The power-factor of the Worcester plant varies from 0.5, when the load is light and composed chiefly of motors, to 0.98, when the load is chiefly glow lamps. The efficiencies of the motors vary from 75 per cent. to 84 per cent. according to their sizes. If the load of an alternating-current station consists partly of motors, the alternators should have no iron in their armatures, otherwise there will be considerable variation in the lights on switching on

motors.

W. G. R.

Patton Motor Tram-Car.

(Street Railway Journal, vol. xiv., 1898, p. 226.)

Figures are given relating to the test of a Patton car, which was run 274.1 miles on the Great Western Railway (U.S.A.). The time taken in running this distance, omitting stops, was 16 hours 45 minutes. Taking gasoline at 5 cents (2d.) per gallon, the cost of fuel amounted to 1 cent (0.53d.) per car-mile, or $0.00064 (0.032d.) per ton-mile.

W. R. C.

Selector System of Circuits. J. VOISENAT.

(L'Éclairage Électrique, vol. xv., 1898, pp. 393-400.)

This is a system for operating any one of a series of local circuits on a single line, independently of the others. Each local circuit is controlled by a rotary electromagnetic switch, designed to rotate by steps as dots and dashes are received from line. To each switch corresponds a certain sequence of dots and dashes; if this particular sequence is "received," the switch actuates the local circuit; but for any other sequence the switch has no effect on the local circuit. The sending arrangement on the line-circuit is "automatic"; the sequences of dots and dashes are represented by teeth in the edges of rotating disks, any one of which can be brought into play, according to the particular local circuit to be operated. As a matter of detail, there are two disks on the "sending" apparatus, corresponding to each local circuit; so that positive and negative signals take the place of dots and dashes.

R. A.

INDEX

TO THE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS,

1898-99.-Part I.

N.B.—Titles in italics refer to Original Papers, and those selected for printing
only are further distinguished by the suffix "(S.)." Abstracted Papers are not so
indicated.

Abbott, W. S., transferred member, 174.

Abraham, A., a study of certain special steels, 427.

Accident, bridge-, at Cornwall, Ontario, 380.

Accidents to steam-boilers, 412.

Accumulator traction, 454.-Accumulator road-traction, 454.

Accumulators, lead, sulphating negatives in, 471.-Practical working of, 473.
lead-zinc and cadmium, 445.

variation of capacity of, with discharge rate, 444.

Acetylene compound with cuprous oxychloride, 471.

gas from the hygienic point of view, 395.

Adcock, C., memoir of, 362.

Address of W. H. Preece, C.B., President, on assuming the chair for the first
time after his election, 1.

Adit, sea-, of the Bouches du Rhone coalfield, results obtained in driving
the, 416.

Adler, H. G. V., elected associate member, 176.

Afanassiev, N., Danish ice-breakers and railway-train ferries, 432.

Agnew, S. H., transferred member, 174.

Air-buffer for passenger lifts, 410.

emission of, through divergent conical nozzles, experiments on the, 374.
Alexander, R. D. T., admitted student, 174.

Ali, M. A., admitted student, 174.

Alkali metal chlorides, electrodes for electrolysis of, 442.-Ditto diaphragms,
for, 443.

Alternating-current motors, single-phase, 476.

Aluminium as a material for electrical conductors, 97 et seq.

Ammonia, a means of increasing the quantity of, in a gaswork, 392.

Anderson, Sir W., memoir of, 320.

Andréoli, E., secondary electrolysis, 442.

Andrews, T., the microscopic structure of gold, 428.

Angus, J. C., admitted student, 174.

Angwin, C. A., admitted student, 174.

Anzorena, E., elected associate member, 176.

Armiston Coal Company's electrical transmission plant, 85.
Armstrong, D. W., elected associate member, 176.

Arndt's econometer, experiments on the accuracy of, 410.

Ashmead, F., memoir of, 326.

Attwood, G.-Discussion on the Extraction of Nickel: The Canadian nickel mines
and the Mond process, 49.

Ayrton, W. E.-Discussion on Transmission of Power in Mining: Vast field for
the employment of polyphase electric current, 77.-The Sheba generating
station, 78.-The dynamos, 78.-Paraffin as an insulator, 79.-Lightning-
conductor, 79.-System of winding the induction coils, 80.-Introduction of
resistance coils, 80.

