Manchester, they are now prepared to give prompt delivery from stock of wires and cables for electrical purposes in vulcanised, pure indiarubber, and guttapercha insulations, silk and cotton covering, and their patent braiding, also armoured and lead-covered cables in all sizes, concentric cables, and their patent anti-induction and other telephone cables. Mr. Henry Edmunds desires us to call the attention of his friends to his change of address as above.

Anti-Magnetic Alloys.-M. Roussaille, president of the Syndical Chamber of Watchmakers of Lyons, in his paper upon "Watchmaking " at the Paris Exhibition, cites the following anti-magnetic alloys employed in the manufacture of watches: (1) "Mangor," an alloy of manganese an alloy of manganese and gold; (2) "Wolfor," composed of wolfram and gold; (3) "Woltine," formed by the union of platinum and gold; (4) "Cadmine," an alloy of which cadmium forms a large part it is very hard and very elastic. To the alloys mentioned by M. Roussaille are added: (5) Aror," composed of cadmium, gold, and manganese, and (6) "Manium," formed of manganese, platinum, bismuth, and copper. The anti-magnetic alloy best known in England-Hadfield's manganese steel, composed of a small percentage of manga nese, added to ordinary steel-does not appear to have been mentioned.

66

Electric Light Fishing.—A fishing sloop left San Diego, recently, on a novel expedition, to last from one to three months. An electric plant has been put on board, and the fishing is to be done by the aid of incandescent lights and a net. Experiments in the bay proved that everything alive under the water is attracted by the glare of the light, and that thousands of fish of every description can be taken in a short time and with very little trouble. Four men were on board, and the boat has steered for the banks near San Clemente Island. The practical result of the first voyage will be watched with much interest, and if it is as successful in deep water as the experiments in the bay have been, the projectors of the enterprise are confident they will have solved the problem of supplying all Southern California with cheap fish. W. G. Riffenberg, a citizen of San Diego, is the inventor of the apparatus.

Helston.-At the last meeting of the Helston Town Town Council, Mr. J. E. Veale, of St. Austell, who has been consulted on the question of electric lighting, gave as his opinion that the proposed lighting is practicable, and that the disposition of the town lighting will adopt itself well to the electric light. Three plans are suggested for carrying out the work; the first is to utilise the water power available at Lower Town to transmit the electricity from thence to a centre near the market-house and distribute it through the various streets and buildings by about five miles of underground cables. The second plan is to use gas engines with gas obtained on the Dowson system, and the third is to use oil engines. The estimated cost of the plans is, respectively, £2,070, £1,724, and £1,590. The annual cost is estimated at: water power, £198. 10s.; gas, £192. 4s.; and oil, £185. 10s. Letters on the same subject were received from the Manchester Edison-Swan, and from Messrs. J. E. H. Gordon and Co.

Sims-Edison. The following is from the Times: "There is to be a new application, of high importance, of the Sims-Edison invention for propelling and controlling torpedoes, which was exhibited in May last at Havre and described at length in the Times. The principle of control has been utilised in connection with lifeboats by the distinguished scientist Mr. Edison and the eminent engineer, his colleague. At present a boat, with sides necessarily low enough for rowing, is propelled through the surf by 10 to 12 men, who, at the risk of their lives, produce about

1 h.p. The idea in the minds of Mr. Edison and Mr. Sims has been to exchange this feeble force for the all but unlimited power of electricity. The boat they have designed could be sent through the surf for miles up and down the coast, if necessary, and out to a vessel in distress with a force of 32 h.p. Only two men are required to steer it, and the elaborate devices necessitated by the torpedo are not needed."

Taunton. We regret that we cannot enter fully into a description of the electrical exhibition, but at present merely say that Field-Marshal Sir J. Lintorn Simmons on Saturday performed the opening ceremony. The exhibition (which is held at the Taunton Electric Lighting Company's central electric lighting depot) is not large, but it is comprehensive, and is intended to illustrate the various uses to which electrical power can be applied. For instance, an oil engine drives a Newton dynamo, which conveys the electric current to a large number of electric incandescent lamps of various artistic shapes. The same power also drives small motors attached to sewing machines, and also warms a patent lubricator, by means of which eggs are hatched by electricity, and works a churn. An electric launch has been placed on the Tone, in which short trips are taken up and down the river. At a luncheon at which Sir J. L. Simmons was entertained, the gallant Field-Marshal referred to the Sims-Edison torpedo as being an important step in naval warfare.

