The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-06

of construction in Maryland on which
speed of sixty miles an hour will be made
| by cars outside the city limits. Probably
| this road will be the first to solve the de-
| tailed problem of the interurban rapid
| transit.
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE HEADLIGHT.-The
| manager of Southern railroad published,
some time ago, letter in which he gave
his experience of the operation of the cleo
trio headlight for locomotives. 1t appears
that his road ran for the most part through
very wet and swampy land, and cattle
fiocked to the dry roadbed as the most de-
sirable resting place in the district They
would often be so numerous on the line
that the train had to be brought to a stand
still, and in spite of every care, many were
run over and killed, and the railroad COM
pany had heavy damage bills to pay. Elec-
trio headlights were put on the locomo-
tives, and the light they gave was so
bright and searching that, although the
cattle insisted on lying on the tracks, there
were no more damage suits for the COM
pany to fight. This letter was followed by
many inquiries from railroad companies in
regard to the fitting of locomotives with
electric headlights. Many of the COM
panies were. however, deferred from pro-
ceeding with the matter by discovering
that heavy load would have to be added
to the already overburdened locomotive in
the shape Of the engine and dynamo neCes-
sary to generate current. This difficulty
has been overcome in the production of an
electric locomotive headlight that is fitted
with its own engine and dynamo. These
two little machines are packed away just
behind the headlight, in space about half
| the size of the headlight-box. Half turn
OF half-inch valve passes enough steam
to run the engine, which is q compound
steam turbine, and it makes no difference
whether dry or wet steam is used, or
whether full head of high-pressure steam
is suddenly turned on, as there is no back
lash or reaction. The engine responds in
staneously when steam is turned on, and
the light is steady, powerful and re-
liable. This invention naturally puts an
entirely new face on the question of the
feasibility of the general adoption OF cleo
trio headlights for locomotives.
PORTABLE ELECTRIC DRILL-An immense
amount of time is saved in large factories
by a newly invented electric drill. The
drill is mounted on wheels, and can be run
wheelbarrow fashion by a single hand to
any required spot. In the works of
steam navigation company, where there
are 1000 workmen it is now an exceptional
thing for a hole to be bored with the
ratchet brace. A net of electric wires ex-
tends all over the place, and each shop is
provided with number of special electric
drilling machines and the necessary cables,
so that any man who requires to bore holes
has only to wheel the small portable drill
to the work and complete the operation at
his bench, thus saving much time. This
drill is also used for boring holes in the
decks of steamers to receive the screws
holding the planking in place. 1t is said
that with this device a man and boy can
bore 400 half-inch holes in half-inch deck
plates per day. When used for counter
sinking, the work done is from 800 to 1000
holes per day. The electric drill also
makes light of the somewhat awkward job
of drilling the riyet-holes for furnace
mouth. In the shipyard the machines
have proved extremely useful, not only for
drilling and countersinking all rivet-holes,
but also for cutting out sidelights, scuttles
and hawse-pipe holes. In repairing
stranded ships, too, they are very handy
for drilling out the riVets of the plates to
be replaced.
ELECTRIC PARCEL DELIvERY.-At the Vic
toria station, Manchester, Eng, new de-
parture has been made in electrical apph-
cation which has excited great interest.
The parcel business at the station has
been for some time increasing at rate
which severely tried the constantly aug
mented facilities of the management. 1t
struck the engineer of the railroad that the
whole situation could be simplifed by the
| introduction of electricity, and forthwith
miniature electric line was suspended
from the Orders of the roof of the latest
erected parcel department. Along the
rails runs an electric traveller capable of
lifting and conveying ton, although it is
not ordinarily used for more than half that
weight When parcels have to be trans
ferred in bulk from one part of the depart
ment to another they are placed in large
hamper. which is lifted to its place under
the motor-cab and run along the rails to
the desired point. The device is working
so well that the railroad company is put
ting up a second pair of rails parallel to
the first.
ELECTRICAL TRAINING.-There has been
much discussion of the question of the
training of electrical engineers and the
chances of success offered by electrical en-
gineering as a profession. The fact has
been established that in these days there is
no such thing as o ready-made electrical
engineer. A man has to go through very
laborious and highly scientific training
before he can be so equipped as to do JUS
tice to the profession and to himself Some
practical men, however, think differently,
and say so. A writer in an American cleo
trical journal says: 1.-The truth is that a
frst-class constructive engineer can be
turned out in year or two" In comment
ing on this statement the leading English
electrical organ says: "In our opinion
this is very far indeed from the truth, and
the sooner young men realize the fact the
better will it be for the future of the pro-
feSsion.
Held for Murder.
Look Wan, the Celestial, who, it is charged,
killed a fellow-countryman In Sullivan alley
several nights ago, was held to answer to
charge of murder by Police Judge Joachimsen
yesterday.
France is going to build at once two large