very general. The cathedral would require 2,000 lamps to light it properly. The post office wanted a considerable reduction in price. The Victoria Institute would require current for their laboratories and motors. The railway company would enter into a contract at a fixed price per lamp per year. Mr. Swete was paid a fee of 15 guineas for his services, and the question was referred to a subcommittee with the hope that something practical would be done.

Presentation.-Last week Mr. T. A. F. Cutler, on behalf of the whole staff of the Bath central electric lighting station, presented Mr. B. Deakin with a handsome writing and stationery cabinet, also an amber and silver-mounted briar pipe in case, which bore the following inscription: "Bath, 1891-Presented to Mr. B. Deakin, from the staff of the Bath Electric Light Works, with their kindest regards and best wishes for his future success." Mr. Deakin was from 1882 to 1890 in charge of the Brush Company's Cardiff lighting station and South Wales business, and was appointed senior engineer at the Bath works in January, 1891, which position he is now vacating to undertake the charge of the extensive lighting station which the Brush Electrical Engineering Company are at present equipping for the City of London Electric Supply Company.

Edinburgh Tramways.-With reference to the con tinuance of the Edinburgh tramways concession, the Corporation have had a consultation with the directors of the Edinburgh Tramway Company, and suggested the statu quo should be maintained for another three years. The tramway company asked for 10 years, not believing that by the end of three years the question of mechanical traction would be sufficiently settled. By the end of ten it was expected great advances would be made in tramway propulsion, and the question of cable versus electricity fully settled. It is to be hoped it will be settled long before this time now that the electric tramways have fully got a start in Great Britain, but the Edinburgh Corporation seemed to be satisfied, and the longer period will probably be given. A draft Bill for extension and embodying a subvention of £3,000 a year offered by the tramway company for the use of the streets, is to be submitted at a future meeting.

Incandescent Lamp as Seismograph.-In laboratories where stability is of consequence-such as photographic or physical laboratories-it is usual to test the state of the room as regards vibrations by a basin of mercury. M. F. Leconte, a Belgian scientist and photographer, points out that an incandescent lamp forms a far more delicate form of instrument for this purpose. It should be an unblackened lamp with the vacuum preserved; in fact, a new lamp, say, of 100 volt-8 c.p. M. Leconte placed a lamp having a looped filament on the pillar to be tested, a candle behind, and a field-glass in front to observe the vibrations. Steps and jolts on the floor were perfectly indicated by movements of the filament, when the basin of mercury remained perfectly unaffected. The extreme delicacy of the filament to vibration is very well known, and the employment of this property for testing photographic studios and astronomical observatories may possibly prove

useful.

London County Council Inspector. The Highways Committee of the London County Council have had to consider the appointment of meter inspector in place of Mr. W. Arnot, resigned. In response to an advertisement, 57 applications were received and were carefully considered. Among these eight candidates were selected as eligible, and from these they selected Mr. Arthur Edward Rossiter, whom they recommend to be appointed in the engineer's department on probation for

12 months, the appointment to be subject to confirmation at the end of that time. The salary is £200 a year. The duties to be discharged are those of an inspector under the Electric Lighting Acts and Orders, and such other duties as required. The appointment does not include pension or superannuation, but includes necessity for agreement to any scheme the Council may adopt with respect to insurance for pension or superannuation. The appointment was confirmed.

Society of Arts.-The arrangements for the meetings of this society during the ensuing session have just been announced. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 18, when the opening address will be delivered by the Attorney-General, chairman of the council. On the following Wednesday evenings, previous to Christmas, papers will be read on "The Measurement of Lenses," by Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson; on "The World's Fair at Chicago in 1893," by Mr. James Dredge; on "Secondary Batteries," by Mr. G. H. Robertson; and on "Spontaneous Ignition of Coal and its Prevention," by Prof. Vivian Lewes. Among the courses are lectures on "Electrical Distribution," by Prof. Forbes; "The Uses of Petroleum in Prime Movers," by Prof. W. Robinson. A special course of lectures has also been arranged, under the Howard Bequest, on "The Development and Transmission of Power from Central Stations," by Prof. W. Cawthorne Unwin, F.R.S., commencing shortly after Christmas.

Institution Annual Dinner.-Amongst the guests who have accepted invitations to be present at the annual dinner of the Institution of Electrical Engineers on November 13 are the Postmaster-General (Sir J. Ferguson, Bart., G.C.S.I., M.P.); the Inspector-General of Fortifications (Major-General Grant, C.B., R.E.; Sir G. G. Stokes, Bart., M.P. (late president of the Royal Society), Sir John Pender, K.C.M.G., Sir Thomas Blomefield, Bart. (Board of Trade), Captain W. J. L. Wharton, R.N., F.R.S., (hydrographer to the Admiralty), Mr. H. J. Chaney (Standards Department, Board of Trade); the presidents of the following societies: the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Iron and Steel Institute; Mr. Harrison Hayter, Mr. Alfred Giles, M.P., Sir Benjamin Baker, K.C.M.G., vice-presidents of Institution of Civil Engineers; Dr. William Pole, F.R.S.S. London and Edinburgh, hon. secretary Institution of Civil Engineers, Colonel W. Haywood, engineer to the Commissioners of Sewers.

