Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-27

not directly llgnt is pleaSanter
and more agreeable to the eye, besides which
in the phenomenon OF reflection partial abb
sorption takes place, so that the light be-
comes pleasantly difused and OF a healthy
tone. In any case, II any apprehension
| should exist that the RAYS proceeding from an
incandescing mantle are injurious because
OF their chemical actlvity-an activity which
in sunlight gives life to the plant world
these rays could be readily and effectually
filtered out by the simple expedient OF sur
rounding the light with a tinted globe, such
as red or orange, which need reduce but
very little the originally high Illuminating
power. Even then the light is over 100 per
cent higher in Illuminating value than the
ordinary gas flame.
EURoPE'S ELECTRIC CARS.
Money and material for a street railway is
wanted in Catania, seaport of 10000 people,
at the foot Of Mount Etna. Catania has no
street railways, using hacks instead. The
suburban town Of Ognina, where, in spring,
summer and fall, many of Catania's inhab-
itants spend a few months in cottages, going
to the city daily to attend to business, would
be a source OF revenue to a street railway.
Two projects are forming. One is to inter-
est Belgian capitalists-which would mean
Belgian material. The other is proposed by
a milling firm, which would use the 250
waste horsepower of its mill to generate
electricity. This firm would buy dynamcs
wires, poles, rails and ten cars to start with.
American bids would be received upon equal
footing With the rest.
E%electiic railways are gaining ground in
Europe, though not as fast as in the United
States. Yet these figures appear absurdly
small. In all Europe the total electric rail
staiistIcs~ ~ only soo MILES IN Increase
nj 125 miles over 1904 aud an increase in
the number of lines from 40 to Ill. Ger
many has 252 miles, France 81, Great Brit
ain and Ireland sc. Austria-Hungary A,
Switzerland AZ. Italy "a and other countries
from six miles down.
OF the III lines. ninety-one are worked on
tho overhead surface system. twelve on the
underground system and eight by means of
accumulators. Hamburg and Leipsic have
their electric railway systems nearly COM
pleted, and Berlin is about to give up the
horse tramway and omnibus service for cleo
trio cars.
DISPENSING WITH TROLLEYS.
Iobn p Earmer of Ct Iouis has invented
on oIaotrio raiiwav s.rvioo sustam Which he
beIievas will effectively disnense with over
bead u,;res nndoraromrd trolays and CON
seoIeptlv d;,ninieh tbe DANGER from shocks
otiondino a. nrasont stroai railway meth
ode The inyentor hoe demonstrated the
feasihiIitv of bis svstem Inv a miniature street
roi1vaw uhio, no bos sttoJ 49, IN bis yyorl,s
sbnn
Tho o,rron, ,s sunn,;od from, Tho nower-
bouno rv r,eans % ~ fand wiro IN tbo gro,rd
oiong 10 tront II is t,nnad off tbis ,yiro
into sv1ov17 cas+ iron mngnet hoxes buriod
In +bo cantor IF ,ba trarl, ot ;ntarya1S of
thirty feet, more or less, as the size of the
car requires. In each box is an electrode
magnet, compound wound, to stand from
six-tenths of an ampere to $50 amperes.
This magnet acts on an armature, which
applies and releases the current from the
wires. Projecting from the top of this box
about half an inch and level with the rail
is a capper knot the size of a quarter. This
the inventor terms the contact point, as it
Is through IL the power passes into the motor
of the car.
The ordinary car can be used with but
little alteration. Two powerful compound
wound electrode magnets must be placed at
| either end, beneath the platforms or attached
to the trucks and connecting these with the
travelling bar, made of thinly rolled copper
No other change is necessary. This bar, al
ways touching the contact points, conveys the
power into the motor.
When a car reaches a contact point the
attraction from the car magnet passes down
through the knob in the box and lifts the
little armature, or connecting rod, within.
With the rail used for connecting the mega
tive current, the circuit is thus completed
and the electricity from the feed wire is per-
mitted to flow out over the armature,
through the little magnet, up into the knob
which communicates il to the travelling bar.
or trolley, and is delivered into the motor.
When the trolley has passed off the contact
point the magnet in the box lets go of the
srmature and II drons breaking the circuit
RoyES ARE
nv. ,.,,o 10, r,.nro. 4, ,.oa .o,g
=, npaan nhits y soa " noru
.ne = .he, ~ pa VIZ II .ai n pass
rms nv "Heh .ne .sn vi ~ pss lnas-
!. iS nv ~ "a uiopS iIoni II,
ieaylns lne noA psllects ueau. lnus there
- no current eHposeu at any lilhe save Ill
reclly peheath the car.
ihese boxes must ne placed at such inter
vais as TO allow tne trolley TO be continually
III GonIaca WIN one.
If cortroiiing the nogotivo os u,ou " u nnei
live current nv means ~ tbos, - S rs rs.
hoyes are r,oced In tba ,rnrnd 80 W.
,Isod son or r ~ ,he Nv sto.Hu II II Is
ntood y, - ~ "S 80 ~ VI
nnoront, o. - ~, as . Nv" uOHs Inns
parrum'S me teity itoH uanlaelhg IN
. ~ ~ pipIs, NJ US u pu'Iihs III a sys-
.ehi vi tnis KIM VIII De ABOUT the same as
u .ahes 10 EQUIP a road now.
~ Ihe location ana correction OF any dlf-
ncul'y II th9 buried magnet boxes tuse boxes
ave peen arranged Tor These Will be placed
Oh we siueWalh ana nave tuse connection
WIN all boxes on that DOCK, or, If desirable,
Cne next nve BLOCKS. In case a ground or
snort circuit should come on at one of the
poAes IN the street 1t blows the fuse in the
DoN on the sidewalk. The location of the
trouble Is shown at once. but the box itself
remains perfectly armless to the public.
me purnt-out fuse can readily be replaced
by a conductor or motorman as his car