Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06

| perime nts have shown that equally favora-
1 Bile effects may be secured by the direct ap
piication of electricity t. the plants through
| wires. In this manner the production of
certain vegetables has been doubled and
| even Quadrupled. The galvanic current has
| been applied to seeds, causing them to
| beans and sunfiowers terminate In half
| the time required for the sproutng Of seeds
not thus treated
Medical science could not get along with
cut electricity nowadays. If it is suspected
| that person has anything the matter with
| his stomach the physician obliges him to
| swallow d small light bulb, which illum-
| mates MIN inside. so that the presence of
| any disease or foreign body may be per-
ceived. This idea was originated by
Frenchman, who used to induce fishes in
an aquarium to swallow a Gght-bulb on
the end of a wire; when in the dark their
anatomical structure would be perfectly
revealed as they swan about. By similar
means the entire face is illumina ted, d
| light being introduced into the pharynx,
| behind the hose. Doctors at present use an
electrical machine somewhat like that Of q
dentist for drilling through diseased bone
and for various other operations. They
also employ electricity for cautery.
Most Powerful Magnet.
The dirig:ble balloon of the future will
| undoubtedly be run by an electric engine.
Col. W. r. King. U. S. A, is the inventor
Of ar electromagnetic which has been
mounted on top of fort at WlilettS
Point, near New York. 1t is the most
powerful magnet in the world-a horse
shoe made Of two big cannon and a metal
bar, with miles of insulated telegraph wire
wound around the muzzles of the guns for
speeds. A current is supplied from dy
namo. 1t is claimed that the magnet viii
deranEe the compass Of an enemy'S ship at
a distance OF six miles. A new application
CT electricity is for Jail cell, the walls Of
which are composed wholly of bars, giving
q c a { n0SSihle
The bars are hollow pipes, carrying heat in
winter, and are connected with battery
If the prisoner saws through one of them
the circuit is broken and an alarm sounds.
Patents for alarms are in great variety
One of them is set off by escaping gas.
Another is designed as d safeguard for
Mr.. Hayseed. His effort to blow out the
gas tits a delicately balanced electrode,
closing the circuit and giving notice in the
Office of the hotel. An alarm in the Office
of a cemetery gives notification of any at
temp. to rob grave. There are several
devices, for connecting railway tracks with
wires so that no train can enter block
while another train is on it. One of these
stops the entering locomotive, shuts off its
steam automatically, and spills sand on
the track
One dollars worth of ordinary CONNER
cial gold leaf covers 800 square inches, but
this material is thick compared with the
gold leaf that is made by depositing
yellow metal with electricity in a bath
upon highly-polished sheet Of copper II
this manner film only one-four- miIlfonth
or an inch in thickness may be produced.
Mounted glass, it is transparent. Only
by means of the electric furnace could NJ.
Moissan of Paris have achieved his recent
success in making real diamonds artifi-
cially by melting wrought iron with car
hen. 1t was in trying for diamonds by a
similar process that a Pit:sburg inventor
not long ago produced 'carSorundunl,'
which is coming into general use as a sub
Stitute for corundum in grinding The
bright crystals of this new substance
which is harder than ruby sapphire,
were at first mistaken by the operator for
the gems he was seeking.
Fusing by Electricity.
There is small bar at the patent Office
which consists in different parts of its
length of steel, brass, tin, copper and sill
ver-all so perfectly united that it might
be supposed to have been formed that way
by nature. 1t was made by the process of
electric welding, which consists in placing
two pieces of metal with the ends almost
together. and fusing them by passing a
powerful current through them. The high
est producihle temperature IS that of the
electric arc, which runs up to 100 degrees
Fahrenheit. By means of this enormous
heat various feats have been accomplished
recently, which hitherto were deemed i'm
possible. The metal uranium and other
substances, which could not he liquetied
before have been transformed into gases.
Uranium. is a metal of great hardness.
and, when struck against a flint, gives out
sparks of much greater intensity than
those produced by steel. Similarly, plati-
mum, copper gold, iron and silica have
been volat;lized, and chromium and titani-
UNI have been obtained in pure state in
large quantities.
The last fifteen years have witnessed the
creation of the electric light, the electric
railway, the telephone. and a large variety
of industries depending on electricity. They
have opened new fields and fresh demand
for labor From our point of View today,
it seems odd that people could ever have
got along without those conven-ences which
now are regarded essentials of civlliZa-
ton and necessary to comfort
RENE BACHE.