Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-05
ELECTRICITY VS.. STEAM.
The Former Cannot Be snPpianfed ny
tho Latter, Which Has Advantages
I'll 1907

| The Former Cannot 10 snppIanfed by
tho Latter, which Has Advantages.
RrcHMoxp. Va, February IL. 1888.
| TO ne Edftor of he Dispatch:
Your editorial headed speed OF the Ice
| trio RAILWAY contained in your Sunday
paper OF February 5th, and the reply 10
the same by Mr. Maurice Ia the issue OF
February 18th, indicate an appreciation oil
| the fact that interest is rapidly growing
among the public at large in subjects
which have hitherto been considered
| by specialists only. You seem to re-
cognize the fact that some OF these
subjects are beginning WITH the i nphu
increase of rate to Affect the ualiy
| life of every citizen with wonderful inti-
macy, and that there is beginning to be
| call from the people for such general IN
| formation as can DO given them through
| the columns Of newspaper, the. great
"public educator" Thanks for the edit
| torial, which. with the reply Of Mr. Msu-
rice. seems 10 have excited considerable
| interest. As for the reply of Mr.. Maurice,
although my name has the same prouinci-
alton, pronounced disapprovai ls all can
give 10 many of the ideas set forth therein:
Think Won will agree with me that II would
be positively harmful TO let II pass with
ont correction in some points, which can De
done by the simple statement OF a tew no,
roughly, and. might say. long estaolshed
facts ] am very much surprised that any
one who was boy In 1887 and VINO,
though still young" has witnessed ihe
phenomenal strides of civilization De-
meath the influence Of science, can. IN
such O manner. use such expressions as
1.-The So called scientists and experts and
giving announcement TO the electric.
power faction" Why does he speak SO or
them? II he can do better. or knows that
n 4 -, Of hn nj
and capital waiting and anxious Tor
promising investment? He doesn't even
sneak of probabilities. but speaks know
incly of certain properly constructed
engines" which would work wonders yet
unheard of. But it il not of dreams that
wish TO speak. but OF few points iaid
down in that letter az facts, which must
be borne out by information which only
he possesses.
REGARD THE WONDERS
To the remarks about scientists and
experts and the eleetric-power faction
il is hardly necessary to make other
reply than request the reader to
look about him and regard the wonders
Nothing is more applicable here than that
"tho proof Of the pudding is In the eat
ing" Then he goes on to compare steam
aud electricity as motors IN o manner
which, TO man who is neither " so-called
scientist nor an expert" is, to say the
least, original, as well as puzzling. But |
do not wish to open discussion with one
who Is 80 much my superior IN ,ex-
perience in practical mechanics, but
1t seems positively wrong to allow
some of his points to pass unnoticed.
For instance, the limits which he has set
TO electric power are startling, even when
regarded from the standpoint of facts
established many years since. lie says
electrical machines cannot produce pres
sure Of 200 to 800 pounds per square inch
Ia wide range indeed 10 speak or as
limit. whereas years before electrical ma
cbipes were brought to their present stage
of development, Joule and Bldweil both
produced electromagnetic of over 227
pounds per square inch lifting power,
which, according to well-knoWn law
of magnetism. would produce rending
power of 90S pounds per square inch when
only two magnets are opposed to each
other. While It is true that there Is some
loss of power in converting the power OF
the steam engine into electric power, that
loss is by no means so greet as popularity
supposed. Five years ago MIR. Edison,
that most ingenious Of mechanics. con-
structed dynamo which gave forth over
30 per cent. of the power of the steam
employed, and this percentage has been
slowly but surely increased by improve
ments in construction ever since.
CARRIES GREAT WEIGHT.
It has also to be taken into account that
the steam locomotive has TO carry an I'M
mensely greater weight in coal and water
and general Quitting in proportion to Its
power. A man can carry under one arm
motor of one-horse power. AS for speed.
IT is remarkable popularity in an electric
motor that at high speed 1t gives better
results than at low speed-current
strength being the same, while the steam
locomotive requires additional steam and
coal all out OF proportion to additional
speed. The conflict of rotary motion Of
the driving wheels with lineal motion OF
the plstern rod is partly the cause of the
great friction. In fact, to invent a low
speed motor has been one of the
latest and most perplexing problems solved
by designers--a task which they seem even
now to have but partly accomplished. But
II seems a waste of time TO discuss the
point further when we consider the won
derful increase by geometrlcal progression,
so to speak, III the power OF electric
magnets when lngeniously arranged IN the
combinations found in modern motors
and also when We know that the amount
OF this power is only limited to the amount
OF available power of any kind in our
bic into this subtle force or demonstra-
ton. Indeed, there is no question as TO
quantity, intensity, or speed. the one great
question is the COST of adopting THIS METHOD
of obtaining them. 1t is to DC regretted
that Mr.. Maurice did not discuss this. |
can speak of IL only IN general way. lie
might give much valuable Information IN
detail, beng practical mechanic las
presume from what he writes about his
lffal Tho anaGtinn of COmnQraH
with results in work ID now almost wholly
confined to locomotives on big railroads
now monopolized by steam-pOwer, while
the advantages of electricity in small loco
motives or small stationary motors, espe-
cially when used in places where steam
would be either disagreeable or impossi-
BILE, gre unauestionable.
THE PRIME GENERATOR.
OF course no one would attempt to deny
that for heavy stationary work steam Is
king. and is also the primo generator OF
nearly all OF our power; moreover, that IN
the course Of transmission some of this
power is lost. The application of power is
no less important consideration than the
generation, and hope it 10 understood
that 1t is of the application only that
speak. 1t may.not be out of place, however,
10 mention that scientists are now busy
over the problem of how to obtain force
direct from coal or the earth without the
medium of steam as converter If they
meet with success it will be readily seen
that the whole generating business will DO
revolutionized in short order.
In closing my remarks would say that
we would not like to think that electricity
is to be supplanted by steam az motive
power We cannot resist the charm of
having almost an unlimited amount of
force in places where il is necessary that
it should be at one time without the least
heat, then intensely hot. make no noise.
or nng gong-alarm. give no light or be-
come the most intense illuminant-all
with perfect neatness and coming almost
inyIsibiy to us through q tiny wire instead
of the hot and unsshtly steam.pipe. Don't
take il away. Mr.. Maurice
With a brief statement of few more
facts. Mr.. Editor, will let you have lit
tie peace