Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-29

on steam railways is by trolley cars opera ing
on the same tracks with stesfn trains OF all
classes. and that this can be d6ne successfully
without danger to the trolley cars or deten-
ton to or interference in any way with the
steam service Wiof
ALUMINIUM BY ELEcTRoLYsIs.
One Of the first uses to WHICH the current
generated at the large Niagara falls electric
plant has been put is the, manufacture Of
aluminium from bauXite by electrolysis.
What the value Of such a source Of electric
current may be to factories In the neighbour
hood of Niagara, to say nothing Of those at
a distance, is suggested by the fact that, al
though the present aluminium works are con-
structed to produce 5000 pounds Of pure
aluminium a day, the complete success of
the electrolytic process has convinced the
management that the doubling of the re-
sources Of the factory by its means is a
comparatively cimple matter, More pots are
to be put in as rapidly as possible, until TO-
900 pounds of the pure metal, worth in small
quantities so cents a pound. is turned out
daily. The process is described as follows:
Pots containing oxide of aluminium, or al
umina, which is to be changed into pure
aluminium, are arranged in long rows in a
large reduction room. Each pot Is lined with
carbon, the lining forming the negative cleo
trode In the process of reduction. The posi-
tive pole consists of a row of copper rods,
terminating In a huge carbon anode, which
extends into the pot. The oxide, in a pull
verified state, looking very much like -four,
Is placed in the pot. the carbon anodes ex-
tending through the mass, and the current,
carried by great copper rods through the
entire length of the row Of pots, is turned
on. The electricity is allowed to do its work
for twenty-four hours, after which the pure
aluminium is drawn out and cast into in
gots. By the new process the aluminium.
which is separated from the ore by the ac-
ton of the electricity, and the fluxes used
to facilitate melting, accumulate about the
negative electrode, which in this case is the
carbon-lined bottom of the pot. The ingenu-
ity of this arrangement Is evident. The ire
mendous current heats the carbon of both
the lining and the anodes to the point of
whiteness, and the melting of the ore by this
heat is an important factor in the manu-
facture of the metal. AS 1t is ladled from
the pots 1t looks like ordinary lead heated
to a red heat, but when poured into the
molds 1t glistens with almost snowlike
whtteness, and the roughly cast ingots thus
produced have the luster of polished silver.
LIGHTS VERSUS LAMPS.
A short life and a merry one is to be the
guiding principle of the new order of lamp
manufacture. At one time an incandescent
lamp cost so much that 1t was made to last
as long as possible, even If it had to be run
at much below its nominal candle power.
NOW lamps are cheap, and people insist on
having light. A significant sign of the ten
dency of the times is that the twenty-five
candle power lamp is daily being put in in
place of the original standard sixteen candle
power lamp. 1t is assumed that when Edison
adopted the sixteen candle power standard
for his lamp he took what was probably a
very good average of the illumination given
out by the fvo foot gas burners the country
over. But during the last fifteen years the
gas standard has been raised through i'm
provements in manufacture, and whereas
twenty candle gas was once seen, the larger
cities of the country now. average well up
to twenty-five candle gas. The public has
not been slow to see this, and now demands
a unit of light at least equal to the prevailing
standard gas unit. The central stations.
fortunately for them, realize the situation,
and the use of high economy lamps is grow
ing. 1t Is noted, too, that the 9time-honored
500 hours of life is not nearly ~sosoften insisted
on as formerly. Indeed, the specific require
ment now commonly made sis for a lamp that
will maintain its candle power at high
economy for from 300 to- 400 hours. The
introduction OF lamps of twenty-five candle
power, although already started upon, will
doubtedless be gradual, as 1t must naturally
be accompanied by a corresponding change
in the fittings, cut outs, wiring, &C., if ap-
piled to existing installations. Z
KNOCKOUT NAILS. ..
Three or four innocent looking nails that
project about anNinch above the sidewalk in
front Of 131 Canal streets Furnished amuse-
ment yesterday for hotel runners. -cabmen
bartenders and a whole, lot of other people,
says the Chicago TimeseHerald. Under the
sidewalk is an electric light wire which
charges the nails. When any pedestrian
struck his foot against the nails he would
receive a shock and go down in a heap.
Cabmen and hotel runners around the
Union depot saw a man hurrying to catch a
train yesterday morning. When he got in
front Of where the nails projected he shrieked
and was sent sprawling into the gutter. His
satchel went one way and his hat another.
AS he gathered himself up he sad he had been
struck by lightning, but as there had been
no flash he was soon convinced that he was
mistaken. While this man was brushing the
mud off his clothes another man came along
and stubbed his toe against one of the nails.
He, too, was sent spawning. The source OF
the trouble was then found out, and for
hours the spot was watched by an amuse-
ment loving crowd. Late in the afternoon
Officer Derrig heard Of the nails, and he re-
ported the case to the fire department. The
fun was soon stopped. o,.
A WISE RULE.
The wisdom Of the rule Of enjoining the
stoppage of electric cars on the near side
rather than on the farther side of the street
Is demonstrated by a correspondent, who
says that, having stopped before crossing the
line of right angle travel the car is much
more likely to be under the thorough contro
Of the motorman than If it were driven across
the intersecting thoroughfare at full speed
While waiting for cars passengers have 6
tendency to stand at the crossing, and as the
train PUSHES by them before coming to a stoI
under the old method, many men, and ever
some women, are tempted to chamber aboard
and take a seat while the cars are still IL
motion. There is the same temptation fol
passengers to alight in order to avoid beini
carried too far. Under the new plan intend
ing passengers approach the cars as they con-
to a stop, walking toward them and not will
them. 1t is said that the near-crossing stop
which has been conclusively tested in Balti
more and other eastern cities, saves man,
lives and accidental injuries. The manager
of many lines say they will never go back t
the old method, and in some states there i
talk of inducing legislation to compel al
transportation lines to adopt the new system
A SICK BENEFIT.
A novel idea in telephone practice ha
been put into execution by a New Englan,
company. A letter has been sent to al
physicians in New Haven stating that II
many cases of sudden attacks of illness
telephone from the house of a patient to tn
residence of a physician would be OF tn
greatest value. To meet this need the com
pany. announced that upon the request of
person in the city limits, endorsed by tn
physician attendant, a telephone would b
placed in the house for a period of thirt,
days for the sum of S., and If the famil,
wished then to continueIthe service tn
same rates would be made for each succeed
ing month. The plan promises to be al