Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-22
IN The FIELD OF ELECTRICITY
Use Of Steel and Aluminium in Electric
Wire Constructisn.
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH Corps IN PtNls
Electric Phenomena on Mountain
Tops-stesm and Compres.ed
Air superseded by Elec-
tricity In Mining.

recent improvements in telephony would
greatly lessen the demand for copper as A
metal for line construction. Such a fear
the Boston Transcript pronounces utterly
unfounded. as II is likely that the adop-
tion Of DR.. Pupin's method Of improving
long-distsnce lines will tend to increase
greatly the number and distribution OF
such circuits. The only rivals OF copper
ior electrical uses are steel and aluminium.
Under certain conditions. steel, of which
from six to eight times the weight Of the
equivalent copper is required for the same
effective conductivity. may be used, espe-
cially as conductor for heavy currents
and In situations where its weight would
cause no inconvenience. For example, 4,
Is likely that for distributing feeders from
the sub-statlons on the elevated railways in
New York City, when these are equipped
Tor electric traction, steel will prove the
cheapest material. Aluminium is cheaper
than the equivalent copper, and consider
ably lighter. but about so per cent bulkler
II has found much use already for lines
where bare wire can be used, as power
transmission circuits, for example. MANY
indications point to the increasing use OF
tnls metal as an electrical conductor
though much has still to be learned about
II and the question of it's weather-resisting q
u r
tain TO be made for a lower price In the
near future, II being already possible 70
manufacture 1t At figure to compete with
copper at II cents. or about so per cent
OF It's present price.
First Wire In Pekin.
According to the Electrical World and
Engineer. the assertion that the japanese
were the FIRST to enter Pekin with their tel.
esraph line on the occasion of the relief ex-
petition Is not correct IL says that the
honor belongs TO the United States signal
corps, which reports as follows through the
chlef signal officer: The conditions under
wien these operations were conducted in
tue held we're most trying. They entailed
not only marching as fast as the army and
the construction OF a telegraph line equal
in length to the daily marches but also tho
establishment OF telegraph stations Mt
night their dismantling in the morning
ana the dispatch OF kilograms during a CON
SIDERABLE part OF the night. The difficulties
were greatly enhanced by the fact that for
days at a time the detachment was Obliged
10 work without escort or any protection
other than reliance on its own members
Most unfortunately this labor, exhausting
at the best. was done under most unfayor-
able climatic conditions. the heat being so
excessive as to frequently disable for hours
the most energetic men OF the signal CORPS
Many OF the Chinese laborers we're pros
rated, and In one day two OF them dropped
dead from heat and over exertion. In view
OF the trying and unfavorable conditions re-
cited II is source OF gratircation that the
signal corps detachment justified the conf
dence placed In II by General Chaffee and
by the chief signal officer. Through the
iaoors OF Lieutenant Stamfords men the
n7 7AFf
wire ftnto' Pektn, where the FIRST telegram
ONCE was installed in the house OF Minister
Conger. Fortunately. this action permitted
General Chaffee in Pekin to extend courte-
sizes In the way OF transmitting kilograms to
omoiais OF the British Russian French
German, Italian, and even Chinese govern
ments, and likewise to the press So siren
uous were the labors Of the enlisted signal
corps men. both before and after their az
rival at Pekin. that 1t was with difficulty
that telegraphic work was maintained at
Pekin, owing TO the large number OF opera
tors incapacitated by sickness"
Novel EIectro-Magnetic Brake.
The British Westinghouse company. says
the Scientific American, has recently ac
quired the patents OF a novel electro-mag-
netic brake, invented by Mr.. Newell, for
utilization on street tram-cars. II con-
sists OF horseshoe electro magnet sus,
pended on spiral springs. so that the pole,
hang directly above the rails. When the
magnet Is excited, IL forces down these
poles, so that the shoes grip the rail in a
similar manner to the ordinary track brake
But there is wide difference between the
effects OF the application of the Newell,
brake and those of the convent tional track
brake In the case OF the latter, the brak.
ing enect is obtained at the expense OF the
weight OF the car: that is, by reducing the
grip OF the car wheels on the rails and
therefore multiplying to a considerable extent
the effect OF the wheel rim hand brake.
In the case OF the Newell brake. however.
by means OF simple arrangement OF levers
connecting the electro-magnet with the
shoes OF the wheei-rim hand brake. the re.
action OF the shoes on the track results
In an increased thrust or pressure on the
shoes OF the wheel-rim hand brake B,
this means an increased braking effect on
tho wheel rims is caused. and the effective
weight OF the car on Its wheels is not
changed by the application Of the track.
brake. Another important feature of thi,
brake Is that II is not actuated by the cur
rent supplied by the conduit mains, but by
power produced by the loading OF the car
motors as generators. The momentum of
the cars, after the supply circuit has been
'h'eiuPieu' utlNss mOtOFS as generat- |
ors. and II Is the resulting current which
furnishes the power for the electro mag. |
netic brake.
Tercentenary Of Electricity.
At the London institution the other dav
Prof. silvanus p. Thompson gave a lecture
on the "Tercentenary OF the Science of
Eleetricity." This tercentenary. he said. |
was to be dated from 1900. because in that
year appeared Gibert's treatise DE Mag
nete'' In which It was shown that the at |
traction Of the lodestone for iron was not
the same as that exerted by amber for |
small PARTICLES OF chan, feathers, etc and
that this property OF amber was shared by
many other substances. In the century
leOl-l1o0 Guericke constructed the hrst
electrical machine. using a ball OF SULPHUR |
but very little more was discovered. In tho
next century there was a galaxy OF names |
illustrious as contributors to the progress
OF the science OF electricity: still the real |
beginning OF its useful applications dated
only from the earliest part OF the nine. |
teenth century. Volta, in 1900. gave an ac- |
count OF the voltaic cell. and In 1902 Sir |
Humphrey Davy. experimenting at the |
Royal institution with a large battery OF |
cells, produced the electric arc for the first |
time. About 1886 Daniel constructed a cell |
whose current was constant. though not |
very strong and a few wears LATER Crova in