Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-12

H1NA1AANNitAF Guys W ANtW lOIh sun AUlDI1
lea Is the foremost country in the worlt
in the art Of telephony, and in many par
%ticulars it has so far surpassed European
countries that no comparison Is possible
This Is especially true Of the long-distanc,
service, which affords connection between
thirty-eight exchange companies havinl
100000 subscribers and includes in its equip.
ment more than 10000 miles OF pole lines
carrying nearly 125, 900 miles OF wire ant
connecting 2S5 offices. IL is possible for per
sons 1000 miles apart to hold conversation
over the lines Of this company with as muci
clearnees and distinctness as II they were
separated by only 100 yards. In Europe the
longest telephone connection thus far at.
tempted is only $50 miles. The long-dis.
lance system in this country has been de.
yeloped at an expenditure OF SIS, 900, 900 fol
line construction, equipment. franchises and
supplies. 1t Is the main artery in the Bell
structure and 10 expected to prove the most
important feature Of the system in the i'm
pending struggle of the Bell interests tc
maintain their supremacy in the large cities
Of the country.
Last year the exchange operated under the
Bell patents employed 1,124.S4 instruments,
an increase of POS, 725 over the previous year,
and a gain of 992, 154 telephones since the
present organization was effected in 1880.
In that year the American Bell Telephone
company began business with 1872, 500 instru-
ments connected by S,316 miles OF wire in
the several exchanges then established.
The most interesting statistics upon the
telephone industry are those which mark its
gradual development since 1884, when a sys-
tematic collection of data pertaining to the
subject was begun. The company had 81, 422
circuits and 123, 625 stations established in
1884 and the business was divided among
BOG exchanges, the entire force employed
numbering 4,762 men, women and children.
Ioday the payroll contains 10, 66S names, and
there are 465, $50 stations connected by
H2,9S9 miles of wire and 1,126 exchanges
and zoos branch offices included in the sys-
TEN. These figures convey some idea of the
enormous growth of the business in the last
fifteen years, but they fail entirely to show
the Importance of this method of commune
cation in the daily commercial and social
life of the nation. A better illustration is
afforded by the fact that last year 1921, 0O0,-
900 connections were made through ex-
changes In this country, or 3,S23, 700 daily
conversations as estimated from the actual
count In many of the cities of the country.
The use of the toll line system, connecting
city exchanges with suburban points, has
also greatly increased, the number of con-
n%ections thus made during the last year
being Q 1900, coo. This Is entirely independ-
ent of the long-distance service and fur
nishes another proof of the growing import
ance OF this method of communication as
a social factor. The number of subscribers
furnished last year was increased by nearly
81 1000, which Is certainly a remarkable
showing when 1t is remembered that the
Bell exchange lost many thousands of pa
irons through competition.
1t must be remembered. too, that the indie
pendent telephone movement which has been
growing rapidly since the expiration of the
fundamental Bell patents, six years ago, has
assumed important proportions and that it's
promoters and supporters have established
in the neighborhood of 5000 exchanges
throughout the country. Naturally, many
of these are in small places where the Bell
%company's rates had proved an insurmount-
able barrier, but others are in towns where
exchanges have been in operation. The low
rates of the anti-Bell companies have
greatly stimulated the business and placed
the service within the reach of many who
could not afford the Bell prices. In spite
of the reduction in prices the character Of
the service has been improved, as COMPETE
ton has made it necessary for the Bell COM
pany to use inventions and improvements
that otherwise would have been buried. This
was the policy of the Bell management dur
ing the period when it enjoyed a monopoly,
but this course had to be abandoned as soon
as the independent movement got fairly
under way.
$500 Degrees Fahrenheit.
Prof. Tucker of Columbia university has
succeeded in producing the greatest heat yet
known to man. A specially-constructed
electrical furnace and current of unusual
power were used to create this temperature,
which was so high that under it steel, hard
quartz and even platinum were vaporized.
AS for ordinary crucibles they disappeared at
once in a little puff of smoke. The best heat
obtained was $500 degrees Fahrenheit, 200
degrees hotter than any temperature be-
fore produced. Says a correspondent: 1t is
difficult to appreciate the degree of such heat
without some comparisons. Scalding water
means a temperature of 212 degrees Fahren-
heit and redhot iron 500 degrees. Steel
melts at 1000 degrees and boils like water at
$, 500 degrees. AS for the heat of the sun,
it is estimated at 10, 900 degrees, so that Prof.
Tucker obtained a temperature which came
within only 3, 700 degrees of Old Sol himself.
OF course, a special apparatus was needed
to measure the temperature obtained by
Prof. Tucker-ordinary thermometers being
quite out Of the question. The arrangement
used for this purpose is called a calorimeter
and 1t is a rather intricate piece OF APP
paratus. While 1t depends upon mercury
for the recording of the degree Of heat or
cold obtained, the reading is not made in the
direct way that obtains with the ordinary
thermometer. The readings of the calori-
are taken and some calculation is
to determine the exact value in
of heat or cold of the figures. Be-
cause of this fact it is usually found that
the actual heat obtained is slightly above
that recorded. The heat obtained by Prof.
Tucker was $500 degrees; 1t is not improb- |
able that 1t was nearly $500. Scientifically
he experiment was of importance, because
has demonstrated that the degree of heat
some time ago by Prof. Molsson OF
Paris was not the greatest possible. Com
1t is useful, because 1t has shown
hat diamonds of remarkable size and purity
may be made artifcially. Further, 1t has
given to m two products OF al
incalculable value-calcium carbide and
carbide.
Police Chiefs Adjourn.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, May 1.-THE po-
chiefs adjourned at noon to meet next
year in Cincinnati. One of the features of