Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-03
THE FIELD OF ELECTRICITY
Prospective Changes Of Power on Suburban
Service on Railroads.
ELECTRICAL POWER TO DlsPlAce STEAM
Novel Experiments I'm Purifying
Water by Means of Electricity
An Italians Scientific
Fairy Tale.

Electricity Is soon to be- the motive power
Of suburban trains on the Illinois Central
road in Chicago. The change from steam
was determined upon some time ago, but
the method OF applying the power, whether
trolley or surface, was not fully determined
until few days ago. The third rail system
is to be used. From the start there was felt
60 be only one objection to the plan and that
was the possibility Of accident to people
coming in contact with the charged rail, but
careful investigation practically satisfied
those who have been gathering data on the
subject that no serious results are to be
apprehended from this source.
This Is based upon the experience OF the
New York New Haven e Hartford railroad,
which has about three and half miles OF
the third-rail system in operation in its
branch running from Boston to Nantasket
Beach. There have been several instances
of people stepping on the third rail without
experiencing serious results They have felt
slight shocks, but have suffered no injury.
One man stepped on the charged rail while
his other foct was on one OF the outside
rails, thus completing the circuit, but be-
yond being tossed to one side OF the road
and receiving rather severe shock in bis
leg he was not injured. The section men
have come to regard it with so little fear
that they frequently touch it with their feet
In fun.
The possibility OF accidents at crossings is
obviated by this road by covering the rail at
these points with some nonconducting sub
stance. In case of longer sections 10 be
protected an overhead wire is used.
In the case OF the Illinois Central, the only
points needing especial protection are at the
Randolph street station and the stations at
Twenty-second and Thirty-ninth streets
ut is, of course, much cheaper than
steam," said a representative of the com
pany, "or the road would not have decided
TO use 1t. How much cheaper do not care
to say, but 1t will enable the road to greatly
cheaper as well as improve its service.
am inclined to think that greatly increased
service is contemplated, but just to what
extent cannot say Trains will be run much
oftener, but they will not carry as many cars
as at present. Three cars will, l think be
the maximum number, and many trains will
be made up Of a less number. l do not think
an extra motor car is contemplated, the pur-
pose being to have the motor in the end of
q regular car.
ANOTHER ROAD IN LINE.
The Pennsylvania Railroad company has
long had under careful consideration the
question OF substituting a more economical
end efficient power for steam in connection
with its heavy suburban service There has
so far been but one power which appears
ablo to even compete on these points with
pany therefore, has for some time past been
endeavoring to ascertain the particular sys-
tenn best suited to its needs, and has at
last come to the conclusion that some form
OF trolley will be used.
Suburban travel necessitates such frequent
stoppages that the use of steam entails con-
siderable loss, as every time a train run by
steam Is stopped there is an appreciable loss
OF power in starting 1t again. This is not
so with electricity, as each car or train only
takes much of the current from the feed
wire as 1t can put to use in propellng itself.
This is one feature which conlmends 1t ia
vorably to the railroad company. Again, the
absence OF smoke and dirt renders electric
trains far more pleasant and comfortable
than steam cars, particularly on SUBURBAN
roads, where the constant opening and shut
ting of the doors invariably fill the cars with
dust and clnders.
The company has not quite decided upon
the trolley system 1t will employ, but
standing order is said to have been placed
with the Westinghouse company to produce
q motor which will give the results re-
qured In the meanwhile the company has
not been idle at It's own shops, and no sug-
gestlon will be refused that proves satisfac-
tory.
One OF the officials of the company said:
1--WE are working on the trolley line for
that Is conceded TO be the proper direction.
Still we are not committed to 1t, and II
anyone comes along with system that VIII
meet our ideas we will accept 1t. We are
trying to find a system that Will enable the
company to give continuous service to sub
urban points, especially to points that com
pete with the trolley lines"
ELECTRICITY AS A WATER PURIFIER.
An interesting experiment has Just been
made in Philadelphia with an apparatus for
clarifying and purifying water long
trough was constructed, through which the
water, to be purified, ran. In this trough
l.
lei with the sides of the trough, three sets
of them. one set Of plates at each end and
one In the center. These plates were thirty
six inches long and six inches wide, and
were arranged like the plates OF an electric
battery, alternately positive and negative.
The positive wire of a dynamo ran on one
side of the trough and the negative on the
other, and the three sets Of plates were con-
nected between them, in what Is known as
multiple connection. In other words, the
tank, or trough. resembled an electro-plat-
ing tank. The dynamo current was OF low
voltage and passed current of about
twenty amperes through the water. The
water was introduced at one end OF the tank
and flowed between the plates and out of
the other end. AS the water passed out, a
blast OF combaed air and ozone was forced
through II.
The theory OF this method is that the cleo
tric current In passing between the plates,
which are positive and negative, through
the water, decomposes a portion of the
water, the gases combining with the alumni
ium to form the hydrated oxide of alumina.
This is the same result as is produced by an
alum filter and II has recently been demon
strated that this freely preclpitated hydrate
oxide OF alumina can be better prepared from
metallic aluminium than from the sulphate
OF alumna, as heretofore. The amount of
decomposition depends much upon the
amount of impurity IN the water. This
ge)atinous hydrate Of alumina, as 1t falls to
the bottom, carries down the suspended i'm
purt!es to the bottom of the tank. and the
ascending gas of the decomposed water car
ries UP the lighter impurities to the surface.
The floating scum is caught by a scraper.
after each set of plates, which leads 1t out
OF the tank; the precipitated deposit is re-
moved by dumqing 1t from the hinged bot
tom. As the water flows from the first to
the second set OF plates II becomes clearer
and at the third set has become compar-
atively clear. The water used was like the
Schuylkill In It's flood stage.
MAKING THE OZONE.
The electrical apparatus consisted Of a gen.