The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-29
ELECTRIC HEATING.
AN INVENTION THAT MAY REVOLT
TloNIzE ALL METHODS.

periments Were Performed.
a discovery so original and so wide in its
practical application that it is believed to
open n new and important chapter In the
use of electricity for heating purposes has
recently been announced from Brussels
and tested at Berlin. The invention is the
joint achievement of two Belgian scientists,
Messrs. Lagrange and Hobo, who applied
to the imperial German patent Office for
patents on new method of heating, melt
ing and refining metals by means of cleo
trical heat.
The means, as designated in their claim,
were so simple and the results as therein
described SO incredible that the patent ex-
aminers demanded that before issuing the
patent practical demonstration of the
process should be made in their presence
The matter was referred to an eminent and
disinterested electrical expert Mt Berlin,
who made the first essays in his private
laboratory and was so delighted with the
result that he asked by telegraph perlnis-
sion of the inventors to repeat the demon
STATIONS before the Electro-technical soci-
ETY. at the German capital
Permission was readily granted and the
experiments were performed before II group
of expert electricians with brilliant sue
cess. From the account given by one of
the experts who was present at these dem
onstrations and from various other sources
the following report Of the new process has
been derived:
The apparatus consists of glass or porce-
lain vase, which may be of any size con-
veniently adapted to the purpose, provided
with lining of lead connected with II
strong conductor of positive electricity The
vase is filled to three-fourths its capacity
with acidiiied water. a pair of iron tongs
with insulating handles is attached by Il
flexible conductor to the negative pole Of
an electrical current generated by an ordi-
nary dynamo. With this simple and mex
pensive equipment the following phcnom-
enon is produced:
The electrical current having been
switched on, n bar of wrought iron or other
metal is taken up with the tongs and
plunged into the water within the vase.
Immediately the water begins to boil at the
point of contact. The immersed portion of
the iron rises quickly to red, then to
white heat and emits 4 stream of brilliant
white light In a few moments the heat
becomes so intense that the iron melts and
falls off in bubbles and sparks. leaving
clear. glowing surface in perfect condition
for welding.
The heating process has been so rapid
that neither the water nor the end of the
bar held within the tongs has been more
than slightly warmed. and the current be-
ing switched off the bar with its submerg-
cd end glowing may be readily held in the
naked hand. If instead of bar of metal
stick of carbon is used, the heat in n few
minutes produces detached fragments of
amorphous carbon, which prove scientif-
ically that temperature of 1000 degrees
Celsius has been developed. The rapidity OF
the heating and the limit of temperature
to be reached are easily and accurately
governed by the strength of the current
employed, SO that the whole process is I'M
der absolute control of the operator.
Divested of all merely technical phrase
ology and reduced to it's simplest terms.
the process under consideration may he eX-
planned as follows: One of the well known
effects of electricity is to separate COM
pound fluid bodies through which it passes
into their primitive elements. The current
passing through the tongs and metallic bar
into the water dccomposes the latter into
Its two gaseous elements, oxygen and hydro
gen. The oxygen is attracted and gath
cred on the relatively large surface of the
lead lining and produces 40 noticeable eff
feet
The hydrogen, on the other hand. gathers
around the immersed portions Of the bar.
Rnd rs this has Il comparatively limited
surface area it is immediately surrounded
with close envelope or JACKET of hydrogen,
which, being q bad conductor of electricity.
creates :, powerful resistance to the passage
OF the current, and thus develops the heat
which causes the bar to glow and melt. 1t
is merely an application of the wcll known
law that friction or resistance to the pas
sage OF IN electrical current causes heat.
and the apparent paradox of q cold piece of
metal minced ri. Il
idly TO melting glow is as simple and
clearly explained as the incandesccnce of
platinum coil in vacuum bulb
1t Is rs yet too early to form any definite
estimate of the practical range of this dis
covery or its commercial value Thus far
it has been applied eXperimentally only to
the welding of various metals but with
such success that it promises in that special
field to inauguratc Il complete revolution.
Hitherto electrical energy transformed into
heat has found but few successful applica-
tons in industry. For welding purposes it
las been not only too expensive for general
adoption, but it has entailed certain tech
nical defects which have proved serious
and difficult to overcome. AS the temper
ature of the electrical furnace has been
heretofore difficult to govern, the iron has
often been overheated to the point of par
tial melting. This seriously affects it's
quality, as on cooling the metal does not
resume its original fibrous texture, but be-
comes crystalline, with an important loss
of tensile strength.
Another disadvantage has resulted from
the fact that iron when used for practical
purposes is rarely or never entirely pure,
but contains more or less carbon Steel
and wrought iron contain less carbon than
cast iron, and when heated in the ordinary
electrical furnace, where the heat is gen
Grated by the passage of the current be-
tween two carbon points, particles of loose
carbon which have been detached by the