Edinburgh.-The Corporation of Edinburgh have now obtained the Royal assent to their electric lighting provisional order. In the Act confirming it, which is known as the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 6) Act, 1891, Edinburgh and Paisley were bracketed together. At Tuesday's meeting of the Town Council, Mr. Auldjo Jamieson asked what was to be done with it. Since Tuesday, the committee which was in charge of the order while it was in Parliament sat to consider what they were to do, and came to the conclusion that in procuring the order they had exhausted their duties; and that they could only report the matter to the Council, and wait for further instructions. "This does not look," says the writer in the Journal of Gas Lighting, " as if there was much eagerness to take up electric lighting; and I believe this to be the fact. Had it not been to keep out speculative companies, the provisional order would never have been heard of. question must, however, be answered; and it will be interesting to watch how the Corporation set about the carrying out of the very unwelcome task which has been thrust upon them by the order."

Mr. Jamieson's

Frankfort Exhibition.-The work of transmitting 300 h.p. at a distance of 120 miles upon the line Lauffen, Frankfort, which was begun about the middle of July, is progressing very favourably. On the line FrankfortJagsefeld, which is being built by the Imperial Government, eight gangs of workmen are busily engaged, whilst three gangs are working on the Wurtemberg side. The vast material necessary for the building of the line, consisting of specially constructed telegraph poles, cross-bars, and insulators, having arrived on the spot in good time, and aided by the practical and energetic measures of the employés engaged upon the work, nearly all the telegraph poles along the whole line are in their places, in spite of unusual difficulties connected with the mountainous nature of the soil having had to be surmounted. Thanks to the exertions of the firm of Hesee Söhue Heddernheim, who delivered the necessary quantity of above 1,200 miles of copper wire at the respective places within the space of a few days, the putting up of the wires will begin next week. Not less than 750 kilogrammes of oil will be

necessary to fill the insulators. There is now every reason to believe that the three wires of about 120 miles each will be fixed and in working order by the middle of August.

Canterbury.-At a meeting of the Canterbury Town Council on Tuesday, the town clerk read a letter from the Brush Electrical Engineering Company, saying that they were prepared to undertake the formation of a local company to take over the provisional order which the Corporation has obtained, and to refund the cost of the order, which they understood to be about £200, as soon as the necessary capital had been raised. Councillor Wells asked if the Brush Company were going to do it without any guarantee. The town clerk answered in the affirmative. Alderman Mount said he supposed if the Council accepted the offer it would be surrounded with safeguards in order to be on the safe side. The Mayor said at Dover they had advertised for tenders to take over the provisional order, but he did not know the result. Councillor Sanderson said he believed the tender of the Brush Company was accepted, and they were to form a company, and the Council would have the option of purchasing the undertaking at the end of 21 years. Alderman Mount said they had a better offer, with the option of buying at seven, 14, or 21 years. The Mayor proposed that their town clerk write to the town clerk of Dover asking him to send particulars of what had been done, and report at the next meeting, and this was agreed to by the members.

Lyons Electric Tramways.-The Lyons tramways seem to be run by a very enterprising company, and many experiments have recently been carried out to determine the most suitable method of mechanical traction. The

fireless motors of the Frank and Lamm system, with superheated steam, were tried, then steam and petroleum engines, and, lastly, electric traction by means of cars carrying their own accumulators. The car is fitted with a motor by Alroth, of Basle, the current being supplied by 112 FaureSellon-Volckmar cells weighing 2 tons, the gearing being a Gall steel chain. The cells are placed under the seats and in two cupboards at the end, and the motor is placed beneath the car floor, so that nothing is seen but the switch handle alongside that of the brake. The total weight of the loaded car may be analysed thus (giving the weights in hundredweights): Car 104, motor 13, switch and resistance 2, 40 passengers 53, battery 47; total about 11 tons. The accumulators can be connected in four different ways, corresponding with 50, 100, 100, and 200 volts for 80, 40, 20, and 20 amperes respectively. The various couplings are brought about by a set of brush contacts under the car, moved by a handle with dial and figures. At normal speed, 7 miles an hour (12 kilometres) on the level, the current is used at 10 amperes, rising to 30 and 45 on gradients. The capacity of the battery is 150 amperehours, so that a minimum run of eight hours can be achieved without recharge. The lighting of the car is taken off the cells at 50 volts. So far the experiment appears to have been very successful, and M. Paplew, the managing director, seems strongly inclined to increase the number of electric cars on the Lyons tram lines.