Royal Scottish Society of Arts.-The committee of this society have awarded the following prizes (amongst others) for communications made during last session: Dr. R. Milne Murray, for paper "On an Electrical Bench for Physiological Research," Keith prize, value £21; to F. Grant Ogilvy, for communication "On the Telegraph Exhibits at the International Exhibition," accompanied with the society's honorary silver medal; to E. Manville and J. G. Statter, for paper "On the Telpher and Electric Railways at the Exhibition and on Electrical Traction," accompanied with Keith complimentary silver medals; to A. R. Bennett, for paper " On Electrical Navigation," accompanied with the society's honorary silver medal; to M. Holroyd Smith, for paper "On Electrical Traction," accompanied with the society's honorary silver medal; to Prof. A. B. W. Kennedy, for paper "On a Description and Comparison of the Systems of Electric Lighting at present in use in London," accompanied by the society's honorary

silver medal.

Lifeboat Communication.-Sir Edward Birkbeck, who is chairman of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, has a forcible letter in the Times, on Monday, with respect to the terrible waste of life and goods due to the want of

telephonic or telegraphic communication to the lifeboat stations. He says he intends to move a resolution in Parliament next session, as follows: "That, with a view to the better prevention of loss of life and property in cases of shipwreck, and to give speedy information to lifeboat authorities and rocket apparatus stations, in the opinion of this House it is desirable that telephonic and telegraphic communication should be provided by Government between all the coast guard stations and signal stations on the coast of the United Kingdom, and on such parts of the coast where there are no coast guard stations, the postal telegraph offices nearest to the lifeboat stations." He adds that it has been estimated that an expenditure of £100,000 would be sufficient to establish such a system-a mere bagatelle when the vast importance of the object is considered.

Catalogue. We have received a copy of their catalogue from Messrs. S. Z. de Ferranti and Co., Limited, of Charterhouse-square, London, containing particulars and illustrations of this firm's well-known dynamos and mains. Some very capital woodcuts show one of these Ferranti alternators, with exciting dynamos mounted on the same axle, and fitted for rope gearing. These machines are made for any tension-from 1,000 to 3,000 volts for ordinary station work, to supply from 1,500 to 30,000 10-c.p. 35-watt lamps. The alternations of current in these machines are 5,000 cycles per minute, or 10,000 phases. They are rated to have exceptional margin of safety, and have frequently been run at various stations at 50 per cent. over normal output. Alternators for coupling direct to high-speed engines are constructed for 4,000 complete alternations, 350 or 400 revolutions. Complete installations of sub-station transformers, house transformers, station switches, and synchronising gear are shown, together with fuses, and the celebrated Ferranti mains, which we fully illustrate elsewhere.

Electric Illuminations at Worcester.-The festivities in connection with the return of the Earl and Countess of Dudley to Worcester last Saturday after their marriage, was made the occasion of an effective electric lighting display at the Worcester Cathedral. One of the Naval Exhibition search-lights was placed on the roof, together with four arc lamps in positions at other points between the pinnacles. The prominent position of the cathedral made the operation of the search-light very effective. The work was undertaken by the British Electric Installation Contractors, of London and Worcester, under the superintendence of Mr. Morgan Williams, their consult ing engineer; and the staff of Mr. Ronald Scott, of Acton, carried out the erection of the plant, which consisted of a powerful portable engine driving two dynamos, the whole being placed in a portion of the enclosure at the back of the cathedral. Elsewhere in the town accumulators were used for arc lighting outside a tradesman's shop, this work being also carried out by the same company, under Mr. Oswald Swete, acting engineer to the local electric company.

Christiania.-Tenders in all from 20 different firms were received for the Christiania electric lighting station, of which 13 were for the whole installation and the others for special parts. For the whole installation tenders were received from the Edison General Electric Company, New York; Crompton and Co., London; Siemens Bros., London; Electric Construction Company, Wolverhampton; Siemens and Halske, Berlin; Schuckert and Co., Nürnberg; Thomson-Houston International Electric Company, Hamburg; Helios Company, Cologne; Continental Edison Company, Paris; O. L. Kummer and Co., Dresden; Sharp and Kent, Westminster; Woodhouse and Rawson, Limited, London; Chrom-Accumulator Company, Berlin. For the boilers only, the firms: Düsseldorf-Ratingen Company,

Ratingen; Babcock and Wilcox, New York; Gohrig and Leuchs, Darmstadt; L. and C. Steinmüller, Gummersbach. For the mains only: Callender's Bitumen Company, London. For the steam engines only: J. and A. Jenssen and Dahl, Christiania. For the dynamos and fittings only: Mather and Platt, Manchester. The contracts are to be awarded within six weeks from October 10.

