A J1I if 111I1.Il jg j
. , - - ' A .1 I l
utilitarian spirit of the ago.
There arc countless millions of
dollars in that immense water power, and
capital is eagerly seeking the privilege of
harnessing some of It. Industries of vast
Importance have boon developed by the
construction of the first electrical works on
the American side. In the brief space of
ton years the city at the falls has been
transformed In character and doubled In
population by electrical power drawn from
the rnshliiR waters, and the industries of
JiutTalo, twenty miles nway, g ow and
throb with the new life current. On the
Canada side, equally extensive works, de
Binned to draw power from the river, are
bting built. The succeeding attenditiR the
original electrical works attracts others,
and numerous companies are soeklrg the
privilege of tapping the river. A 1.111 grant
Ing a company extensive and invaluable
rights on the American side, of the river
was rushed through the lower house of the
New York legislature last week by "a mys
terious power" which New York papers
brand as boodle. The grant Is to the. Niag
ara. Ixxkport and Ontario Power company.
The company was Incorporated ten yeirs
ago with permission to take water from the
upper Niagara river for the purpose of sup
plying pure and wholesome water and e'etv
trlclty to the City of 1-ockport and to the
Inhabitants of Niagara, Orleans and Krlo
counties. It had the right of eminent
domain to divert the flow of water from
riparian lands in unrestricted amount, and
It was not to pay one red cent to the s'ate
for the privilege. The privileges conferred
would expire on May il of the pre.sent year.
The commissioners of the state reserva
tion at Niagara Falls, In a protest against
renewing the grant, say that one-third of
the volume of the river has already been
given away to power companies on the
American or Canadian side, and It Is time
to call a halt. The preservation of the falls
In their beauty and grandeur Is vastly
more Important than the enrichment of
water power speculators. Power can be
found elsewhere, but Niagara is unique.
Its destruction would be a national dis
grace. "We do not think." says the New York
Tribune, "that this diversion of water
should be allowed on any terms. But
even If It can be permitted without In
Jury to the falls, certainly the franchise
should not be given away. Niagara be
longs to the people of the state. If It is to
tie exploited for money the people should
reap some benefit. They are paying taxes
to maintain the government. They are
facing the necessity of new taxes to build
the barge canal. Why should their prop
erty he recklessly given nway nt this
time? The companies which have devel
oped power on the Canadian side of the
river are compelled to pay lnrge sums for
the privilege Into the public treasury. It Is
dimply criminal wastefulness for New
York to throw away Its valuable property."
Tree Full of Kleetriclt jr.
People living In Washington avenue, In
The Bronx, had an extraordinary show last
evening when a big maple in front of the
house at 1H73 was filled with an electric
blaze from the ground to Its very top.
Through the branches of the tree, which
Is eighty feet high, run two arc light wires.
The insulation was worn off both wires by
constant rubbing against the limbs and a
short circuit was suddenly formed in the
wet tree. I.lttle tongues of blue flame shot
from branches all over the tree and many
of the smaller limbs were set afire. The
fire was visible for a mile In either direc
tion. Hundieds of people flocked to the show.
nd soon found that the ground for several
feet -around the tree was briskly charged
with electricity. Seven policemen came to
keep the crowd out of danger. Two of the
inr, piciuresquo mm iusimiimk
I I charms of Niagara Fulls uro
I 1.... II., nt.-!r,. ttrnV 4tlA
cops, Brown and Rothman, were slightly
Shocked, and two dogs got their feet full
of electric needles.
The ?lectrlc light people got around In
about an hour and cut the bad win s, re
placing them with well-Insulated pieces.
New Yirk Sun.
Storms and the Health.
Physicians have for many years recog
nized the fact that atmospheric electricity
disseminated by thunder storms keenly
affects human beings and Investigators
have shown that positive electricity pro
duces vigor and a feeling of general good
health, while, on the contrary, negative
electricity has a depressing effect. We are
submitted to these contrary effects accord
ing to the state of the atmosphere, some
times negative electricity dominating, nt
others the poi-ltlvc element, It being pos
sible to determine the electrical condition
by means of delicate Instruments.
