Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-27
THE FIELD OF ELECTRICITY
Edison Preparing the World for a Startling
Discovery.
THROWING X RAYS IN THE SHADE
EIe%ctrocution of Insect Pests-Tech-
uicnI Training of Engineer
Various Applications of
Electrical Power.

Reports from the workshop OF Wizard Edi-
son are In the nature OF a preliminary an
nouncement of another startling discovery.
Not content with giving to mortals the In
candescent lamp, the graphophone, the kinet-
oscope and the Horoscope, he now proposes
to make the human body transparent. In a
word, 1t will be possible one Of these days
literally to "see through a man" Hereto
fore post norton examination has been nee
essary in order to understand the mysterious
makeup Of some people. If Mr.. Edison's ex-
pectations are realized, however, the same
result can be reached by an ante norton
diagnosis, and the secrets Of the human
''prison house. disclosed before breath
leaves the body.
To be brief. the wizard has just discovered
q new chemical common in his laboratory
at Llewellyn park that promises to revolu-
tionlze surgery, and even the broader do
main of science. Indeed, to state the exact
facts, Mr.. Edison has succeeded in manu-
featuring a number of new crystals which
offer greater possibilities in connection with
the Horoscope. Several of them in particu-
lar hold out the hope that physicians may
sooner or later see the exact position and
condition Of the internal organs of their pa
tients. Less than a year ago 1t was thought
to be remarkable for one to see the bones
OF the hand. Today Mr.. Edison's expert
ments have been so successful that he can
discount the revelations Of the best X ray
photograph made q couple OF months ago,
and the probabilities are that the physician OF
the future, by the aid of the Horoscope, will
be able to tell at a glance whether or not a
man is in good health and free from bone
formations, cancers, tumors and the like.
Moreover, with the new crystals already dis
covered, a mans eyes may be securely
bandaged and yet he can discern objects in
a room, so that in cases of blindness, where
the visual organs are not entirely destroyed,
there is a chance for the s~ightless to see
dimly under certain circumstances.
Such are some of the possibilities bound
up in the new discovery. Mr.. Edison, for
the present, refuses to disclose the names of
the new chemicals. He very modestly re-
marks that he is still experimenting with
them and that he wants to exhaust their
possibilities before announcing the results
to the world.
ELECTROCUTION OF INSECT PESTS.
The invasion of electricity on the domain
OF agriculture has of late been made evil
dent in many ways. Hardly a week goes
by without its news of farmers using the
telephone in their operations, experiments
at agricultural stations with all kinds. of
current in stimulating seeds and plants, or
the use of power from lighting or trolley
circuits in running farm machinery. 1t
would seem, in fact, that electricity will
soon play as prominent a part on the farm
as it now does in the factory. Probably
the fact that Mr.. Tesla has suggested that
part of the energy of powers like that of
Niagara might be applied to furnishing
heterogeneous elements TO the soil, so that
better crops could be secured, has induced
Il southern farmer to write to him asking
If electricity cannot be used to kill off in
sect pests. The suggestion is well worth
consideration. The extent Of the loss to the
country by Insect plaques is almost incredi-
BILE. For instance, the. gypsy moth alone
has cost the state of Massachusetts, in pre-
ventive measures only during the last four
years $3.50, 900, and it is estimated that
800, 900 q year will not be enough to pre-
vent the spread of the moth in the state.
If the moth Is left to itself, it will find it's
way rapidly all over the United States,
causing an immense destruction of prop
erty. To exterminate it will require 5000, 900
for at least five years. then 500, 900 for five
years more, and $4,000 a year for the next
five years, or an average Of $105, 900 a year.
In addition to the gypsy moth, there are
the locust, phylloXera, army worm. potato
bug and many other such pests, each of
which is bringing distress and often ruin
to the farmer. The determination, or even
the appreciate checking of these, would
mean a saving of many million dollars a
year to the agricultural interests Of the
country. Mr.. Tesla does not discourage the
belief that 1t may be done. He says in re-
Spouse to the inquiry: ut is sure that we
can destroy these insects in
certain ways by the help of electricity, but
to what extent the trees would be affected
by thu application of these means l do not
know, and 1t could only be settled by a
series of experiments. l have some ideas
on the subject, and think that an apparatus
for experimentation could be produced in
a short time. | am resolved to think over
the matter in the hope to arrive at some
targible result"
LOADING SHIPS BY ELECTRIC POWER.
A few years ago the idea of loading a
ship with $500 tons of flour in twenty-four
hours by means OF two small motors would
have been looked upon as absurd. This was
done the other day In Tacoma. Two thou
sand tons of cargo has frequently been
loaded or unloaded in a day by steam power,
but the important factor in the record break
Ing achievement at Tacoma was that the
conveyor was worked by electricity. With
the apparatus which has been designed for
this purpose, -four and grain can be loaded
at any stage OF the tide and Independently
OF the weather. If 1t should rain a canvas
is quickly spread from the door of the ware
house to the ships hatch. With the system
OF loading ordinarily used eighteen men are
required to do the work of one electric con-
veyor, with which the bags are delivered
into a ships hold at the rate of 2 800 to 2 Zoo
pounds a minute, or seventy-fve tons an
hour. When extra speed is desired two
conveyors are employed. This was done
when the record of $500 tons in twenty-four
hours was made. The electric conveyor is
forty feet long, 1t is moved at will on two
wheels In tho center. A wo-horse-powe
motor supplies the power, the current being
taken from the nearest electric wires. The
sacks are placed on a revolving belt OF rub
Der, which passes over twelve rollers. The
belt is propelled by a driving wheel, at
tached to the side OF the apparatus. The
rollers are placed close enough together and
the belt %revolves at sufficient speed to carry
all the weight in -four or grain that can be
placed upon II. The conveyor works as well
when placed at an angle of 40 degrees as
when on a level,
TECHNICAL TRAINING.
The demand for positions in electrical
shops by young men who have had no tech
nical training, and even by those who have
just graduated, il nowadays so great that
one considers himself extremely fortunate
II he gets such a position without pay. Mel
son w. Berry strongly advises young cleo