The morning call., 1895-02-24

experiments made by him in the applica-
ton OF dynamo-electric currents on his
lines, which are of much interest. For the
past year Mir. Flanders has employed
motor generator driven by 110-volt cur
rent derived from the mains of the Edison
Illuminating Company. This machine
feeds group OF six fire-alarm circuits, each
of which is provided with a rheostat for
adjusting the strength of its currents. The
average current required for each circuit is
h1ty volts and .04 amperes The number of
gravity cells superseded by this arrange
ment was $50, and Mr.. Flanders states that
the capacity of the machine is ample to
supply as many additional circuits.
ELECTRIC LIFE BUoYs.-A large electric
company of Berlin, Germany, is making
llte-buoy for use on board ship which is
fitted with an electric lamp so as to be
visible at night in the water The floating
apparatus is made of waterproof linen,
and Is sufficient to bear the weight of
three persons in the water, life belts being
attached to the buoy. Inside the canvas
buoy is double wooden box containing
an accumulation with gelatinous electro
lyte, and 1t is capable of feeding an mean
descent lamp for six hours. The incan-
descent lamp surmounts the floating buoy
IN strong wire frame, and is further pro-
teGted by an outer strong glass globe.
| When the apparatus is hanging on board
ship the weight of the lower portion auto
matlcally switches off the current, but as
| soon as the buoy is released and drops into
the water four powerful springs switch the
| current on. The accumulation will last for
two months before requiring to be re-
charged, so that the apparatus can be en-
ployed on board ship where there is no
dynamo. The apparatus weighs about 100
pounds, but the accumulation can be made
| smaller with, OF course, a corresponding
decrease in the duration of the light, A
| further and promising form of electric
lie buoy has now been proposed in the
nature of a dirigible craft, such as have
already been used successfully in warfare
1t carries motor and reel of wire and
! can be directed toward wrecks or any one
| struggling in the water. BY reversing, the
motor can be made to rewind its wire or to
come home with its burden. BY day it
carries flags and by night its location is
marked by an incandescent lamp on it.
| A GREAT SWEDISH Power TRANSMISSION
! The example of the utilization of Niagara
is having its effect in Europe. The Swed-
ish Government is now working out a huge
plan for the electrical development of the
| famous Trollhatta Falls. The water which
the State controls is calculated at 10000
| horsepower and it is proposed to utilize
! 1000 effective horse power for two differ
ent installations. At the Gullon there is
| first to be built a power transmission sta
| ton, which is to have 10000 horse power
at its disposal, Having passed the upper
most Gullon waterfall the water is con-
veyed into kind of reservoir blasted out
of the rock and which VIII supply a system
of turbines, the water rushing down
| through tunnel blasted in the rock The
length of the tunnel is about no
/ feet, the height of fall from the in
take of the water to the exit of the
! tunnel will be rather more than so feet and
the effective fall for the turbines As feet
| With an aggregate water consumption of "a
cubic meters per second, evenly divided be-
tween ten turbines, and yield OF 1915 per
cent, there should be over 10000 horse
power available. The installation COM
prises eleven turbines, Of which the one is
| a reserve, and the turbines are to work
| independently of each other. Alternate
current generators and transformers will
! then produce q current, the tension of
which is calculated at $1,000 volts. 1t
is reported that the Swedish Government
| intends to use some of this power in
| operating Its system of railroads. At any
rate it has sent to this country for informa-
ton in connection Herewith about our
American electric railways.
| ELECTRIC LIGHTING IN MExIco.-There are
not yet many electric lighting plants in
Mexico, and those now running have
usually some feature out of the common.
That for example, at Aguas Calientes, put
in by st. Louis company, is very inter
esting. While successful in every way, it
could not depend on its regular street and
commercial lighting for an income. The
earnings OF the company for any particular
month can be estimated with fair degree
of accuracy from the number of saints
days on the calendar: The station is so
equipped as to supply churches with extra
| light at short notice at lucrative price
| The six largest churches of the city are
lighted by the company. Last Christmas
time large crowds poured into the Cathe-
dral to witness the special illumination. In
the center OF the altar was life-sized figure
of Christ. Radiating outward from this
central figure were strips of silver-gilt, and
at the point OF each of the radiations was
a sixteen-candle power lamp. An addi-
tional 200 lamps were employed in a large
inscription of the word maria" The
effect was striking and the people were de-
! lighted.