HE Electrical Review. In a sum
mary of the telephone situation
and outlook for the present year.
Xi'l says: "Although the annuul re
ports of the numerous telephone
companies will not be submitted so a. to
furnish the exact statistics until well Into
vhe new year, yet It Is well known that the
Increase in the total number of Instruments
has exceeded that of former years, and
this phenomenal growth has outstripped
the most sanguine estimates, and again
postpones the anticipated saturation point
of patronage, whose Immlnency conserva
tive persons have anticipated from year
to yeur. In addition to the growth of num
bers, every use of the telephone appears
to be Increasing; It Is trending upon the
rcope of messenger and mall, particularly
In the conduct of commercial affairs whrre
the prompt reply is an important supple
ment to the. direct proposition."
When the Kane lllows.
The "blowing" of a fuse in an elretrlo
street car, which fills the average passen
ger with alarm, simply Indicates that a
safety device has proved reliable and that
a danger of Injury to the motor has l e.'n
averted by It. The current which will flow
through a motor when It is standing still
is in almost all cases far In excess of that
which the motor Is designed to carry; ami,
indeed, In a well designed motor a current
dangerous for the motor will be reachrd
before the motor has been stalled. The
effect of this heavy current on the motor.
If allowed to continue. Is to heat the wind
ings to a dangerous degree and destroy
the Insulation, possibly setting It on fire;
and It Is to prevent this occurrence,
whether due to careless handling of the car
or to unexpected causes, that the fuses
are used. A fuse is simply a short piece
of wire of such size that It will be melted
by a current which, If allowed to flow
through the motor for any time, will dam
age It. The melting of the fuse opens the
circuit and cuts off the current from the
motor. To protect the car the fuse Is in
closed In a fireproof box.
When the fuse- blows there Is generally
a volatilization of the metal of the fuse
and a slight explosion. These explohdons
usually cauHe a report and some smoke.
Klerlriral Trade Cialnn.
Despite the .reduced vdlume of trade In
the electrical and closely allied industries
which was evident in the last quarter of
the year just closed, the total value of elec
trical and auxiliary manufactures In the
United States In 1903, as shown by the
western electrician's estimates, was greater
than In 1902. The total for 1902 was $221.
J65.000, while the corresponding amount for
last year stands at 234.750,000 an tnereano
of about B'6 per cent. To be sure, the In
crease from 1901 to 1902 was nearly IB per
cent, but In view of the generally diffused
opinion that the high-water mark of com
mercial properlty has been reached an!
that the country has entered on an era of
less pronounced activity, it will be a sur
prise to many to learn that in the electri
cal Industries, at least, the country not only
held its own In 1903, but even surpassed
tha record of 1902. It Is evident that while
there has been a decrease In the rate of
growth, the falling off has been much lees
than many persons supposed.
Many branches show only comparatively
light variations from the 1902 figures. Tho
largest single item Is "dynamos and mo
tors," given as $52,000,000, showing a
healthy growth. However, if all classes of
wires and cables be considered together,
the total Is over $80,000,000, being the larg
est Item that enters into electrical con
struction. Here, too, a steady improve
ment has been shown. After wires and
dynamos and motors, the third largest en
try Is opposite the telephone output, valued
at $19,500,000. Some falling oft is shown In
this department, the estimate for 1902 be
ing $21,000,000. Reciprocating steam engines
for electrical plants show a slight decrease,
but gas engines and steam turbines exhibit
gains, more pronounced In the case of the
latter. Undoubtedly "steam turbines''
would be still larger if all the work In
sight could be counted In the output of the
year 1903.
For the first time "vapor lamps" appear
In the list, the estlmato being $30,000. IClec
trlc fans show a slight decrease, probably
duo to the cool weather of last summer.
"Circuit-breakers" have taken a decided
jump, but perhaps In this case the estimate
of 1902 was too low. "Nernst lamps" and
"space-telegraph apparatus" are compara
tive newcomers that show good gains.
Not included In the classification, but
nevertheless of present-day interest. Is the
valuation of central-station heating plants,
Installed in connection with electric-light
installations. One authority states that the
value of this class of apparatus made In
1!W3 was $l,500,0ti0, and this Is undoubtedly
a good estimate.
Sew Telearapli Marvel In Speed.
More details concerning a new marvel In
telegraphy comes from South Orange, 'N.
