Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-24

minated In a formal protest against further
development by the electricians. These OBJ
~jections have passed the sentimental stage
and an appeal is to be made to the legislature
against permitting any further tampering,
so called, with the natural beauty OF the
falls. The unitarian side OF the case-the
furnishing of cheap power and consequent
benefits to all classes-is entirely forgotten
by these objectors. They base their remon-
etrances on the broad fact that Niagara falls,
In their natural state, are one OF the recog-
niZed wonders and beauties of the world, and
that II is a blow from which all lovers OF
natural art cannot recover to use them ir
any mere money making purpose.
1t has been clearly demonstrated that the
waters from the Falls, for the purpose OF
supplying electricity, are brought through a
tunnel entirely removed from sight, ana
the engineers admit that no possible dim
mutton of the volume flowing over the fails
can result. This does not satisfy the OBJ
~jectors, and the whole question resolves IT.
self into a simple conflict between unitarian
ism and natural scenery. III the Criticisms
of the DIRECTORS prove valid there would be
an end to much of the worlds advance along
utilitarian lines. Nature is a vast store
house of wealth and power, and since the
uses of electricity have begun to be under
stood this wealth and power may have been
increasingly brought within the reach OF
the people. Cheap power is a boon to the
OWCllerS OF any large city ike bulldiO, anu
in the case of the Niagara Falls Power
| company these benefits will be extended to
scores of villages and smaller communities
In other parts of the state. Utilitarianism
will undoubtedly win in this case. as in all
others where there is no real sacrifice OF any
natural beauty of scenery and where the
gifts drawn from nature are a clear addi-
ton to the public veal.
Electricity Is, in fact, a promote or art.
1t has promoted lighter and swifter trans
portation methods and has romoted cleanll-
ness by removing animal power from the
streets of large cities.
| NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF ELECTRICITY.
An English electrician, who is employed In
a cotton factory near Moscow. Russia, has a
quaint inventive faculty which he delights
to occupy In showing the novel things that
electricity can do. Some time ago he In
vented an electrical detector OF sham dia-
monds. He has now an improved apparatus
for this purpose. The METAL aluminium pos
| sesses the remarkable property of leaving
metallic impressions on moistened glass,
plate or spurious diamonds, while 1t leaves
no mark of any kind on genuine gems. A
thin aluminium disk is driven at a high speed
by an electric motor, and the gems TO be
! tested, which are exposed to the influence
OF the revolving disk, are kept moist by the
dripping of water from a glass funnel. This
test is said to be decisive. Another invention
was suggested by constant trouble with the
rOp0 transmission IN the cotton hill. MOst
of the ropes were made of cotton, the rest
being of hemp. After long wear and tear
they would be gradually torn apart, and as
the parted strands usually became entangled
with the remaining ropes, considerable dam
age was done to the adjoining walls, journals,
pulleys and shaft boxes. A piece of board
was balanced near the driving pulley and
fitted with q copper fork and two metal cups
containing mercury. AS soon as the loose
ends of the worn rope began to lash about
they struck the board, the balance of which
was destroyed, and the prongs Of the metallic
fork were plunged into the mercurial cups,
making an electric contact and closing an
electric circuit. The alarm was thus given
in tho main engine room by the ringing of
O. bell and the engine was stopped until a
new rope was put on. The main shaft of the
engine is also fabricated by an electrical
attachment, and if by any chance the oil
ceases to be delivered to the upper part Of
the bearings an electric bell in the
engine room announces the fact. The
temperatures of the different rooms in the
factory are regulated by a special thermo-
static arrangement Of great simplicity. An
other invention which emanates from the
same fertile source employs electric heat for
cutting thick glass tubes for making static
machines, barometric tubes, etc. Every
chemist or electrician engaged in this class
of work knows the difficulty of getting a
smooth and even cut at the exact spot de-
sired. The usual procedure is to wind some
cotton thread, wick or fiber around the Sc
lected spot on the tube, moisten it with
methylated spirits, and apply a light to it.
The application of a few drops of cold water
will then crack the glass. The improved
method of accomplishing this is to clamp
up the tube securely, put around 1t a ring
of platinum wire and turn on the current
| through a suitable resistance. The tub is
then dropped into a vessel containing water,
and the crack is clean and smooth. Sheet
glass can be- cut in the same way, but here
no application of water is necessary; the
mere placing of the red-hot platinum wire
| on the glass does the work. In one of the
experiments in the Russian factory a very
practical application of the X-rays was in
itiated. 1t was necessary to ascertain the
resistance and insulation of a length of
silken flexible double wire. The non-defec-
| ton OF the galvanoscope showed that one Of
the compound strands was broken. 1t would
have been a most tedious job to unwind the
silken, rubber and cotton insulation in
order to find out the breakage, and then
put back the three insulating layers, as the
| wire was some hundred feet long. The X
rays, were turned on, the wire was uncoiled
and xamine through a Horoscope. The
defective place was soon found. the wire
was cut at the particular spot, the ends were
Joined electrically and the work went on.
THE DAY OF II MOTOR CAR.
The day OF the motor car as a practical
factor in locomotive traffic has arrived, and
the long-suffering cab horse will soon. have
outlived it's day of usefulness. In Europe,
the recognition of the utility OF the autocar
has been prompt and thorough, while Amer