Boat Race by Telephone.-Through the enterprise of the telephone company of New Haven, Connecticut, the stay-at-home people were able to follow the Yale-Harvard boat race from beginning to end. Three wires were stretched from the telephone building in New Haven, one of which was flagged off to represent the course, the miles being designated alternately by red and blue flags. From the other two wires were suspended miniature boats, the crew of one being painted blue to represent Yale and the other red for Harvard. As the race progressed and the telephone reports were received,

these were drawn along the wires and the relative positions of the crews were shown, giving a very good idea of the contest. Five stations, equipped with a longdistance transmitter, were placed one at the start, and one opposite each of the mile flags. At the instant the word "go" was given by the referee it was telephoned to New Haven by the station at the start, and the miniature boats began their journey across the street, a cannon being fired from the top of the telephone building to call attention to the fact. By this time the street was blocked, and the crowd continually increasing. Meanwhile the Harvard boat was slowly creeping away from its rival in accordance with the reports received, and by the time the first mile flag was reached it was fully three lengths ahead; at the same time a large bulletin was displayed in the window, giving the time of both crews to that point, their strokes per minute, and the shape they were rowing in. When either of the crews spurted the sham boats gave evidence of the fact, and the crowd hardly breathed until the suspense was After the race was over the crowd quietly dispersed, all giving praise to the telephone company for representing the race. It is the sort of idea that might be taken up in

over.

Fleet-street and our own universities.

Frankfort Congress.-The International Electrical Congress will be held from September 7 to 12 at Frankfort. It is proposed to organise into sections, as was the case with former congresses, and to discuss the prominent electric topics of the day. Among the papers already promised are the following, together with their authors: Carhart: (1) "The Substitution of Dynamo Machines for Voltaic Bat teries in Telegraphy"; (2) "Current Regulators for Dynamo Machine"; Dolbear: "Electrical Terminology"; Von Dolivo Dobrowolsky: "Electrical Transmission of Power by Alternating Currents"; Epstein: "Applicability of Electromagnetic Measuring Instruments-that is, those containing Iron, for Alternating Currents"; Feussner: "Material and Construction for Measuring Instruments"; Frölich: (1) "Objective Demonstration of Harmonic Curves, and Electro-Acoustic Experiments," (2) “Generation and Application of Ozone"; Holborn: "On the Magnetic Action of Different Iron Alloys;" Hummel: "Direct Determination of the Work of Magnetisation and the Currents in an Iron Ring"; Kahle: "The Permissible Limits of Error in Measuring Instruments, in Relation to Heat, Remanent Magnetism, etc."; Kareis: (1) " Prevention of Cross-Talk in Telephone Wires Strung on the Same Pole," (2) "Prevention of Disturbances in Telephone Circuits by Induction from Wires Carrying Heavy Currents," (3) "Improvements in the Conductivity of Telegraph Lines"; Kohlrausch : "What is the Best Course of Study for the Education of the Electrical Engineer?"; Löwenherz: "Introduction of Uniform Screws in Electrical Work and Instrument Making"; May: "Regulations for Electrical Conductors from the Standpoint of the Fire Insurance Companies"; Meissner: "Application of Lippmann's Capillary Electrometer to Cable Telegraphy;" Muller: "Arrangement of Storage Batteries for Light and for Heavy Work"; Peukert: "On Electric Meters "; Rothen: "Important Questions in the Domain of Telephony." Papers have also been promised by Dubois, Ferraris, Grawinkel, Quincke, Alioth, Arnold, Görges, Slaby, and others.

Marx Process of Storing Electric Energy.— Mention was made some months ago of a liquid "electroline," which comprised the active material of an accumulator or battery instead of the plates. Great expectations were formed of it, and we believe Mr. Kapp reported upon it, but nothing further has been lately heard of it. following particulars from the Elektrotechnischer Anzeiger

SIMS-EDISON TORPEDO.