J., home of the inventor, Patrick It. De
lany. The new method, it is claimed, will
Increase speed fort) fold and work a sub
stantial decrease of telegraph tolls.
Mr. Pelany's system is represented by
three machines, the last and perhaps most
remarkable feature of one of them having
been added but u short time ago. The In
itial mechanism Is one by which the mes
sages are automatically composed for rapid
transmission. There is next an automatic
transmitter, by which the matter Is unt
over a single wSre at a rate varying from
2,000 to 3,000 words a minute, according to
physical conditions, and last an automatic
receiving machine which records the mes
sages. In a small, plain, red-walled wooden lab
oratory in this borough, filled with elec
trical contrivances, with dynamos and all
sorts of colls of wire Hnd queer apparatus
In odd corners, Mr. Delany was found
absorbed in the work of putting upon
paper the outlined Image of the latest new
thing that he had thought out. He Is a
stout man of about 55, with a strong head,
thatched with gray, keen, spectacled eyes,
and a ruddy face of the astute Celtic cast.
Delany began his life as a telegraph oper
ator, and, like Edison, knew In his 0s
the whole alphabet of tho business, and
was already dreaming inventions and their
fruits. A sending Instrument, c 11 d ihi
synchronous, which was the fastest availa
ble for the use of Morse characters before
he devised tho broader system now under
consideration, has been accounted one of
his most Important creations. The new
system, which is designated by his name,
has taken ten years to develop.
There has been delay in putting the De
lany telegraph system in commercial op
eration, owing to the fact that the times
have of late been unfavorable for new in
dustrial enterprises. But it Is proposed to
create in the near future a company which
shall build an entirely new ret of lines,
covering tho entire country and doing a
general telegraphic business. Experiments
with the Delany system over a considera
ble distance nlong the Pennsylvania tall
road, near Altoona, are said to have
demonstrated that none of the claims made
for It ore extravagant.
Mr. Delany In speaking of his Invention
said:
The operating speed with the Morse
system reached its limitation several years
ago, when fifty-two words a minute were
transmitted by an operator for five min
utes at a tournament trial. The average
speed with a simplex Morse instrument,
under favorable conditions of wire and
weather. Is fifteen words a minute, and
with a duplex thirty words a minute. Sixty
words a minute Is the highest average of
the quadruple, and of late years that sys
tem has lieen In Increasing difficulties,
owing to the serious Interference of trolley
and power currents, which lenk into the
lines through the ground connections.
"Granted that the present maximum of
speed over the wires under the old methods
Is sixty words a minute, the wire Is capable
of carrying over the average distance forty
times that number of words. The tele
graph companies, having years ago ac
cepted sixty words a minute as the maxi
mum speed, have multiplied their wires on
this basis to keep up with the growing
traffic. Willie under their system this mul
tiplication must continue ad infinitum, and
never actually keeps abreast of the, ne
cessities of the situation, the adoption of
the Delany system would obviate a further
Increase of the number of wives for a half
century to come at least."
Tho chief principles Involved In the con
trivance of Mr. Pelany's transmitting ma
chine, upon which really depended the solu
tion of the problem of rapid telegrnphy,
are the use of both a positive and a nega
tive current and the utilization of static
electric energy, hitherto regarded as an
antagonistic force in the mechanical ap
plication of electricity.
"The latest development of my system I
have Just brought to practical completion,"
said Mr. Delany. "It Is an operating or
composing machine, the working of which
Is controlled as is that of the typewriting
machine. A keyboard of the universal
typewriter pattern will be used. Anybody
can learn to operate the machine as quickly
as he or she could learn typewriting. This
will eventually do away with the employ
ment of the old Morse key, and It renders
many desirable things possible,
"The business man would dictate his let
ters directly to the operator of the pri
mary machine, who would bo Ills ordinary
typewriting secretary or stenographer. His
correspondent would receive the transcribed
message also nt the hands of his ordinary
typewriting secretary or stenographer.
"To tho newspaper using much special
telegraphic matter, ami especially to those
which lease special wires, as between New
York and Washington, the saving In- time
and money by the Delany system will bo
enormous. .Matter will be so rapidly trans
mitted that five newspapers will be able to
use one wire, where now each of them must
have Its own wire. Thus they can divide
the rental among them, amounting to about
$20,000 a year per wire. Matter thut does
not require much editing could go from the
receiving machine to the typo composing
machine In the newspaper office, where an
operator, versed In the Morse characters,
would set It directly from the tape.
