary
coil Of the transformer there frnt ap.
pcared n purple haze at the upper cleo.
trodo streaming toward the glass. As
the current increased this haze grew In
fullnoss and definition. and began to
throw out fcelers, which darted outward
and us quickly Withdrew. As tho cleo.
tromotiye force augmented still further,
these feelcrs gathered power until they
beat themselves on the glass as II they
would force themselves through 1t in
their mad desire 10 reach the other cleo.
trodc. The whole space below the point
ed conductor became alive with them,
and exhibited mass Of leaping, crack.
ling threads of purple Gro, which writhed
and twisted In impotent attempts TO
burst through the barrier. and failing
that, spread themselves along its surface,
endeavoring to rush over its edges, aud
30 reach their goal bya circuitous route.
"But this was beyond their strength
until the eiectro.motive force approached
5000 volts, when suddenly tho entire
appearance was changed The current
overleaped the edges Of the plato and
flowed completely around II in all di.
fections. At that moment tine intense
purple color OF tho spark disappeared,
and was replaced by white light Of the
greatest brilhancy, which giistened and
flashed until the spectators had to turn
away their bedazsled gazs
REMARKABLE EXPERIMENTS.
"a change In the arrangement was
then made. The upper pointed electrode
was replaced by brass disk, three
inches in diameter. This was laid over
the surface of tho glass plate with three
very thin washers Of yulcanite, inter.
vening between the two. The current
was then turned on in the same gradual
manner as before. The space between
the two disks immediately filled with
purple light, which had sufficient motion
In 1t 10 recall the flame OF Bunsen
burner, spread out under the bottom Of
a beaker. Sparks then began 10 appear
at the edges, and, as they gathered
strength. to radiato little beyOad them.
Gradually they became stroamers,
stretching out along the surface of the
plate IN curved, fanoiful forms which
twined and twisted and weayed them
selves into glistening filagree, compared
by an imaginative spectator TO an ago
nized japanese chrysantheInum.
"This experiment had not the brilliant
refulgence Of the ono that preceded 1t,
but was characterized by "a Iuiyerins
irrUdiation which wreathed aud tossed
like bird beating itself at the bars OF
its cage. In spite Of its less formidable
appearance, however, 1t proved dostruc.
tive 10 the glass, which presently few
In pieces with crash. Several sheets
We're tried in succession, but each was
pierced and broken and allowed the cur.
rent 10 attain its object OF flowing di.
rectly from one electrode TO the other"
In eypcrimentinR with nm arc nj A OOO