From a note in another column it will be seen that the Sims-Edison electrical mechanism, as hitherto used for torpedoes, is to be applied to other boats, hence it may be as well to describe this mechanism a little more in detail. Fig. 1 represents diagrammatically the arrangement. It must be understood that the boat is regulated by an electric current generated at a fixed station, wires connecting the moving boat with the fixed station. Ordinarily at the station there is a steam engine of not less than 60 h.p., a dynamo, A, a key, B, an ammeter, a voltmeter, a battery, C, giving a current of 15 amperes at 20 volts, and a key, D. A cable connects the torpedo with the dynamo and battery. It consists of concentric conductors insulated from each other. The interior conductor has a section of 1.6 mm.2 to carry the battery current. The external conductor has a section of 15 mm.2 to carry the current of the dynamo. The whole is well insulated. The total diameter of the cable is 8.5 mm., and is tested under a current of 24,000 volts. One extremity is fixed at the station, the major portion of the cable at starting being rolled in a compartment of the torpedo, and is, of course, unrolled as required. This provides the means of guidance. It is unnecessary to enter into any detailed account of the torpedo itself, which is fairly well known. It contains

between the terminals, W, and f, and is equal to each of the magnets, Q. The governor is intended to vary the action of the rudder, and hence the direction of the torpedo. The rudder relay, or the relay governing the rudder, is shown in Fig. 3. It consists of an electromagnet, a, in the circuit of the battery, C, of a permanent magnet, B, and of two armatures, NS, which are prolonged in bronze pieces d d1, Fig. 1. It is kept in ordinary position by springs eel, which are respectively connected with the terminals ƒƒ1, and by these with the terminals, W W1, of the apparatus governing the rudder. At the time of launching, the apparatus is as shown in the diagram, Fig. 1. The generating current comes by the terminal ƒ to the motor, and can go to earth by three roads. First, by the resistance y, terminal W, lever U, wire g, armature d1, terminal e1, terminal f1, motor, 2, and to earth. The second road: terminal e, armature d, wire g, and then as by the first road. The third road is terminal e, electromagnet Q, wire g, and as before.

The diagram, Fig. 1, shows the method of propulsion, contact being made by the key B, so that the armature, P, of the firing relay is in contact with the left terminal, Fig. 1. The current goes principally by the second aboveenumerated ways, which is that which offers the least resistance to the motor and without actuating the electromagnet, Q Q1, acts upon the motor which puts in motion

several compartments, one of which is filled with the explosive material, which is supposed to contain about 250 kilogrammes of dynamite, or about 10 times the charge for the Whitehead torpedo-a sufficient charge to break up the most solidly constructed vessel at a distance of 50ft. The supplementary__chamber, however, contains 400 kilogrammes of dynamite. The charge is fired by means of a detonator. A second compartment simply insulates the explosive charge from the rest of the torpedo. The third contains a cable wound in a hollow reel. It is so arranged as to permit the cable to be unrolled from the centre. The fourth compartment contains the propelling apparatus, and a supplementary arrangement for firing the charge. Here we find the series motor, Z, running at about 800 revolutions a minute, taking 28 amperes at 1,100 volts, giving 35 effective h.p. This motor actuates a screw. Besides rotating the screw, the motor also actuates a train of wheels shown at G H, Figs. 1 and 2, causing the projecting pieces shown at I to close the firing circuit. The firing apparatus is shown in M N P. The fifth chamber contains the governing apparatus shown in Fig. 4. It consists of two electromagnets, Q, placed symmetrically round the shaft of the screw. The armature, R, is connected through S to the rudder, T. Each of the electromagnets actuates a smaller armature, U, connected to a jointed lever, the extremity of which is connected through the terminal, v, to the terminal, W, whenever this extremity comes under the spring, x. The resistance, y, is interposed

FIG. 4

the screw of the torpedo, giving the torpedo a velocity of from 20 to 22 knots. This can be modified at the will of the operator, and the direction of the torpedo can be modified by actuating the relay and the rudder as previously described.

THE MIDGET ARC LAMP.

The great economy of arc as compared with incandescent lighting renders interesting any attempt to popularise the use of small arc lamps. For large shops or small lecture theatres something between the usual large arc and the ordinary incandescent lamp has long been wanted. It is absolutely necessary, not only that these small lamps should possess perfect steadiness, but also that they should be so simple in construction that they may be relied on for keeping in working order without constant skilled attention. A lamp which fulfils these conditions is now being introduced by Messrs. Woodhouse and Rawson. It is called the "Midget," from its small size, and is made to give 250 c.p., using 5 amperes at an E.M.F. of 45 volts, so that even with this small size of lamp we obtain 1 c.p. of light for the expenditure of every "watt" of electrical energy used.

The illustration shows the general appearance of the lamp. The smallness of the globe prevents any depth of