The Van Buren press., 1895-03-09
IN THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

Telegraph lines throughout the
world aggregate 1,069,193 miles. OF
these America has more than half, viz,
54s, ,se2 miles; Europe, 3s2,937; Asia,
67,s75; Australia, 1852 and Africa,
1,6s7 miles.
The first sailing vessel to be light.
cd by electricity is said to have been
the Spanish bark La Vigurea, bulk
oil and general cargo carrier. She is
fitted throughout with incandcscent
lights, the power OF the dynamo being
furnished by small oil engine, which
also furnishes power to pump her oil
cargo when she is loading or unload~
ing.
The number Of electrical appli-
ances in use in the cotton mills Of
Fall River is increasing rapidly, and
one electrical enthusiast is already
looking forward to the time when long
lines of shafting and betting shall be
replaced by copper wires that will lead
from one central dynamo room to
small motors near various kinds of cot
ton machinery.
According to the latest returns
(1s92), Norway is the country in which
the smallest number of telegraph mes
sages are sent, and Great Britain the
one in which the telegraph is most
used. The messages average 1.S head
in the United Kingdom, and slightly
under head in the United States
and France. In Russia they average
only .O4 per head of population.
Berlin and Vienna were connected
by telephone only about month ago,
and already there is business enough
to need another line. The line has
been connected with Trieste at one end
and Hamburg at the other, making q
total length of 900 miles. 1t is expected
that Hamburg will soon be connected
with Copenhagen, which is joined to
the Swedish system, extending $50
miles north, when it will be possible
for Northern Sweden and Southern
Austria to communicate by telephone.
One of the most elevated telegraph
lines in the world is reported from In
dia. On the Gilgit line two passes
have to be crossed, one 1000 feet high
and the other 49, 500 The snow often
lies at depth Of from 10 to 1s feet, and
the poles used are 80 feet long. The
poles are planted close together. Offices
of observation are close by, in each Of
which two Europeans are stationed,
leadinga life in comparison with which
that spent Mt submarine cable stations
is riotous and crowded. For many
months the passes are cut of from
mankind by the snow blockades.
The electric railway company at
Glens Falls N. Y, has introduced an
innovation in the method of paying
some of its employees for the coming
year. A premium system. consisting
of q percentage of the returns made
by each conductor, and, in the case Of
the motorman, share of the savings
effected in car repairs, are the princi-
pal features. The system will, the
officers of the road hope, aid in the
efficiency of the service to the public,
and at the same time enable the em-
ployes to make substantial addition
to their wages in proportion to their
faithfulness to their duties.
"A remarkable experiment has re-
Gently been made near Orange, N. j.,
on the Eagle Rock line of the Suburban
Traction Co. with some magnetic sand
from the ore-separating works Of
Thomas A. Edison, at Ogden. Mr..
Edison had the idea that the sand
would have more effect in preventing
slipping of the wheels than the ordi-
nary sand. The experiment was tried
during snow storm on the Eagle
Rock line, where the grades are excess
sive and the difficulties Of operating in
the snow are enormous. The expcri-
ment proved q complete success, the
sand making q perfect electrical con-
nection with the rails, and no slip be-
\ ing noted.