"A new telegraph company will probably
be organized in a short time to build and
operate lines of Its own, Independent of all
existing corporations."
Electric glttnat System.
Travel In the New York rapid transit
subway Is to be made practically safe so
far as collisions are concerned. The switch
and signal system, which Is to be Installed
early in May, will be a combination of
several systems, each reinforcing the oth
ers and adding something toward the at
tainment of safety. Both electricity and
compressed air will bo imed for. power, and
an Innovation rrgnrdlng the former will
be the substitution of the alternating cur
rent for the direct current now In general
use. Construction of the swltchrs ur d sig
nals will bo such that the application of
power will be required to give a clesr trick
and permit trains to keep In motion. 'Iiy
the old system the block signal and the
switch light or target naturally ahowtd the
safety position, and effort was required to
produce the sign of danger. In the subway
the danger sign will bo the natural one.
There will be 150 automatic block signals
and train stops placed at Intervals of S00
feet along the main lines of tho subway.
The system operates In such a way that
when a car or train passes It the d;i gr
signal is displayed against succeeding cars
and trains until the train pnssrs the next
blink signal ahead by a margin in which
a train may be stopped. Any failure of
power or accident to the signal short of de
stroying it prevents the display of any ex
cept the danger signal. This, however,
does not give safety. Tho motormnn or
engine driver may miss the danger signal
or disobey It. The train stop then comes
into play. It is a simple device, the sta
tionary part of which Is n T-sh:ipid steel
bar, operated by pneumatic power, and
standing . upright nt the side of the track
about a foot from the outside rail. The
bar Is attached to a shaft, which is con
nected with and moved by the media nli-m
of the block signal. While the danger s'g
nnl Is dlhplayed from the block the "T"
stands upright, but when the danger a'gnal
Is withdrawn the "T" Is brnt down to a
position horizontal with the rail. Kicli
car Is equipped with the other part
of the train stop. It is a stout s eel
rod extending downward from the bottom
of the car and at a point directly in lltn
with the center of the "T." This rod I
connected In such a way with levers con
trolling the motive power and air brake
that If It moved cither backward or fur
ward the jiower will be shut off from tho
motor and the compressed nlr released, ap
plying the automatic brakes and stopping
the train. The train stop has proved a rue
cess In llnston, nnd It H asserted tint h ie
has never been a collision where It ws
used. Its great cost, both of Installation
and maintenance, it is s.. i.l, ,.. i
Its general adoption by railroads. The In
terlocking switches of tho subway will
operate, wherever possible. In connection
with the automatic signals and train stops.'
Ry their use every track or switch that is
operated Is barred against all other cars or
trains. All the tracks of the subway will
be embraced in the interlocking system,
except those used for the storage of cars.
When a switch Is oprned to admit n car or
a train to the main line all other switches
Ing central locoatlons nt two-thirds tha
leading Into that main line block-that Is.
the spaces between tho block signals on
either ride of the switch to be used are
automatically locked und cannot be opened
until the block Is clear. The opening of tho
switch displays the danger signal und sets
the train stop "T" at the nearest block,
signal In the direction from which trains
may Iks expected. In the yards away from
main tracks, when switching Is being done,
no train but the one ot work can get to the
trucks und switches in use, as all switches
leading to them are automatically closed
and locked. g.
Single Phase Alternating; Current,
Both in America and Europe much atten
tion has been glvm of late to the possibili
ties of the "single phase" alternating cur
rent In' operating electric railways. A line
in northern Italy tises the three-phure cur
rent and the latter was employed in tha
now historic experiments on the Retlin
Zossen line. Of course, if one wire cun 1 a
made to perform the function of three, Una
construction will be simplified greatly.
Hitherto motors which were operated by a
single phase alternating current have not
given satisfaction, but various makers have
now improved on the earlier designs. A
trolley car run experimentally for several
weeks this year on a road In Rerlin is sa'd
to have demonstrated the feasibility of tho
one-phase system. Reports come fnm
Italy of the rcent trial there of another
motor of the same type. A car was driven
for a few hours at night until It had tiav
eled 120 miles with encouraging results.
There Is reason to think, too, that leading
manufacturers in the I'nited States have
also produced an excellent article of that
class. The direct current motor may era
long cease to enjoy Its preKent monopoly
In traction work.