The Van Buren press., 1895-10-12
IN THE gLEoTRlcAL WORLD.


Col. Leigh. Baltimore editor. was
writing an article on 1.-The Dangers OF
Lightning when he was temporarily
blinded by an electric fash, and a bolt
entered the open window of the edito-
rial room, skipped along the gas pipe
and escaped.
Mr., Edison has no doubt about the
certainty of executing a criminal by
electricity. He says about thirty line
men are killed every year by contact
with a live wire, and they are pro-
teeted by their clothing and low volt
age. Mr.. Tesla expresses similar
opinion concerning capital punishment
by electricity.
Experiments have shown that mild
currents of electricity may have benz
eficial effect on the growth of plants,
but of course, heavy charge will kill
plant just as lightning will kill :
tree. Prof, Dolbear says that this
quality of the electric currents has
been used to destroy weeds that grow
by railroad tracks and on adjacent en-
bankments-
Prof. Crooks thinks that If the
electric lights were universal to-day,
the candle, if suddenly introduced,
would be thought a wonderful inven-
ton, as it enables person to obtain
light in its simplest and most portable
form, and without the use of cumbrous
machinery or the necessity of attach
ing the lamp to any fixed point by
means OF wire before it could be
lighted.
Wire fences are cheap and con-
venient, but they have their draw
backs and one of the most serious is
that they are capital lightning con-
duetors. A few DAYS ago large herd
of cattle, near Topeka, Kas., were
frightened by an approaching storm
and rushed through a narrow lane, A
bolt of lightning struck the fence on
the other side of the field, and twenty
five of the cattle, which were touch-
ing the wire, were killed.
The electric man, of which stnrt-
ling descriptions have lately gone the
rounds, is, according to the New York
Times, at last reality. A very ca
pable specimen has been turned out by
merry-go-round factory at Tonawan-
da, N. Y. The electric man, however,
seems. SO far to exhibit more power
than iexibiiity. All that he is good
for at present is to pull cart about
the streets, and this he is doing in Tom
AMANDA to the delight of the populaee,
and, incidentally, it is presumed, to
the advantage of a certain soap, OF
which the sides of the cart bear signs.
| The model is seven feet in height, and
is clothed in a military uniform. 1t
| walks away with the cart in brilliant
style.
From an article in Cassier's Mapa-
zine for July-a special Niagara power
| mum ber-much valuable and interest
| ing information can be derived. 1t ap-
pears that about $4,000 horse power are
to be utilized at present from che falls,
| and already three 5,000-horse power
generators have been put in operation.
| The plant is located about u miles
| above the falls. The water after fall
ing through a distance OF 100 feet at
the station, is discharged through the
big tunnel, extending under the town
| of Niagara Falls, and emptying into
the river below the suspension bridge.
| The construction of this mammoth
tunnel of tail-race required the labor
of 900 men for three years, and called
for the removal of 400, 900 tons of rocks,
and the use of more than 10000 00C
bricks in lining The tunnel is graded
SO as to give the discharged water .
velocity of about 20 miles per hour.