Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-25

The forthcoming meeting of the
American Institute of Electrical Engi-
neers at Charlotte, N. c., will bring out
many interesting discussions of the
problems that confront the electrical
world. This body of men constitute a
sort of court Of last resort in affairs
electrical, not so much in the way of
invention as in devising ways and
means toward making all electrical prog
ress available for the use of the race.
They are mainly men VINO are connect
ed with the big electrical establishments
of the country and they discuss kilo-
watts, amperes, ohms, armatures and
such things in an intimate way that IS
quite confusing to the layman
One Of the most important problems
in the field of electricity is that Of the
the commercial praoticability of the new
storage battery street car. Trials have
been made which prove that it is me-
chanical success, and if it works as well
commercially urban transportation prob
lens will undergo as great change as
marked the passing of the horse car and
the coming Of the trolley. For years
the central power plant has been con-
sidered the last word in the economical
operation Of street car systems,
although it's installation has meant
the expenditure of millions for
plant equipment, underground troll
leys and overh cad wires. Now
comes the storage battery car with
claims for preference, which the New
York trials under actual transportation
conditions seem to vindicate. The cost
of operation is very much less, and the
cost of installation amounts to even
still less. Moving independent of eve
ry other car on the line, so far as mo-
tive power is concerned, there can be
no tie-up on account of the Juice CIV
ing out. There are no plows to get
stuck in a slot, or overhead wires to be
broken in case of sleet or storms.
80
The. storage battery street car will
prove a boon to the ambitious, but en-
bryo metropolis that flourishes in al
most every country. The prohibitive
cost of installation has prevented many
small places from having street car sys-
TENS. With the storage battery car all
needs to be done IS to lay track, buy
the cars and a street car system is
reaoy for the gala day Of formal open
ing. Thus the horse car has come back,
with the exception that instead of
horse Of skin and bones and SPAWN,
dragging the car along at snairs pace,
the passenger has a horse of metal and
chemical riding beneath his feet and
carrying him as it goes-a horse which
is never liable to condemnation by a To-
cal Society for the Prevention of Cru
city to Animals. .-'.--
IN these days when wonder follows
wonder with ligntning-llke rapidity in
toe field of electrical invention, the
latest announcement of a television tel,
ephone does not tax TIE credulity as
much as the telegraph instrument did
two or three generations ago. This
great idea no longer exists merely In
the fevered imagination of some Jules
Verne-it is now in actual process of
accomplishment Think of it! Going
to the telephone and seeing the person
at the other end of the wire, though
miles and mountins lie between. The
idea is said to be as well developed as
was wireless telegraphy a decade ago.
1t ali is to come ABOUT through the dis
covery that one of the elements known
as selenium will conduct electricity when
subjected to light, anu is a non-conduc-
tor when in the dark, The degree of
it's conductivity depends upon the in
tenseness of light and shade.
In the transmitter there is frame
filled with selenium cells like honey
comb in the little pound boxes found
in the grocery store. BY means of a
strong light, a mirror and a lens the
image of an object is projected onto
the cells, and those on which the light
falls send currents of varying intensity
out upon a revolving wheel called the
collector This collector turns very
rapidly and transmits the electrical i'm
pulses to the receiving station. At the
receiving end the impulses sent out by
the transmitter are gathered and trans
formed into light rays again through a
peculiar chemical-mechanical process.
Thus is the exact duplicate of the image
at the transmitting end reproduced at
the receiving end. The apparatus is the
invention of two foreign scientists,
Messrs. Rignoux and Fournier.
For many years the quarter-in-the-
slot gas meter has been in successful
use. but the application of the same