The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-23

resnected as such. The companies must
keep their lines open, at least for the run
ming of the postal-cars. This point was
recognized during the recent great strike
on the trolley lines in Brooklyn. The
strikers did not interfere with the running
of the cars containing the mail, which,
during that troublous period, was dellv-
cred as regularly as in ordinary tunes. A
fact which may possibly bear on the same
issue has lust been reported. The West
End trolley management has issued an
order for the carrying of mail in sealed
pouches on front platforms OF cars on
nearly all lines in addition tothat handled
by the regular mailcars. This Is alleged
by employees to be move to prevent the
general tie-up threatened to begin uly D.
TESTING THE VISIBILITY OF LIGHTS AT
SEA.-Some interesting experiments have
been made on the visibility of the electric
light at sea by the Governments OF the
United States, Germany and the Neither
lands. The word visible in the report
on the tests means visible on dark night
with q clear atmosphere. The result of
the experience of the German committee
was that white light of l candle-power
was visible Ia miles on dark, clear night
and 1 mile on a rainy night. The Amer
lean tests resulted as follows: In very
clear weather light of L candle-power
was plainly visible at 1 nautical mile, one
OF 8 candle power at miles, one OF 10
candle power was seen by the aid OF
binocular at miles, one OF y candle
power family at miles and one OF 80 candle
power plainly at miles. On an excep-
tionally clear night a white light of 81
candle-power was readily distinguished at
miles, one of sc at miles and one of 17.2
candle-power at miles. In the Dutch
experiments the results were almost SINH
lar, 1t was conclusiyely proven that a
white light was by far the most easily
seen.
THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY BY
CLOUD FoRMATIoN.-The belief that the
formation of clouds is often accompanied
by electrical effects is confirmed by Pro-
lessor Schaster, who describes an expert
ence in Switzerland. AS he was descend
ing from Dent Blanche after sunset, he
found himself in wide valley at height
of about II 600 feet. A current of air was
apparently blowing up the valley. and be-
low him he observed the formation of
cloud at height a little below the snow
line. AS night came on, and the descent
over the glacier and down the valley con-
tinued, a series of electric discharges were
seen between the cloud, which was lying
in a deep-cut valley, the sides of the noun
tain and the blue sky overhead. The moist
air was evidently flowing through the
cloud, depositing its moisture in the form
of drops, and leaving the cloud in an
electrified state. Wherever water rubs
against air positive electricity is generated.
Every wave that breaks into spray under
the action of strong wind leaves the
water negatively electrified the air carry
ing away the positive charge.
THE WONDERS OF THE ELECTRIC ORGAN
The electric organ has been developed into
marvellous instrument. It's distinguish
ing feature is that by using the "con-
sole," key board on a movable stand, the
organ can be played from any point, or
several organs can be played at the same
moment and by the same touch of the
keys. So that if the service of half dozen
or more churches could be so timed as to
exactly correspond in the length of the re-
spective parts of their ritual, one organisr
would suffice for them all. He would sit
at the keyboard and perform his offertory,
anthem or hymn, as the case might be,
and the pressure on the keys would make
an electric contact, which would open the
pneumatic valves in the pipes OF all the in
struments connected by wires.