Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-11
The FIELD OF ELECTRICITY
Tesla's Numerous Wonders and What They
Amount To.
A SERIES OF NOTABLE PIPE DREAMS
Progress of Electricity In Household
A~ffairs-Heat of l~ncandes-
cent Lamps-A JOY for
Commuters

some Of them class him as the Keely OF elec-
trictty. One Of the strongest utterances ap-
pears in the Scientific American, the gist Of
which is contained in this sentences: THAT
the author Of the multiphase system Of
transmission should at this late day be food
ing the press with rhetorical bombast that
recalls the widest days Of the Keely motor
mania Is inconsistent and inexplicable to ahe
last degree"
The New York Evening Post supplements
this declaration with an extended review
Of the electrical wonders announced by
Tesla, none Of which, the Post asserts, are
In practical operation. Among these were
an electrical oscillator, combining dynamo
and steam engine in o..s; vacuum-tubs light
ing; q system Of wireless teiegraphy; a
method Of restoring exhausted soil by spray
Ing the earth with electricity; q solar en-
CINE; q scheme for protecting the human
body from microbes and preserve womanly
and manly beauty throughout life: a ma
chine for throwing an electric spark into
q distant magazine and exploding 1t and his
latest plan for rendering navies useless by
electrical waves sent from shore.
The Post reviewer declares that none Of
these appliances are to be found in practi-
cal operation and suggests that popular con-
fdence in the inventor cannot be sustained
without practical results.
Arc Lamps without Cartons,
Provisional protection has Just been OBJ
tanned for what appears to be a valuable
electric arc lamp invention. The chief
merit OF the new lamp. for which patents
have been applied for in England and
other countries by Mr.. Peter Spies of Foss-
deneroad, Charlton, lies In the fact that
the ordinary carbons, inseparable from
other electric arc lights, are not required
at all. Nowadays everybody is more or less
familiar with the arc lights used so ex-
tensivsly for street and other outdoor H.
Elimination. Doubtless, however. few Of the
general public are aware that at the p0nt
OF illumination the electric current flows
along sticks Of carbon, which are gradually
burned away by the intense heat and have
to be regularly replaced. The cost of ma
terial. time and labor this necessitates ia
expected to be saved by the carbonless arc
lamp, the newest invention. In an inter-
view with a London Daily Mail representa-
tive the inventor and patentee explained
the advantages and general principles of
this latest advance. On an average" said
Mr.. Spies, latter every fifty hours burn.
ing, the carbons have to be removed. The
new m as opposed to this, will require
NO ~ q L lcdbL Twelve months, ex-
cept an occasional outside cleaning. 1t has
no intricate clockwork worked by an cleo
tro-magnet to get out Of order, or to display
the ordinary antics of the arc light. MY
arc lamp is simply an alright glass globe,
from which the air has been exhausted.
Inside are two L-shaped aluminium arms
tipped with platinum, which take the place
OF the old-fashioned carbon, and are regu-
lated by a pendulum. The lamp does not
require to be suspended perpendicular,
In fact, 1t Is intended to be fixed to projec-
horizontally. 1t throws no shadows and re-
duces the expenses of maintenance to a
The wasting Of the aluminium
arms, owing to their being enclosed in the
airless globe, is so small that only a yearly
replacement becomes necessary"
Electricity in tho Household.
we hear a good deal OF talk about the
giant strides Of science and things Xix
that" says . writer in the New York Sun.
i suppose 1t does seem to be getting ov II
the ground when you look at II from one
point OF view. But in another way 1t seems
fairly to crawl. For instance. twenty years
ago there was in London an exhibition OF
cooking by electricity. Now you would
think that In twenty years a process like
that. one which comes home to every house
hold. would have been adopted everywhere.
And seven years ago the papers were full!
OF the descriptions OF the Peabody house in
Brooklyn, where the lighting. heating and
cooling, washing, ironing and cooking were
all done by electricity. People predicted
then that the finish Of the coal ranges and
gas stoves was In sight. But I notice that
the stove makers are still doing bushes.
and they don't seem to have a lean and
hungry look.
"The invention OF a thing isn't all that's |
That's only the first step. II yov |
can't make your invention do Its work a
as Its rivals you will never get tn
world to use 1t. Cooking by electricity is |
hardly any further along than 1t was fv
years ago, and It won't be any furthe'
until it gets to be as cheap as e.,
or coal. That time is coming slowly. bu'
surely nearer; in the meantime, though
you won't find many electric kitchens out
side OF exhibitions. They have one dow
at the Edison Company's new plant In
Duane street, but that doesn't count out.
side. Every Friday luncheon ia cooked there |
and served to the staff, and the kitchen
works all right. The trouble isn't in thu |
working, anyway. It's in what the working !
costs.
'' ~ hoA" W Jus q 10 uSNiIC III |
household appliances as 1t Is TO-
some people to get into society. Take cleo |
trio curling irons. or. rather. the heaters
Tor these irons. Women go into the new
hotels, where there are electric lights, and
The only way In which they can heat a
curling iron is to use an alcohol lamp. There
Is more damage done to furniture and car
pets and hangings In this way than would
cover the cost OF the hotel man Of provid-
ing the attachment for heating the iron.
Yet I know Of only one hotel in this town
a woman will find that convenience.
zone trouble in getting private houses TO
Use electricity is that they don't want to
up the house to have the wires strung.
The fine new houses are being provided
with electric wires in the building and many
IF the old ones have had them put in; but
people are slow to make radical changes
If any sort. Physicians have been abou,
rs ready to avail themselves OF the new OPP
oortunities as anybody. A great many OF
hem have an office wire that taps the street
wire and use electricity In cauterizing and
for REGULAR electrical treatment. II does
lway with any fussing with batteries and Is
.lvavs ready. Dentists do the same way.
But when 1t comes to really domestic uses
We have to admit that electricity has gained
ground very, very slowly. It's always the
way, though. You will find mems Offices
equipped with the verv latest conveniences,
but the women's kitchens have to get on
- hznk xhax, l