Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-22

white. The result of the whole scheme was
that the light was thrown upon the ceiling
and diffuscd down. The effect was brilliant.
but to the astonishment of the authorities
everyone complained Of the light, and inside
OF two months half the draughtsmen were
patients Of an %oculist, who gave the follow
ing explanation OF the trouble: IT you had
gone to Inspect the light they were working
in you would have found yourself in a very
brilliantly lighted room. The whole air was
radiant with light; but there was not a
shadow In the room, and you couldn't make
one. The result was that the draughtsmen.
who had been accustomed to Judging when
they had reached a certain point by the
angle made between the shadow and the pen
or pencil, found themselves Obliged to look
closely for every point to which they drew a
line. and their eyes we're kept under a heavy
strain all the time, and naturally they soon
gave out \ professional draughtsman
questions this explanation. In a long ex-
p]crience he has never been conscious OF
working by shadows, and even under diff
fused light he has always worked with the
greatest ease. In his estimation the reason
OF the draughtsmon's suffering was that the
upper half of the room was very bright,
while the lower half was comparatively
dark. This contrast, together with the in
tense light If the ceiling. caused the un-
pleasant glare accompanying the reflection
OF any strong light from a plain white sur
face, which even to a modified extent is one
of the most trying influences to which the
eyes can be subjected.
THAT Tired Feeling in Iron.
Structures composed Of iron or steel-for
Instance bridges, the skeleton frames CT high
buildings, etc.-frequently undergo a change
In the course of time, due to an alteration
in the relative position of the molecules in
the metals. Some authorities claim. says
Electricity, that disqualification takes place,
especially when the structure Is exposed TO
a severe or long-continued Earring, as in the
case OF iron or steel railway bridges. How
ever this may be it is a well-known fact
that razorS frequently become duh and lose
their temper and can only DO restored to
their former good condition by being laid
aside and allowed to rest for n more or
less protracted length of time, This phe-
nomenon is also noticed in springs. When a
spring becomes weak and can no longer re-
form the function for which it was i]nteniel
If given time and allowed to recuperate It
will ultimately regain its lost tension. In
both Of the examples just cited a molecular
Encouragement OF particles took place,
brought on by changes in temperature in the
one case and by a 1eXing and relaxing in
the ether for which, as in overwork in the
human body, the best remedy is rest. Until
recently this has been thought the only
means Of restoring to its original condition
fatigued metal, but now it is reported that
an Italian engineer has discovered a way
of doing it with the aid of the electric cur
rent. The story of the discovery, for thu
truth of which we cannot vouch, runs as
follows:
The inventor was awaiting his turn in a
barber shop in a townsin Italy and heard the
barber abuse his favorite blade because it
was doing poor work. The razor was sim
ply tired" The inventor Immediately
jumped to the conclusion that the razor was
suffering from disqualification due to a
change in the relative position OF the mole.
culos and that rest from vibration would
restore 1t to it's original condition. He pur-
chased the razor, took it home and te-an
experimenting. First he tried by the vibra-
tion OF tuning forks to destroy crystallization
in the metal, but in vain. Then he inserted
the razor in a solenoid and passed an e'ec-
trio current through the latter. The bla e
was much improved, but had by no means
been restored to its original condition. The
experiment was about to be abandoned as
a failure when the inventor bethought him
that an interrupted current might bring
about the desired result. This he trisd and
was rewarded by success.
Although it must be acknowledged the
above story sounds, to put it v~ulgarly.
"fshy.' it is claimed that this electrical
method OF restoring lost qualities to ir5n
and steel has been tried on a tired" web
member Of "A bridge with success. That the
subjecting CT a piece OF iron to the action
of a solenoid would be apt to alter the rela-
! tive DOSitiOn of the tnO1apu1pc In tho ,ron
there Is little doubt, but whether it would
neutraliZe capitalization, which is occa-
stoned by an excess OF heat and not usually
by Earring, and as to the exact cause CT
which experts agree to differ, it is hard to
say. However, the experiment described
above should not be a difficult one to make
and if, as the Italian claims, tired" metals
can be restored to their original molecular
condition by the process, it could certainly
be applied advantageously to parts OF
machines that are subject to a constant
jarring or to an excessive heat.
Threc-Phnsc Factory system.
The diversified applications of electric
motors in the new plant of the Elgin Ma
tional Watch company factory, at Elgin, ILL.,.
cover a wide range, from the running of the
heavy stamping machines to the smallest
lathes. This company has n capacity of
about 1000 movements per day, which are
now turned ont with tire aid of a three
phase electric power plant comprising
twenty-three motors, ranging from one to
twenty-hoTsc power each. A feature of the
installation Is the use of the one large motor
to run a Jack shat ir each wing, or large
room of the flctory, the separate machines
being belt-driven from this! This arrange
mcnt does not make any saving over the