Bournemouth Telephone.-The burnt-out telephone exchange at Bournemouth has been again temporarily started, to the great satisfaction of the subscribers, who have been living telephonically in silence for over a week. Mr. Mackenzie Williams, district superintendent of the Western Counties Telephone Company, and a staff of skilled workmen, were at work almost day and night repairing the damage and endeavouring to arrange for a temporary installation. The large switchboard that was damaged has to be replaced by one from Chicago, and in the meantime a smaller board, consisting of three single-line switches of 100 subscribers each, has been fixed, awaiting the arrival of the multiple board from the States. On Tuesday morning the temporary installation was complete, and three of the operators at once began to ring up the subscribers. The present communication is only temporary, but the regular exchange will be ready in a few weeks. It speaks highly for the company that within so short a time they should have restored order out of the chaos which reigned a fortnight ago, and given their subscribers as soon as possible the benefit of using the telephone in the meantime.

Fowler-Waring Cables.-The Fowler-Waring Cable Company, 32, Victoria-street, and North Woolwich, send us their new illustrated catalogue. The cables are of two classes, "lead-covered" and "lead-foiled." The former are sheathed in solid drawn lead, and are for use in underground conduits, factories, public works, and steamships, or wherever great strength is requisite. The latter are sheathed in a light covering of lead, and outwardly protected by a fibrous braiding. The cables are all covered by means of special machinery for lead covering, and are free from pores and cracks. The insulation is very high, ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 megohms at 75deg. F., and all cables are tested after prolonged immersion with high-pressure currents. Tables of sizes and prices are clearly given, not only for the special cables, but also for flexibles and circular braided cords for pulleys. Jointing materials and tools are illustrated, and also the various methods of jointing. The lead joints are specially described with very full particulars and cuts. cables are separately dealt with, and the hooks and sus pending wires shown. Tables of sizes, specific gravities, melting points, and relative conductivities of various metals complete a very useful catalogue.

Lighthouses.-The question as to whether the authorities have done altogether wisely in substituting the electric light for oil in lighthouses is one which is agitating minds in the marine world. There seems to be in some quarters a decided view to the contrary, and petitions, as has been reported, have been presented to Trinity House upon the subject by shipmasters who find that the absence of penetrating power in fog is a serious disadvantage, the light being least useful when most required. A lighthouse is not required to light the way of a ship, but to afford a fixed point or landmark for guidance. The penetrating power is therefore more important than mere strength of light. The question is being further taken up by French naval engineers. It would certainly seem that with the enormous surplus of lighting power we get in the electric arc that means are not impossible for converting or lower ing a portion of this merely illuminating power into pene

the most successful gathering of the kind that the association has yet held. Among the guests present were J. Shoppee, Esq., and G. Baker, Esq., members of the com

House Lighting at Newmarket. The Earl of Ellesmere has, we understand, decided to light the large private house and training establishment which he is building on his estate at Newmarket, the contract having been entrusted to Messrs. Ernest Scott and Mountain, Limited, Newcastle-on-Tyne. The installation will be of a very complete description, and will consist of a horizontal engine and locomotive boiler, the engine being fitted with automatic expansion gear, and capable of working up to 30 i.h.p. A Tyne dynamo, specially wound either for running as a compound-wound machine when feeding the lamps direct, or as a shunt-wound machine when charging the accumulators, will be driven from the engine, and will supply current to a set of accumulators capable of running 100 16-c.p. lamps for 10 hours, or the dynamo will feed 200 lamps direct. It is also proposed to utilise the It is also proposed to utilise the engine for pumping, cutting chaff, and other purposes. The total installation when complete will consist of about 260 16-c.p. incandescent lamps, 100 of the lamps being placed in the house, and the remainder in the stables and stable departments. It is proposed to supply the house and stable lamps by independent circuits, so that the light on either circuit can be controlled from the dynamo-room. This installation when completed will be one of the most complete private house plants installed, and we hope later to be able to give a full description of the installation.

