Amador ledger., 1908-08-07

White Coal. Blood Tells.
10 produce the aurora borealis
artiflcially has been recently found
to be possible, and now Z. Willard
has performed the experiment before
the French Physical Society and de-
scribed the method. A large vacuum
flask being placed between the poles
of an electro magnet, stream of
kathode rays IS shot into the flask in
direction oblique to the magnetic
field. The rays take the form Of
luminous spiral, and near each pole
of the magnet the spiral is nearly re-
versed, taking a backward course.
On account of the axes OF the spirals
being slightly inclined to that of the
field, they give rise to spheroidal
surface with an axis coincidiug with
that of the field, and with a piece
cut out at each pole. In the natural
phenomena of the skies. it would
appear that the earth is enclosed In
the mostly invisible spheroid Of rays,
and that we see the aurora at the
edge of one of the polar openings,
where the spirals approach closest
and are brightest and deepest.
Working since 1917 on the theory
that dangerous gas emission in mines
follows unusual release of pressure,
Francis Laur believes that mine ex
plosions can be foreseen and guarded
against like storms. On Jan. %.
1907, a long continued pei iod of high
barometer over Europe was followed
by sudden fall of pressure lasting
two days. and with this fall came
Simultaneous explosions in the Keden
mine in Germany. the Lievin in
France, and the Charlestown in Eng
land. Numerous mines in France
and Belgium needed the warnings
given, averting risk of disaster by
stopping work or taking extra pre-
cautions in dangerous workings
The modern power station is pro-
duct of the coincident development
of the high speed dynamo and alter
nator and Of the new steam engine.
In lectures to the London Royal
Institution Gerald Storey has been
reviewing the remarkable progress of
the steam turbine, and he points out
that no reciprocatIng engine of large
size is now being put down either in
England or on the continent. The
first practical steam turbine was the
one of 10 horse power bnilt by Par
sons In 1884. Several turbo- alter
nators of l20 horse power we're sup
piled in 1883, and were used for cleo
trio lighting stations. The COM
pound steam turbine was adapted to
work with condenser in 1892. The
first condensing turbine was of $50
horse power, driving 100 kilowatt
alteInator A, 800 revolutions a minute,
and this proved so economical heat
engine as to mark a new era. Return
from the radiaI flow to the parallel
flow type was made in 1894, with i'm
provements in detail that increased
efficiency and lessened cost. Large
sizes were made, tnr nrbo-generators
were supplied to Germany, and in
late years the demand for the Parsons
steam turbine has increased by
bounds, until about 2,500.0O0 horse
power on land are used and ordered.
For the marine steam turbine, first
used on passenger vessel in 1901,
rapid progress Is at hand, as we'll.
Speech having been registered by
telephonio impressions so as to be
intelligIble, the different words being
distinguishable by sight, D.. Char
bonnel, tie French engineer who per-
fected the apparatus, Is seeking a
practical means of making a tele-
phone receiver give an automatic re-
port of itself on a travelling film or
sensitized band, taking down any
message that may come in the absence
of the proprietor OF the office.
For propelling canal barges, k. W.
rhom of Southport, Eng, would use
internal com mbustion engines fed with
coal gas carried compressed in
cylinders. Tests have shown numer-
Gus advantages, and the engines and
storage cylinders are only half as
heavy as steam engines of like power,
and occupy much less space.
The new electrotyping process Of