A Gorman meteorologist. Dr. Schllep,
claims that it Is possible to determine ap
proximately the condition of the atmo
sphere by comparing the curves of the
registering barometer on one hand with
those of the thermometer anil the hy
grometer on the other. Dr. Schllep states
that when the barometer descends while
the thermometer and hygrometer ascend
the atmosphere Is charged with electricity,
while the electricity of the nlr Is positive
when the barometer aBccnds and the
thermometer lowers,
A naval physician. Dr. Jolly, has applied
the Schllep rule in Madagascar and by
comparing the Instruments he has been
able to fix the changes of the electrical
condition, changes which vary during the
day and night. During the dry season
there was an excess of positive electricity.
Dr. Jolly observing that both In his own
case and that of other subjects the best
condition of health corresponded to the
positive discharges, while during the
periods of negative dominance there v.s
weakness and lassitude. These changes
also have their echo In the state of gen
eral health, notably In fevers.
Canada Telegraph to Kxpand.
The Crnadlan Pacific Telegraph company
has decided on big extensions, to be made
during the present year, that will give
the company the largest telegraph system
In Canada. When these projected ex
tensions are completed the company will
have 60,000 miles of wire under Its con
trol. In Manitoba and the Northwest terri
tories about 400 miles of new line will be
erected along the now extensions of the
railway system. Another copper wire will
be placed between Montreal and Winnipeg,
which will be used as a third duplex be
tween these points, and an additional cop
per wire will be put up between Montreal
and Quebec.
The copper wire between Winnipeg and
Reglna will bring about a new condition of
affairs In the Canadian west, for It Is In
tended that this wire will be a duplex,
thus providing for additional circuits be
tween the metropolis of the west and the
rapidly developing district around Regina.
Probably the most Important and far
reaching government measure to come be
fore the Dominion Parliament, which meets
on Thursday next, will be that relating to
the initial steps proposed to be taken to
create a navy for Canada and the estab
lishment of a Canadian naval reserve. This
scheme has been before the government In
various phases for several years, but, until
recently, no practical action appears to
have been taken to jerfect It for presenta
tion to Parliament.
Hatter as a Itenervolr of Kleetrlctjr.
One ot the most striking features of re
cent progress In theoretical science Is the
hold upon scientific thought that has baen
secured by the so-called electronic th'ory,
which asserts that electricity is indissolu-
bly connected with all matter In Its ulti
mate particles. According to one form of
the theory, these ulthmitc particles nro
wholly electrical, so that matter 1 nothing
but a network of minute elect! lea I ill
turbances In the ether. Inertia, a preporty
of mutter inexplicable on the old hypoth
eses, becomes at least partially understand
able on the electronic theory, for the elec
tric charges bound up In a billiard ball, tor
Instnnce, resist clmiige of motion by the
property of self-induction. The total charge
in a blllard ball, to account for all of its
inertia, would have to be Immense, but It
Is within the hounds of possibility that such
a chui'RC may be stowed away In its n'onis.
Dynamics may soon, therefore, lo rodinel
to the rank of a mere department of elec
tricity. Success.
fireat Scheme of an Hlectrlclnn.
Trof. C. A'liortson of Now York, nn elec
trical engineer whose Invention of the so
called "magnet train'" created a sensation
in scientific circles a few months ago. has
Invented an ir-wtrumont which ho believes
Is the keynote of ultimate communication
between tho planets.
Light rays are the media for bringing
communications with the stars Into Prof.
Albertson's hands. From tho new Inven
tion the music and original melodies and
harmonics of the stars may he extracted as
well as other sounds no mortal ever heard
before. Light rays from the sun, moon,
or from the remotest visible star In space
may be so utilized as to play the music
of mortal composers In a few weeks. Prof.
Albertson says he will have his experi
ments brought to such a degree of per
fection that he will give a midnight con
cert at his home for scientists and tho
press.
"It Is a scientific fact." said Prof. Al
bertson today, "that a light ray falling
upon the surface of a small polished steel
plate for example will produce, a tone. Gra
ham Hell long ago demonstrated that a
light ray may be used as a conductor to
carry tho human voice. My Invention
merely follows out this line of thought.
I believe 'messages from Mars' will soon
be a reality.
"A tone produced from a light ray falling
on a polished steel plate is inaudible, how
ever, unless the plate Is Inserted Into an
electric circuit also containing a micro
phono or telephone earpiece this is tho
principle underlying my Invention. Instead
of a plate or hollow steel shell, however,
there are Involved a number of small steel
cylinders varying In length, perfectly pol
ished inside nnd so arranged within n box
as to vibrate freely. The entire box Is
made a part of tho electric circuit and in
this circuit Is also a microphone or ear
piece. "In front of the cylinder Is a revolving
disk, which Is so perforated that a light
ray will be thrown In different directions
when passing through small holes. There
Is a prism fixed behind n revolving disk
and a tube containing a lens, which may
bo directed toward any star."