Sheffield. The introduction of the electric light supply into Sheffield is within sight of achievement. The Corporation, at their meeting last week, had before them the question of the application of the Sheffield Telephone Exchange and Electric Light Company for a provisional order for the supply of the light to the town, and it was decided by the Council to support the application. The company has already a considerable private business, using Mordey alternators and Thomson-Houston arc dynamos. The decision of the Sheffield Town Council was by no means unanimous, 22 being for and 18 against, while 12 members stood out as neutral, the large number of nonvoters being probably explained by the fact of their interest in the local gas company. A panic occurred in this town, with regard to gas shares, in early days of electric light when Edison's lamp was "boomed," but the local papers recall the fact that those who sold lost, while the shrewd bought, and deprecate any expectation of loss by gas shareholders by reason of the added use of gas for other purposes. It may be, certainly, that in Sheffield the introduction of the electric light may prove a veritable bonanza for the gas company. When theirs is the "light that failed" them, they will have to strive with might and main to secure pastures new for their products, and this may very well be in the supply of heating gas to the innumerable industries of the smoky town. Sheffield is beautifully situated on the edge of the Derbyshire hills, and if the sulphurous clouds of smoke could be raised by the extensive commercial supply of heating-gas by the gas company, the inhabitants will have double cause to be grateful to the electric light.

O.S.A. Annual Dinner. The seventh annual dinner of the Old Students' Association of the City and Guilds of London Institute took place on Saturday evening last at the Holborn Restaurant. The event must be chronicled as

C.E.; F. H. Webb, Esq., secretary of the I.E.E.; while a letter of apology was read from W. H. Preece, Esq., F.R.S., who was unable to attend through unexpected absence from London. The president, W. B. Esson, Esq., took the chair. The following gentlemen proposed and responded to the various toasts: Mr. Ll. B. Atkinson, Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson, F.R.S., Mr. Albion T. Snell, W. E. Sumpner, D.Sc., Mr. Baker, Mr. Reginald J. Jones (hon. secretary), Mr. H. Newman Laurence, and Mr. F. H. Webb. The annual report was read, and showed a satisfactory state of affairs both as to numbers and finance, and the committee look forward to a session of increased usefulness. The medal which is given by the association for the best paper of the year was awarded to Mr. Ernest B. Vignoles for his paper, entitled "Some Researches in Electromagnetic Induction." During the evening a most enjoyable musical programme was rendered, Messrs. Tingey and Fitzgerald singing, Mr. Gibson reciting, and three 'cello solos rendered by Mr. Bucknall, while Mr. C. G. Lamb accompanied on the piano. The attendance at the dinner was excellent, every seat being occupied. The hon. secretary (Mr. Reginald J. Jones) informs us that there are several gentlemen awaiting election at the next general meeting, and that membership application forms may be obtained from him on application, addressed care of Messrs. Woodhouse and Rawson United, Limited, 88, Queen Victoria-street, E.C.

Obituary. The many friends of Mr. William Fereday Bottomley, late manager of the Dublin Telephone Exchange, will hear with regret of his death, which occurred at his residence, Booterstown, Dublin, on the 30th ult. He had passed the crisis in a severe attack of typhoid fever, and was on the road to recovery when a fatal attack of congestion of the lungs supervened. Mr. Bottomley commenced his career some 37 years ago in the service of the old Magnetic Telegraph Company. On the purchase of the telegraphs by the Government he joined the telegraph staff of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company. Subsequently, he undertook the management of the Manchester district for the Indo-European Company, which he afterwards resigned to become one of the pioneers of practical telephony, and it was under his supervision that probably the first telephonic trunk lines in this country were erected. These were between Manchester and Stockport and Manchester and Oldham, and in this connection it is interesting to note that in these lines the now well-known "twisted wire " system, of which Mr. Bottomley, the late Mr. Charles Moseley, and Mr. W. E. Heys were the first patentees, was first employed. As manager for Mr. Moseley, Mr. Bottomley popularised the telephone in his district at an early date, and a telephone exchange which Mr. Moseley was about to establish met with such great promise of success, that the directors of the late Lancashire and Cheshire Telephone Exchange Company became convinced of the danger of this opposition, and, before a mile of line was erected, they interposed and bought up Mr. Moseley's rights and property. Mr. Bottomley then joined the National Telephone Company as their London superintendent, but a few months afterwards the resignation of Mr. Butterworth having left the management of the Dublin Telephone Exchange vacant, Mr. Bottomley was appointed to the office, which he held and filled with great success until his death. Mr. Bottomley died at the comparatively early age of 51, and leaves a widow and several children.

(of which the first public description was given in this journal, June 20 and September 19, 1890). Mains for the use of 2,000 volts having been in use for transformer distribution some years, Mr. S. Z. de Ferranti, then chief engineer to the London Electric Supply Corporation, and the designer of the whole system there used, boldly determined to transmit current at the enormous pressure of 10,000 volts to London from the company's generating

sufficient promise of fulfilling, over a considerable length time, the conditions necessary for a large system of distr bution, such as contemplated for the supply of Son. hundreds of thousands of lamps. Mr. Ferranti, therefore undertook to construct his own mains, and, after exhaustin trials, the desired result was obtained in a singularly simp and straightforward manner, by the proper combination of concentric copper conductors, covered with a cheap and