The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-01-11
in THE ELECTRICAL WORLD.

The Pacific cable, UPON which Eng
fish contractors are now estimating,
At the Invitation of the Canadian gov
srnment, is to connect Vancouver with
the British possessions in Australia.
The cost of the cable. it is thought,
will not be over s1O,OOO.OO0.
"A Mexican professor of physics
proposes to foreten earthquakes by
connecting telephones to the pipes of
deep artesian wells. and to metal plates
sunk deep in mountain crevices. ANY
unusual noise in the bowels of the
earth would be audible in the tele-
phone. and would indicate trouble.
Amsterdam will have next year an
international exhibition of hotel ar
engagements and accommodations for
travellers. Among the features of the
exhibition will be an electric restau-
rant" without walters in which visit
ors will be served automatically with
complete dinner on pressing an cleo
trio button.
1t is related that. in 1891. a young
electrician. now in Paris. on looking
through Carnegie's great steel rail
plant at Braddock, Pa, casually sug-
gested that electricity could be made
to operate the widely separated pieces
of machinery at saving of many thou
sands year. \ week or two ago An
drew Carnegie visited the plant for the
first time in two years, and saw cleo
tricity doing the work. This improve
ment, together with others. it is said,
makes it possible for eight men to do
the work 800 did in 1891.
"A handy little device has been
brought out for preventing the waste
of current that often goes on in the
electric lighting of hotels and large
buildings In hotel bedroom, cell
lars and other places where persons
are constantly passing in and out and
requiring light for only short periods
it not infrequently happens that the
light is switched on and left burning,
sometimes for many hours, to no pur-
pose. The apparatus which makes such
waste impossible is a small piece of
clockwork, by means of which an in
candescent lamp is automatically
switched off in half an hour, an hour,
or any prearranged time. 1t can be
included in any ordinary circuit in
stead of the switch, and at very mod
crate cost.
"A miniature electric yacht has
lately been placed on the market. It
is &c inches in length and 615 inches
beam. and is guaranteed to beat any
other boat of its size. 1t is driven by
tiny motor and one cell of a special
boat battery. The motor is suspended
on bracket and geared direct with
the propeller shaft. Motor, gearing
and battery can all be taken out and
replaced within minute. The bat
terry gives enough current to propel the
boat between one and two hours. 1t
gives no trouble whatever, as from it's
construction there can be no tipping
over of acid and no breaking of glass
jars. The boat travels at the rate of
about three miles an hour. The pro-
pellor is "a inches in diameter. and
has two blades set at IS degree pitch.
The whole appearance of the tiny craft
is trim and workmanlike-in fact, it
has been designed and built under the
direct supervision of United States
naval engineer. 1t is claimed that as
an easy running boat it can not be
equalled. and for boys, beside being a
source of amusement, will be also one
of instruction.