Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-17

ehicny underground ani the work aas bee
begun TO a very considerable cNtcnt In cite
which Go no. come into the first class Tt
expense has been enormous. AMI tho coe
" maintenance has proved 20 be Ear create.
than those who are not familiar With th
subject have any conception ot. in %
city OF Boston alOae The New England Tclt.
phone and reiesraph comrauys undrr
ground system extends through nearly -oii
miles Of streets. the total length Of duct-s
duet being tube which carries q canic--is
over $50 miles. ald 'he aggregate length
all the wires 10 use on this system u Owe.
| 5000 miles, o. enough to reach nearly TWO
thirds the way round the earth.
The number OF subscribers on the Boston
division is from year TO year becoming
larger az 2 rate OF Increase which is cen
stantly growing. II has now reached $1,000
What the future ot the telephone IS 10 b,
no one can say. There are those who DC.
lievt that within ten years the number @.
| subscribers in Boston aud the other large
| cities Of the country will more than double
and. considering The present rae OF grow n.
| this does not seem improbable. This fact is
| OF interest In no section 0f the country is
| the number OF Subscribers Tcr 100 Ot popula-
| tion so large as II Is Ia what We haze
come 10 know as Greater Boston, Aud in no
/ similar area In the country Is :hC average
| use OF the telephone so large as here. And
| II may be safely added that nowhere IL the
| service rendered by the telephone n1'c
I prompt more efficient or more satisfactory
! in every way.
PREACHER AND ELECTRICIAN.
! over on the north side, Chicago. in
| dusty machine shop. among the clank and
| whirr OF machinery and betting a German
| Baptist minister is at work peTieCtins 4
/ new variety OF dynamo. 1t is strange
/ combination of the spiritual and the ma
| terlal says the Chicago Tribune, and the
| most unexpected feature OF the matter is
/ the remarkably successful results achieved
/ by the unusual union.
! Rev Herman X Thiel is the minister's
name and his former residence was in
! Alpcna, Mich. Being possessed OF a good
! scientific education he became interested in
| the startling developments Of electricity
| few years ago and commenced experiment
i ing in a small way at his home One thing
/ led to another. and he finally evolved the
/ idea OF building a dynamo with tapering
| field magnet cores finally securing letters
! patent and building a perfected machine.
! The first crude device succeeded by an
| other of much greater value. and the pres
| ent completed article is being run and
/ tested in Robert Tarrants machine shop
| on the north side.
The new dynamo has for its characteristic
! features an intense degree OF magnetiza-
| ton of the field. which is expected to give
| many beneficial points to the machine
| Among them is the fact that changes Of
/ load do not seem to distress the generator
| the usual amount and a given weight of
amount Of power than in the ordinary types
| For motors especially expert judges think
/ the new type will prove a great improve
| ment. The generator now on exhibition at
! the machine shop has been thoroughly
tested by Prof Stein Of the Armour insii-
tute. who thinks it a marvel in several re-
/ spects.
Besides his new dynamo DR.. Thiel has
| another clever electrical de, ice on which
! he is deyoting some time. Il is not his own
invention hVf that nj Fra- a-rhmau WIN
lives in Chicago named ]. r. Pepin. 1t
/ consists OF a horizontal arc light and is a
| novelty. The two carbons meet level inside
| OF small glass globe and the general ap-
pearance Of the light as well the feeding
and regulating devices IS entirely unlike
anything seen before in arc lighting. This
variety Of lamp is said to run 25O hours
without repleuishing the carbons
INVADING THE MOUNTAINS.
The invasion of mountainous districts By
the engineer with view to the installation
OF more or less long-distance power trans
mission plarts Is one OF the latest and mcst
important developments In electrical work.
1t is now found. however. that II is quite
as practicable to open up to the tourist the
beauties OF new and hitherto inaccessible
mountain regions. as II Is 10 utilize their
stores OF water, and that. too. by means OF
] electricity. II Will not be long before many
new picturesque sections Of the country are
made available TO the public by the run
ming OF electric mountain railways. Some
OF the schemes Of this nature now on foot
, are Of more than local Importance. For in
stance, arrangements have been made to run
an electric road to the top OF Popocatap
the snow-clad volcano when towers ma
jestically 1000 feet over the City OF Mexico.
The ascent OF this mountain. which has
always been most arduous. involving often
TWO days OF travelling and climbing, will
soon be made in a few hours. and with a
minimum OF the inconvenience which
arises from the effects Of breathing the rare
fed air. Another notable road on which the
attention OF electrical engineers in this
country is being directed is that carried
up and round Mount Saleye. a huge mass
rising above Geneva TO a height OF over
1000 feet, and giving from its plateau al
the top magnificent view of the whole pile
Of Valaisian Alps, beginning with
Mont Blanc itself on the right,
10 the south and west and ending with the
Dent du Midi. the Dent d'oche and Lake
Leman to the left on the north and east
This view is said to be UNSURPASSED in
Switzerland. The road operated electrically
Is about four miles in length, single track
and turnouts. and OF twin lines built so as
to form loop. giving the passenger aIterHa-
: tive routes. The system used is that of the
third rail, the contact apparatus being
| placed outside the track and the current
carrying rail running few inches above the
! ground for insulation, ci snort posts. The
gauge IS one meter. Between tho rails Is
= laid a rack rail which Is doubled where the
= grade is extreme, the teeth being set so as
TO give the car a twofold grip. Additional
+ security is furnished by air brakes, but ever
then the experience is found quite exciting
by the passengers, especially where tht
grade reaches % per cent and where curve:
at not much less are taken on a thirty-hvt
meter radius. Current is supplied TO the
line by a distant water power plant and ii
brought 10 the road across the mountain
: sides by aerial cables. The road is vel
4 patronized. and. like many of its kind, il
G proving a fine investment. On the top O
Saleye is a large restaurant. from who's
balcony and windows on any clear day Noun
Blanc is in full evidence while on days o
rain or leeting mist one may at times se'
tremendous effects OF light and shade an'
/ of storm and clouds rolling over the peak
= Of eternal snow.
Harvey and Kyle Speak.
A VERMILLIoN, s. D., Oct. l6.-tSpecia
n | Telegram.)-There was a great populls
: blowout today "Coin" Harvey spoke L
c 1900 people in the afternoon. Senate
|, | Kyle spoke to a large and enthusiastic
{ crowd in the evening.