Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-12-27
SCIENTIFIC MATTERS.
SOME NEW WRINKLES IN SCIENCE
AND INDUSTRY.

AND INDUSTRY.
Photographic Electric LiEhts-An-
Client American Treuanning-Fu-
ture Of Electro RailrOnding-NeNv
Process OF Gas Making.
Rankin Kennedy, in a paper on the
use of the Photographic electric light,
says that, although the electric light
has done good service to the photo
grapher in the past, it will have to give
way to the arc light in the higher fields
of artificial light photography. Artiti-
cial light varies much III quality, ana
the photographer seeks. above Ill, to Sc
cure the greatest amount of photograph
ic light ut the lowest cost and with the
least labor and trouble. 1t is familiar
fact that all ordinary lights are made
up of seven or more different colored
series of rays, some being BLUSH. some
yellowisl, like gas and incandesccnt
electric light The arc light Is very
rich in the blue and violet rays on
which the photographer so much de-
ponds to do his best work, while 1t Is
poverty stricken In reds and yellOws,
which, however. do not produce any ef-
feet on the Photographic plate. The In
candescent light has very little of the
blue and the violet rays, and, accord
ing to measurements made by Mr.. Ken
needy, the arc light contains 30 per cent
more Photographic or actinic rays than
the incandescent light of the same illu-
minating power. TO illustrate the val
ue of the respective lights for this pur-
pose, Mr.. Kennedy took photographs,
first of an object thrown on to screen
in the focus of an ordinary handled
arc lamp, and then Of the same object
under the illumination Of an incandes-s
cent lamp run up in candle-power far
beyond the normal standard as used in
the incandescent photo apparatus. At
ter exactly the same exposure the plate
developed from the incandescent light
was very faint, whereas, the print TAX
en- from the arc light was distinct,
dense and decided. Mr.. Kennedy COM
pared the cost Of the respective lights,
putting down the incandescent at about
$1.25 per hour for studio purposes and
the arc at 35c an hour. The reason of
the high cost of the incandescents is
that they are necessarily heated to 4
high candle power, and this volatilises
| VIC w ulCU 1Ol Ills uCpOSlI OA
the globe and makes the light more
dim every time it is turned on, so that
Il photographer can never count absO-
lutely on the same light from inclndes-
cents, while from the arc the light is
always uniform,and an operator can
count on giving exactly the same ex-
posture in every instance. Mr.. Kennedy
holds that the incandescent photo light
is destined to failure, first, from COM
mercial point Of view, owing to the
enormous cost for current and renewals
and secondly, from photographers
point Of view, as when heated even to
the highest candle-power it does not
contain the necessary Photographic rays
in sufficient quantity.
| Future of Electric Rnilroading.
| When the elevated railroads in New
York came into existence it was be-
lieved that the revenues of the horse
car lines would suffer. For time they
did, and then slowly recovered as the
population became denser. A similar
experience was had in Brooklyn. But
the last few years have seen a most
extraordinary revolution. The horse
car lines i'll Brooklyn adopted the troll
! ley system, and drew away travel to
| such an extent that the elevated roads
We're barely able to pay taxes. In New
York the cable was introduced, and for
the first time in it's history the elevated
road has lost heavily, and will not be
able to maintain dividends if an i'm
proyement does not take place. Just
what will be done in either city is
not yet known but it is evident that
steam is having hard battle to main
tain it's foothold. Strangely enough,
this significant state Of affairs comedies
with the abandonment on sew eral steam
railways Of short service trains, that
have been trying to compete with troll
ley lines, and it is said by those who
know that this process is eating like
deep canker into the best earnings
Of roads enjoying hitherto a large local
patronage. The trolley has shown it.
self cheaper and more flexible. The
average of fare on steam roads is 1-4c
per mile; for the same money most
trolley roads will carry q passenger
nearly five times as far in about the
same time and put him down at his
exact destination. Some steam railway
managers talk Of fighting; others, more
| SleAlcus uAc CAcdIluk
way for newer conditions, and it may
safely be predicted that our railroad
methods, under this pressure, will be
remarkably changed during the next
five years. One of the electrical jour-
mails has recently expressed the ol4n-
ion that steam railroad organization
cannot endure its present heavy rate
of capitalization. and that the first
break to electricity will be seen in
England where the short roads, dense
population and frequent travel are all
favorable to the new method of loco
motion.
Ancient American TrepannninE.
The antiquity Of most of the arts Of
civilization on this continent is being
steadily established. 1t now appears
that the clever cid. Peruvians were
adopts in surgery not less than in agri-
cult, 4: