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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 1904)
1 iQrZ Z in i 1 rwwnrcflnn nrnrrTnirnv iw -Jii ILL .i i L.Lu Li ! lLL j 1 1 l(rru(lonal Trolley Mara. tt nriTT r 1 inmJn iliti:ne il Ci recent irip through tlie imddia 1 itiriMi nuIH in! rt btll:ir lllliintioll to Die trolley systems of intcr urhan communication in oper ation In Oiiio, Indiana and Illinois. Of his experience and observations ho writes to the Uncoln Journal as follows: Having occasion to visit a town suitu ated ill central Ohio, 1 determined to en Joy the novelty of traveling as much as possible of the distance by means of the iuterurban trolley lines, which I had lieu i d were continuous over a portion of the dis tance.. Accordingly on arriving at Indian apolis 1 obtained more definite information regarding the route, und soon afterward boarded a car of the Interurban system and entered upon my new experience In long distance tras-el. "I found that the cars which would scat forty to fifty passengers were profiled by the overhead troll" system. Outside the cities and towns t'a 'ine usually, but out always, follow the public roads and consequently the diiections would not vary much from the points of the compass. Only one rovr of poles carry the wires, it being on the side of the track farthest from the wgon road, the poles being planted neur -ho roadside fences, and ihi! wires were suspended from brackets or arms extending over the track. There wore occasional sidings upon which we would stop to allow a car to pass from the opposite direction, but the delays were ehort. Sonietiir.es the ccndu tor would ! top fro :i the car to a telephone booth on the track aide to communicate with a station. I ob served that the motorman seldom sounded a gorig, but he would more frequently pull a Ftrir:pr, when a rather wheezy and not very penetrating whittle would le emitted. This surprised me, as I had been accus tomed to whistles only where steam was Us-d. I'pon inquiry I found that com pressed air was used to ojierate the brakes and that the whistle was a eompres.ed air whistle. The only kind of freight I Raw taken aboard was milk cans. These had been tagged and left on plat forma nt the traekside, altout the level of the car Jloor, end tlie c:ip.s were quickly passed tn the front platform of the car by the conductor and motorman, the conductor detaching a coupon from the tn.tr or label of each can. At destination they were lifted to the con signee's hand truck run alongside. As to Erodes, they do not vary much from those of the wagon roads. "Summing vrp my Imprest ns gathered from this single trip I can my that I was pleased with the chanrre. Here was a means of not only Interurtian hut Interstate transit. Comfortable conches In charge of two employes and with ample accommo dations for hand barrage. I very soon no ticed the absence of flylntr cinders and ruf focatlnr fumes given off by locomotives. Tlie only dust encountered would lie from an occasions team on the adjoining wagon road which was quickly left rx-hlnd. It was evident also that the lines traversed tha roost fertile and populous sections of the rouritry. rendering the scenery and Inci dents of travel both pi "a. ting and Instruc tive. Tin? passengers changed ears quite often, nnd tolls were collected between the lariiH towns. "I made a very enjoyable daylight trip in the manner described above over the entira distance lietwien Indianaroli and Newark. O. When I touted up the fares pHid from time to time I found I had paid iiS.fia, w hich was only a few cents more than I was told It would be- -the difference was so trifling that I did not try to find out how the mis understanding arose. 'The traveler or the party of travelers encumbered by much luggage and whoso only interest in travel la to be transported swiftly from plnco to place, will prefer the sli am rentes, but ;hos-e who enjoy rural .le-rierv. mti. 'i of it 1 t-i: lit if ul nnd park like. with vooesy exit rs, nnd an occasional svnt of m w mown hay. Instead of the grimy rfnnke from a locomotive, will l.-c plinsed with the interurban service. Al though apparently not thoroughly organized It seems evident that tlie system has a j-romising future. Whatever may bo tha perils of inltrtirhan travel, one does not evM'rletni; that sense of impending danger which is sometimes fell on ihe at cam trains." Municipal Klectrle Light. Chicago's i lei trie light plant, according to the annual teport of 1 Id ward U. Kllicott, nort in prep. i ration, furnishes nearly i.y) are lights to the city fur SO per cud of what lie lishts would cost If furnished by private enrpciM tions at market rates. The total cost to the city for the 1.Sl7 average number of lights in V.W, was Jirfl, 4:A, according to Mr Pllioott. or fi4.5u per light. Adding charges not shown in the account for tlie year brings the total cost up to t2U2..ssx, ant! a comparison of this amount with the $..9,ilt that the lights would cost if furnished by corporations shows a saving to the city annually of $:!7.tiix. Wages paid were 15 to .11 p-r cent higher than were paid by private cm poratioti and were higher than these paid in i.ny other city from which records could lie obtained. In f!teep years of municipal ownership and operation the city has spent for con struction and operation of electric lighting system J..7-u.eW. To havj rented Ihe number of lights In use each year with the rent at that year's rate would have nmountnl in the aggre gate to $3.J!Kl.i1i In ether words, Mr. Kl licott rays that by inunii ipal ownership the city has Fpint a smaller amount for the same quantity of light and has the whole lighting yi-tcm to show as on ussi I. Kaon year has shown a steady growth In th.- number of limps in operation, which increased from 100 in 17 lo Cue" on Do-cctnlx-r SI, V.'-n. The total cost for all kinds of city light ing Is much less now than in l!i.'i. though the candle power furnished has been largely increased. The Increase Is accounted for by more efficient lights now used in gas and raso line lamps nnd the great Increase in the municipal ihetrie lighting system. There were 1.1.970 gas lamps, wPh plain burners, 1.'9 gas lamps with nineties, nnd (1 .100 gasoline lamps with mantles In use In besides the electric lights, of which ti70 were rented. In JXflfi city lighting cost H.W.':W nr.d light equal to 3..1.'mo candle power was furnished. P.v 1ft(W the cost had fallen to SH19 Ifil and the cnndle power risen to sSIS.m In 1S!! the cost was only niC.!12. and the lamps of nil kinds were giving out 12.SK9.onti candle power light. This cost Includes In the cost for gas lamps IMX.TU for gas furnished to city lamps, 11 n Item S4R,9T6 less than for 1902. Record-Herald. The Klectrlenl fnrni. The automnhlle plow, tlie gigantic harves ters which cut, bind, thresh and measure the wheat In one continuous operation, tho various self-propelling traction machines which do the work of many horses, the hay -loaders, the mechanical milkers and the endless variety of Ingenious and costly devices which now beckon to the farmer and nrsnult his rwkelhook, msy. have led him to think that perhaps the limit bus been reached: for he has no hope that the greatest genius win be able to produce Hn electrical farm hand, which Is Ms greatest red. Not so; the farmer of the future. If enthusiasts say true, mty be Independent even cf the sun; be may stend at Ms switchboard In the farm ollice.s und throw out the electricity to tlie potatoes, 'nd along a generous voltage to the beoiis. elec trify the cabb.incs aid jko thetn up to their duty, and send a vivifying thrill through, the homely but hygienic beet. A 1 gian ecleiitiat. Prof. Juaiinl. says that electricity is the lire of plants. Tl.iJ eJietricity is suppliid in the atmosphere, but BouietiiiKii the supply Is not Rent rous enough. It is a mistake to think, he says, that light alone wlfl'iiourtsh plants. Scien tists have shown these forty years thjt artificial light is a great stimulus to plant life, and that if electric liisht be applied at night in the ilrht strength and for the li;;ht length of time the rmulla in larger and more vigorous crops and plants will be very startling. Prof, (luarini shows In a simple experiment that it Is not Ihe l ght uk-ne which dies the work; it is th? cl.c tric radiation combined with the light, whether the electric radiation e.nne from the sun and its rays or from the arc lamp. He Burrocnds a plant, for Instance, with & metal cage thtougli which the sunlight streams fice-ly. but the cage acls as a con ductor for the atmoipheric electricity, l.nd behold! the iiunt withers and becomes anaemic in the other hand, a plant may be put In the darn und then given intelligent electri cal treatment. The professor recommends the use of the high teiielon continuous cur rent, whiclu our far.uuisi would perhaps like to know, lney be obtained the moot economically and cllU i'. ntly from three dynamos, each capublo of giving 11 current of 13,(X0 volte, the three to be coupled to gether, eo that the maximum cunent of C'.inO volts may be sent out to the vege tables Hy this method the carbonic add in the chlorophyl is decomposed, produc ing carbon and oxygen; tlie chemicals 111 the soil are also decomposed, and the nourishing dements rush to the aid of tho plant. lly this method many fine crops could be raised In a Fcason, end tho expenditure on u largo operation would in time be Justified. In a greenhouse, where the conditions are just riirht for the con trol and expenditure of the electrical en ergy without wastage In the open nlr, there is, according to the professor, no doubt of success. We cite these scientific experiments In order to keep abreast of sclcntilio endeavor, but we do it timorously, because when lh'3 farmers lear of Prof, (luarlnl and his volts they will have something harsh to say about this scientific farming- New York Times. Itllily of the Hewitt I.ittht. A series of remarkable niovlnt; pictures has recently been secured at the plant of a prominent Pittsburg machine company by tho Americnii Mutoacope and liiograph company with the aid of Ihe Cooier Hewitt light. These pictures were taken for ex hibition in St. Ixiuifi in the private audito rium of the company on tho fair grounds. When "moving pictures" of the Jcffries Bharkcy heav weight contest at Coney Island were taken the scene was an arena interior. Tlie ring wu cut down to twenty feet and lei arc lumps were strung nbovo It, the heat from which caused the com batants much discomfort. 