Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-10-05
A GREAT PROBLEM.
The Transformation of Heat Into
Electricity a Poser.
koIution of the Difficulty VIII Bring
Rich Reward to the Solver and
Many Conveniences to
the People.

The great problem likely to be solved
in the twentieth century is the trans
formation of heat into electricity d.
rect When this is accomplished,
Biddy in the morning will start fire,
the heat of which will fill series of
storage batteries that will do most of
the work of the household during the
day, Illuminating the dwelling, prop
cling the machine fans, running the
sewing machine, operating the dumb
waiter and so forth. This, however, is
only a faint suggestion of the advan-
tages to be gained by the discovery l
speak of. Electricity will then become
an exceedingly cheap source of en-
ergy, and the suns rays may be even
employed to manufacture the fluid. If,
as does not seem unlikely, twentieth
century inventor finds q practical way
of Harvesting the tides, the latter will
produce at very slight expense all the
electricity required to run all the ma
chinery and to heat and illuminate all
the houses in the United States.
The houses of many rich men to-day
are run to a great extent by cleo
tricity, which lights them, ventilates
them and even operates the family ell
evator This kind of elevator is it
self very new invention; it has no
attendant, but is so controlled by the
invisible force stored in great jars
of lead and calculated water in the bat
terry room that it is as safe and docile as
any well-trained servant. Anybody who
wants to make use of it presses but
ton and the car comes responsively to
the floor desired. Stepping aboard, the
passenger touches one of the series
ofbuttons inside and the car transports
him to the floor he wishes to go to.
If the promises of electrical experts
are to be accepted, our dwellings be-
fore long will be lighted by electricity
without wires.
An extremely valuable product of the
electric furnace, by the way, is car
borundum-now being made in large
way at Niagara-which is the hardest
of all substances save the diamond, and
therefore serves extremely well as an
abrasive. By electrolysis aluminium
is separated from its ore, and thus has
been brought to point OF exceeding
cheapness, while by the same means
ordinary brine Is separated into two
valuable products-chlorin for bleach
ing, and sodium for soap manufacture.
Electricity Is now recognized as
most useful agent in medicine, being
employed in q great variety of ways
In some complaints it has remark
able power of stimulating function, and
it has been found that certain drugs
put on a moistened electrode can be
carried into the body with the current,
so as to benefit directly diseased part
Various kinds of morbid growth are
removed instantaneously and painless
ly by electro-cautery, and the only sue
cessful method of getting rid of super
fuous hair is that of the electric needle,
which is gently introduced into the
hair-follicle and kills the root. Now
adays operative instruments for the
nose, mouth and throat, whether drills,
saws or what not, are controlled by
electricity, while tiny incandescent
lamps, swallowed by the patient or
otherwise manipulated, are utilized to
illuminate the cavities of body and
head, so as TO reveal conditions to the
physician.
Street cars are not only run by cleo
tricity, but are illuminated and heated
by the same agency. The heaters used
for this purpose require no attention,
regulate the temperature exactly as it
may be wanted, and, when used on
railway trains, does not endanger the
saftey of passengers. One of the latest
improvements is to provide each berth
in sleeping car with an incandescent
light, so that one may read. il slumber
comes not. Similarly, incandescent
lights are now provided iivr carriages,
and they are even coming into use for
cabs. The emperor Of Germany has his
closed carriages lighted in this way,
and, in addition, the harness of his
horses are covered win small glow
lights of different colo ), so as to pro-
duce very beautiful effect.
The twentieth century will see cleo
tricity introduced in the kitchen in
place of coal and wood. In order that
this may be accomplished 1t is only
necessary that the fluid should be made
a little cheaper, inasmuch as it serves
much better for all culinary purposes.
The electric oven bakes bread ideally,
and meats prepared in it do not re-
quire basting or watching, while broil-
ing and frying may be done in a SUI
perior style on the electric range The
electric chatting dish is attachable at
a moments notice to an ordinary light
wire; the current is turned on and i'm
mediately the oysters begin to stew or
the eggs to frizzle. In the electric
kitchen of the near future there will
be no coal, no ashes and no smoke;
there will be no fuel and not even
battery, inasmuch as the requisite cur
rent will be furnished from. outside
as gas is now. The sad-irons used
on Tuesdays for the family linen will
be heated by electricity, and will be
kept thus at constant temperature.
so that they will never scorch things
and will not require relocating or
changing. Already we have electric
curling tongs, which, being hitched to
a light wire are warranted not to SINCE
hair.-Boston Transcript.
SUGAR MAKING IN MEXICO.
The Business VIII Not De Profitable
HALL Artinnn nIethnda Are