St. Paul daily globe., 1895-10-28
WlzARD-LIKE.
Fresh wonders Being Developed
in Electricity Domain

New York Times.
What between electric cooling Ifans
and electric heating devices we shall
soon be able to take any Kind of
weather provided by the meteorological
department, either in summer orr win
ter, with equal equanimity. w FL.
Preece, the well known English gtele-
graph chief, dwelt, in a recent address,
on the extent to which the creature
comforts of this generation are being
increased by electric heating. During
the last winter he had his office kept
constantly at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, a
temperature which the Englishman
considers ideal in cold weather, and IaIl
through the exceptionally severe win
ter his office was always comfortable,
and it's air was always fresh and whole
some, thanks to his electric radiator
Mr.. Preece gave a humorous account
Of some of his experiences in domestic
electric heating and cooking. In his
own house he has an electric oven, and
the dishes cooked in it are a perpetual
pleasure. On his breakfast table is an
electric warmer that keeps the break
fast dishes hot. Curiously enough, he
had the warmer fixed almost solely to
accommodate his boys, who would in
Variably lie abed of mornings and al
ways come down to cold breakfast.
After Vainly trying for years to break
them of this bad habit he got the cleo
trio hot dish, SO that in all events the
meal might be kept warm. The hot
plate kept the dishes in perfect order,
but as showing the contrarinesS of the
boyiSh race, the moment the boys lost
the charm of the cold dishes they
came down punctually to breakfast,
and, in fact, since that time he has been
the last and they have been the first.
His daughters curled their hair with
electric irons, and ran their sewing
machines by electricity, and in the
kitchen the electric current washed the
dishes, cleaned the knives, and turned
the ice cream freezer. Electric heating
and refrigerating devices were so dis
tributed about the house itself that in
winter there was not a corner that
was not cozy, and in summer not a spot
that was not cool.
An inventor has devised an electrical
apparatus for the detection of sham
or paste diamonds. The diamond is
moiStened and slowly moved toward
which is rapidly reVolve0 by an electric
motor. The contact of the diamond
thus constitutes brake to the motion
of the disk. If metallic marks are
found on the supposed gem, it, is not
genuine; otherwise, it is a pure stone.
The idea is based on. the fact that if
sharp piece of aluminium be rubbed
on ,moiStened glass, brilliant metallic
markings appear. but the phenomenon
is absent when similar contact is made
with a diamond. The same inventor
is credited with an electric esg-test-
| ing device, which consists of a box
| provided with two holes and fitted
inside with a mirror at 45 degrees.
A small electric lamp outside the box
throws light on the egg placed in
one of the holes in the top of the box.
the mirror the reflection of the il
Illuminated egg, which will be clear of
streaks and stains or otherwise, ac-
cording as it is stale or sound.
A well known electrical authority
her pointed ont that it Is now as easy
and cheap to have an electric elevator
in a private house as in a large office
building. Stairs are literally a bar
barism. to which women frequently
owe i'll health. and to which many
delicate persons may attribute the de-
Drivation of the full enjoyment of their
homes. The cost of operating an cleo
tric elevator in, say a five-story house,
making fifty or sixty tripS every day,
will not exceed So or "a per lnonth.
The devices for operating these ele-
Vators have been so improved that an
invalid or a child can manage them.
The old lever arrangement can be
dispensed with. and the elevator as
cends or descends on the. pressure of
a button. 1t will stop only at each
floor. and will start only when the
elevator door is cloeed. 7ee4