The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-30


and ribbon would be attached to the type
writer's in their offices and the messages
would be delivered to the telegraph office
on spools ready for instant dispatch. By
the new method all possibility of tapping
or robbing the message is obviated. The
system is ten times swifter than the Morse,
and has the additional advantage OF turn
ing out the message on page form ready
for delivery. The cost of transmission is
brought very low, and the possibilities of
the system are suggested by the fact that
business men, instead of sending their let
tiers by mail, can have them sent by wire
at the same cost as special delivery.
TELEPHoNING TO THE MooN.-Both Edi-
son in America and Preece in England
have long maintained that it is possible to
establish on the earth record of the cleo
trical disturbances that take place on the
sun. An electrician now holds that 1t is
easily feasible to telephone to the moon.
He bases his belief in the possibility of this
communication on the well-known laws of
ether vibration. The ocean of ether quivers
to every touch. 1t binds the planets together
with an iron hand, flexible yet firm, solid
yet infinitely elastic. 1t is the ideal medium
for the transmission of signals. When it
moves, even to an extent inconceivably
small, our sight is affected; we see. These
ether waves are eight minutes coming to
us from the sun, travelling at the enormous
velocity of $4,000 miles a second. 1t is
possible to produce waves moving at this
terrific speed by electrical means, as, for
instance in the telephone, which is actu-
ated by infinitely small pulsations. When
an iron mass is in the vicinity of these cleo
trical vibrations buzz or hum is given
out This noise may be distinctly heard
in some systems of street-lighting appara-
tus where the current is transformed from
a high to low pressure. In accordance
with this principle it is proposed to send
electrical pulsations far out into the ether
and have them act upon any metallic mass,
like iron, with sufficient force to produce
sound. If the moon contains iron, and
there is reason to believe that it does. the
striking upon it of these marvellous vibra-
tions would give rise to a murmur of
sound. 1t is suggested that this daring ex-
pertinent could be carried out by means of
q gigantic coil, mounted vertically, with
it's axis in line with the moon.
WHAT BLAcKENs THE GLOBES OF INcAN-
DESCENT LAMPs.-An Italian scientist has
been trying to add to the comparatively
small available store of information as to
how the blackeEing of incandescent bulbs
is caused. He found that under the micro
scope the surface of a used filament has
little humps, resembling in miniature those
on the carbon of an arc lamp. They seem
to have been produced by some melted ma
terial. In places the filament is furrowed
by transverse cavities out of which rise
ramifcations of lampplack. The film col
lected on the inside of the lamp shows
under the microscope as very thin coat
ing of lampblack in which are distin-
guished larger grains irregularIy distrib-
uted, and also yellowish- crystals. His
explanation of the blackening is that GER
tain mineral substances contained in the
carbon filament become fused by the high
temperature and evaporate. This causes
gradual disintegration Of the carbon, some
very minute particles of which are pro-
iected on to the glass. When the explosions
of the little humps on the filament are at
all violent, entire fragments are detached,
and at those places where attachments
occur most frequently the filament breaks.
TIGER SHOOTING BY ELECTRIC LIGHT
Night fishing is evidently not to be the
only sport in which the electric light PLAYS
an important part. scientific journal
gives graphic illustration of the shooting
of royal tiger in an Indian jungle by the
light of 16 candle-power incandescent
lamp. The sportsman is supposed to be
sitting in a machan or platform a little
distance from an animal which has been
left on the ground as bait. Near him are
six cells of battery, which supply current
for the lamp suspended from the branch of
tree over the spot where the dead animal
has been placed. The wires are brought
up to a convenient place on the rifle, and
when the terror of the jungle is unmis-
takably engaged in discussing his quarry,
the sportsman, with a slight pressure of
the thumb, makes the electric connection,
and the light opens right over the tiger.
The subsequent developments are thus
described: GAS the tiger is not in the
habit of looking up, it is second or two
before he can make out where the sudden
light has come from, and by that time
he has shell well in his ribs and
further proceedings have no interest for
him." 1t is stated that the principal diff
Guilty in this method of besting the man
eater is the weight and size of the battery
needed. and the use of small battery
which can be carried in the belt like a
cartridge is proposed. It is estimated that
thirty of such batteries would supply
enough current to light 16 candle
power lamp long enough for the purposes
of shooting.
DOES ELECTRICITY KILL ?-Just when the
killing power of electricity is supposed to
have been proved, officially and conclu-
sively, the whole question has been re-
opened in startling manner. A reputable
physician, who was recently engaged by
the authorities of New York State to in
vestigate into the effects of electrocution,
showed by facts, figures and photographs
that the shock as given to criminals from
the prison dynamo was invariably fatal.
In the face of this, an electrician stated
positively that Is person exposed to the
severest shock can be recovered by proper
treatment. Now. lineman has been ap-
parently killed by the passage through
him of the frightful charge of 5000 volts,
and yet resuscitated after two hours.
On Good Friday, at a Socialist banquet
in Paris, scene of blasphemy was enacted
in the presence of two Deputies, Ernest
Roche and Clovis Hughes. A pig was
placed in a coffin, revolutionary songs
were sung over it, parodying requiem,
and it was then carried around the room in
procession, preceded by red cross and
red flag. When Chaumette tried to per-
fnrn, inn liar in,