The Monticellonian., 1895-09-27
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.


 -Gol. Leigh, Baltimors editor. was
 writing an article on ssThe Dangers Of Eightning,2 when he was temporarily blinded by an electric flash. and bolt entered the open window Of the edito- rial room skipped along the gas pipe snd escaped.
 MT. 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- tected by their clothing and low volt age. MT. Tesla expresses a similar opinion concerning capital punishment by electricity.
 Experiments have shown that mild currents of electricity may have q ben eHeial effect on the growth of plants, but, of course, a heavy charge will kill a plant just as lightning will kill a 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 em- 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 a person to obtain light in it's simplest and most portable form, and without the use of cum mbrous machinery or the necessity of attaeh- ing the lamp to any fixed point by means of wire before 1t 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 narrow lane. \ 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 Y orif Hines, at last reality. very ca- pable specimen has been turned out by a merry-go-round factory at Tonawan- da, \. Y. The electric man. however. seems, so far to exhibit more power than heXibility. All that he is good for at present is to pull cart about the streets, and this he is doing in Ton- awanda to the delight of the populaee, and, incidentally, it is presumed. to the advantage of certain soap. of which the sides of tho art hoo, e.;,-,,s The model is seven feet in height, and is clothed in military uniform. It walks away with the cart in brilliant style.
 From an article in Cassier's Maga- zine for Julv-e special Niagara power mber-mueh valuable and interest," ing information can be derived. It ap- pears that about 50, GOO horse power are to be utilized at present from the falls, and already three 5,0d1.horse power generators have been put in operation. The plant Is located about miles above the falls. The water. after falI- 1 ing through distance of 160 feet at the station, iS discharged through tho big tunnel. extending under the town | Of Niagara Falls, and emntving into | the river below the suspension bridge. | The construction of this mammoth | tunnel of tail-race required the labor | Of i.oo0 men for three years. and called | for the removal of 300, GOO tons of rocks, and the use of more than f6. 000 a00 | bricks in lining The tunnel is graded | go as 10 give the discharged water velocity of about 20 miles per hour.