Prof. Albertson says In using the Instru
ment ho places it upon a soft foundation
like.plllow covers. It Is of dark cloth that
will exclude all kinds of light, the tube
ear plpce alone remaining exposed.
An Interesting point In the Invention is
that the perforations of the disk may cor
respond to any musical composition or note.
Instead of an ordinary light ray the seven
component colors of light are used. As the
disk revolves on various notes cut from
spectrum and lead the colors of light enter
Into the openings of the vurlous cylinders,
striking at an angle. The Internal polished
walls of the cylinders are coated with cer
tain chemical substances, which make them
sensitive to the touch of light. Any piece
of music may be perforated on a disk and
at the first experiment Prof. Alhertsoti says
he succeeded In making light rays from
Arcturus play an air from "Faust."
lrof. Albertson believes his discovery In
stellar communication Is In embryo.
"Sounds and music transmitted from va
rious planets tell different stories," be slid.
"For instance, when an Instrument is
aimed ut Arcturus. sounds of contrast tire
heard at first. It sounded to me like an
car splitting hurricane, then like a ro-ir of
l,()i) Niagaras, then roothlng like melodious,
low whispering and exquisite, soft singing.
One naturally would think the more power
ful a light ray the better the musical re
sult, but this Is not so. A far away fixed
star Is Ihe one 111 it produces the .sweetest
tones. 'I his I lclieve to be due to the non
interference of reflected light from the In
visible planets revolving about the sun."
Patents In liermanjr.
Prof. Mic hael I. rutin of Col imblii uni
versity has been In llerlln attending the
hearing of bis t'ult for patent rlgtils In Ger
many, which bus been pending for mors
than u year. He said he had had no illtll
cully In securing patent lights frt m all
other Kuropean countries. At the hc'iriig
on February f four rufc surs of Berlin
university acting as judges, his applcnlion
was unanimously decided in his favor. Tim
patents are to make submarine mid long
distance telephony comparatively ensy by
the distribution of Induction colls, or what
tho professor has ailed "magnetic cell
weights," along the cables or wires.
Tons of Bright Gems
It Is estimated that the total world pro
duction of diamonds up to date approxi
mates SG.OIO.C) carats. As we are not in
the habit of weighing our diamonds by the
ton, wo are in Homo doubt concerning the
proper system of computation, whether
troy or avoirdupois, long ton or short ton.
According to the system used by those
who do weigh their diamonds In ton quan
tities, the result would be In the neighbor
hood of twenty or twenty-tive tons of
sparklers now appearing as factors In the
Joys and the miseries of a world which
bus substituted diamonds for the beads and
the wampum of its ancestors.
The regions contributing to this supply
and tho percentage of their contribution
upiear us follows: South Africa, 81.5 per
cent; lirazH, 1M per cent, and the remain
ing 0.6 per cent divided among Borneo,
India, New South Wales and British
Guiana, with North America and Russia
supplying specimens. The last two of these
countries have furnished Just about enough
to equip nn opera box fur a single even
ing. Tho deep obligation of society to
South Africa Is fully apparent. Tho price
of diamonds bus been heavily advanced
during tho last year or two. but It Is simply
appalling to thmk what the price would
have been without the South African Biip
ply Society, American, Kngllsh and con
tinental, should dally thank heaven for
Kimberloy and Jagcrsfnnteln.
We are unable to give the cubic measure
ment of the total collection, but so far as
wight Is concerned It would make a load
for a medium sized freight car. New York
Capitol Scares News
Stimulated by the burning of Wisconsin's
capllol, at Madison, newspapers In Maine
are reminding the citizens of the state
that their state house. In Augusta, is
partly lireproof, partly a tlretrap. and
wholly uninsured. The legislature of Vir
ginia has appropriated Jt&i.fxto to enlarge,
safeguard nnd repair the Old Domonion's
state capltol, in ltii bmoml. Tills building
was erected after a design, suggested by
Thomas Jefferson and modified In some de
gree by the slate authorities of that day.
Work was begun on it iu 17wf, nnd it was
first occupied, though not completed, by
the legislature in 17S3.