1 11 several of tho pictures in question the entire length of a quartcr-inlle. nlsle is fehown, and at no .lino were more than alxty-four of the mercury vapor tubea used. The camera was placed on a platform ilftf en feet from tha ground, suspended from in electric traveling crane. The mine was moved lowly down the long ulsle about fifty feet in tho tear of the Cooper Hewitt lamps, the lattiT being also suspended from a traveling crane, moving at equal speod. So far as possible in the taking- of these pictures, any sunlight through the glass skylights of shops was taken advantage of, but it Is not safe to depend very much ujon the help of the sun in a moving pic ture which is four or live minutes In tak ing. The sixty-four lamp lubes were hung In .-eta of rh;ht, in elifht frames. They required only thirty or forty kilowatts, or about one lift h of the energy consumed by the 400 arc lamps referred to above. Tho camera made fifteen exposures a second, or 3"0 to the minute. Among the mora In teresting pictures nro the welding of a ten-font ring for tin electric generator, tho railway- motor aisle, the forging of a teu ton steel crank shaft by a thirty-ton strum hammer, one of the eight main quarter mile aisles devoted to the construction of big power types and a alx-minute view f 11 employes leaving one of the shops In Bast Pittsburg. Wireless Telearapby la Forestry. The bureau of forestry of the Itepnrtmeut of A:riculttiio at Washington la moving on the forestry problem from three angles. In Illinois plai.t'-d timber will tie made tha subject of careful examination to deter mine what kinds of trcAW make the most rapid growth, whut kinds are most valuable commercially, and what kinds aro best suited to shdter belts. In tho Iiaki.tas the growth of planted trees will be studied to ascertain what species ((f trees can be most profitably planted In that soil and climate. Tiio methods of planting will be Investigated with view to Ihe improvement of methods and lessening the cost. Whilo the experts are at work in Illinois and the Hakotas, Professor Moore will go to the Black Hills reservation to report on Ihe possibility of establishing a wireless telegraph system of lire alarms In the various forest ro serv under tho control of tho govern ment. I'ndoublcdly there has been much useless tree planting in Illinois and other prairio stales. For a good many years tree, plant ing was regarded as a fad or soniethinir that calleil for neither thought nor experi ence. Tho question win not studied at all, and tho results of early tree planting for shelter belts were discouraging. The semo haphazard methods wero used later In planting larger groves, and unsatisfactory results were put forward as an argument againnt forest culture In any of Ihe prairie stales. If I lie farmers know from experi ment or exH-rfeiice what kind of trees to plant for special purMises or for profit. siiIj sl:iiitinl progress will be mado In foreata tion. In the Dakota (he conditions lire differ ent from those in Illinois, and the lnvi.i gation will determine, whether mistakes have been mad.' In the seeleetlon of 1ho trees that have been planted. In the arid districts experiments will be made to le termlne the kinds of trees best suited to lands that call for irrigation. AM this Is In the line of foreat production. Quito as imjiortanl, however, is the plan to prevent foreat ilres by an automatic service of wireless telegraphy, which mill Eive the alarm when contact is made with flame or excessive heat. Fire hns been tha worst enemy of foresl preservation In great Slretehes of wooded land in the wist. Tha dispatchca freni po. llaml. Health- and Kal lspell show that It Is stlil an agent of d ob struction In forest districts. The difficulty has been to discover tha fire in remote districts in lime to prevent spreading. If a sRt"m of wireless tel egraphy can be adapted to the giving of alarms In cave of fire, a most perplexiiaj problem In forest priKcrvutlon will be solved. II is as Important to save Ihe for ests we have as to plant new ones, and While wo study Ihe quen'.ion of f nreftatlon we must study also the question of forest preservation. Chicago Inter Ocean.