St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-07-29
m THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

oZA l. ~ AO) "A q ~ - 4
m THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.
Experiments in propellins canal
boats by electric power are to be made
on the New York state canals, the leg.
islature having appropriated 81. 900 for
that purpose.
The central telegraph exchange Of
Paris, France. is simply . bureau Of
transmission, and neither directly re-
ceives nor distributes dispatches. IL
transmits 81, $50 telegrams daily, and
furnishes employment to $50 men snd
400 women.
The recently-issued and apparently
fundamental trolley patents. remarks
the Electrical World. will undoubtedly
result in another great legal battle. but
until the case is finally passed upon BY
the higher courts there can be but lit
tie or no certainty as to their value.
The unusually heavy wind storms
which have occurred recently through
out the west have given the telephone
companies in that section . great deal
of trouble. and entailed heavy expense
for repairs. The loss to the telephone
interests in Wisconsin is estimated at
$50, 900.
The Pacific Telephone and Tele-
graph Co.. of san Francisco. Cal. will.
it is announced, issue bonds to the
amount of se0o. 900 for the establish
ment for direct line from that city to
Los Angeles. The new line will be
from there to San Jose. San Juan. San
Louis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Los
Angeles. total distance Of 500 miles.
A combined storage battery and
axle-driven dynamo system of electric
car lighting has recently been developed
by an electrical firm in Newark. n. j.,
and has been applied to . passenger
car on the Central railroad Of New Jer-
sey. An exhibition run was made from
Newark to Roselle on April 81. The
dynamo is automatically controlled.
and the inventors claim that they will
yet be able to dispense with IN attend
ant on the train. the cost Of which Is .
large item in the expense Of electric
train lighting.
ported. have been experimenting with
an electric hand lamp of Russian inven-
tion. II seems to be well adapted to
the inspection of mines and trenches 1t
night. The lamp, or lantern. Il in tho
form of tube two and . half feet long,
the interior being made of tin. Tiny
cells, forming a battery, are placed in
this tube and connected in . special
manner. The light Is inclosed in six
plates of glass at the top Of the tube,
and the brilliancy is regulated by .
screw at the lower end.
Orange and lemon growing with
the addition of electricity TO sunlight,
is, it appears, about to be attempted by
. wealthy ranch owner in Paradise VAL
ley. San Diego county, Cal just south
east Of the city limits he Is having IN
electric plant put in for his house and
grounds, and on its completion will
have an acre of trees supplied with arc
lights, and over all VII be placed .
powerful tower light. 70 demonstrate
what there is in the theory that vege-
tables, trees and plants develop and
mature fruit more rapidly under the
constant influence of . strong light
than when immersed in darkness every
night.
An explosion Of q storage battery
cell in New York occurred recently
under peculiar circumstances. Seven
Julian cells. in process Of being charged
with 1O-ampere current at ITO volts,
were disconnected while in circuit. in
order to put in another cell At the
instant the connection was broken
there was vivid fash, followed by q
loud explosion. The middle cell was
completely wrecked. and several per-
sons standing near were thrown back
and covered with acid. The explosion
was due to the spark caused by break.
ing the circuit igniting the uncombined
hydrogen and oxygen gases in the cell.
The Royal Meteorological Society
Of England recently devoted an even
ing to the reception Of . paper from
Mr.. Stelford Bidwell on some problems
connected with thunder storms. He
asserted that the origin of atmospheric
electricity was quite Is Obscure ~ ever
II was, in spite Of the evaporation"
and friction theories. Having grant,
ed, however, that the classification
existed without reference to the cause
Of il, he pointed out that the ordinary
phenomena of thunder storms were mot
difficult to account for. Photography
had proved Of the greatest assistance
in determining the actual force Of tho
lightning fash. He stated that II DR..
Oliver Lodges theory Of the ''impulsive
rush" discharge be correct, lightning
conductors, however well constructed,
can not be depended upon TO afford
absolute immunity to property upoo
which they are erected.