Baclé, L., prolongation of the Orleans railway to the Quai d'Orsay, 400.
Baille, J. B. and C. Féry, mechanical equivalent of heat, 438.
Baker, Sir B., Past-President.-Discussion on Subsidence due to Coal Workings:
Importance of pushing on as rapidly as possible where works of an under-
mining character were concerned, 143.-Practice at the Chicago Lake tunnels,
143.-Experiments with sand models to show the nature of subsidence, 145.-
Ditto, ditto, with peas and hempseed by Mr. Fayol, 146.

Baker, Col. J.-Discussion on the Extraction of Nickel: Importance of Dr.
Mond's process to the Canadian nickel industry, 47.

Bamford, C. F.-“ The Pahartali Locomotive- and Carriage-Works, Assam-Bengal
Railway" (S.), 212.

Banister, G. H., elected member, 176.

Barry, J., admitted student, 174.

Bars." Note on the Endurance of Steel Bars subjected to repetitions of Tensional
Stress." E. G. Coker (S.), 294.

Basic Company's flume, the, Idaho, U.S., 386.

Batcheller, B. C., recent progress in pneumatic-despatch tubes, 414.

Batteries, storage, in America, 444.

Bayley, V., admitted student, 174.

Beard, A. C., elected associate member, 176.

Beaumont, E. G. E., admitted student, 174.

W. W.-Discussion on the Transmission of Power in Mining: Un-
willingness of English engineers to adopt multiphase dynamos, 94.

Becker, H., electrodes for electrolysis of alkali metal chlorides, 442.-Dia-
phragms for the electrolysis of alkali metal chlorides, 443.

Belk, W., memoir of, 327.

Bell, J., memoir of, 363.

-, N., elected associate member, 176.

Belt-driving, 447.

Bergé, H., the purification and sterilization of drinking-water, 388.

Bernays, J.-Discussion on the Extraction of Nickel: Machinery of the Mond
process, 51.

Berrie, W. C. K, admitted student, 174.

Berthelot, relation between luminous and chemical energy, 461.

Bidwell, L. S., B.A., admitted student, 174.

Blast-furnace gases, experiments in the direct use of, in gas-engines, 419:
Block system, railway, automatic, 406.

Bluett, R. W., admitted student, 174.

Boilers, steam, accident to, 412.

on the importance of cleaning, when cold, 412.

water-tube.-" Stresses in Pipes bent at Right Angles caused by heat-

ing to the Temperature of Steam at various pressures," T. Donaldson (S.), 283.
Borrow, F. K., admitted student, 174.

Boscawen, P. N., elected associate member, 176.

Bouches du Rhone coalfield.

See Coalfield.

Bowrey, J. M., admitted student, 174.

Boys, J. W. T., memoir of, 364.

Braid, G. G., admitted student, 174.

Brakes, rail-, and skids on shunting-inclines, 407.

Bramwell, Sir F.-Discussion on the Extraction of Nickel: Temperature of

solidification from the gaseous state, 51.

Bremner, C. E., elected associate member, 176.

Brennecke, L., hygienic regulations for workers in compressed air, 381.

Bridge, Berne, Kornhaus, the, 377.

caissons. Hygienic regulations for workers in compressed air, 381.
disaster at Cornwall, Ontario, 380.

Düsseldorf. Reconstruction of the railway-bridge over the Rhine at
Düsseldorf, 377.

Embabeh." The failure of the Embabeh Bridge, Cairo," F. E. Robertson
(S.), 206.

Philadelphia. Arch bridge over the Schuylkill river, Fairmount Park,
Philadelphia, 378.

Vierendeel, the, 379.

--work on the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf railroad, 380.

Bridges, arch versus girder, in places liable to subsidence of the soil, 114 et seq.
effects of subsidence of the soil on the stability of. See Subsidence.

Brillouin, theory of deformation of metals, 457.

Brine-pumping, subsidence of the soil due to, 124.

Brooke, G. T., admitted student, 174.

Brough, B. H.-Correspondence on Subsidence due to Coal-Workings: Continental
investigations on the subject of soil-subsidence, 150.-Value of the angle made
by the plane of fracture with the horizontal plane, 150.

Brown, C. E. L., dynamo designed by, in 1891 for the Lauffen long-distance
transmission, 82.

--, T. F.-Correspondence on Subsidence due to Coal-Workings: Varied
circumstances under which subsidence occurred, 151.

Browne, D. R. H., admitted student, 174.

Bruce, R., admitted student, 174.

T. C., M.A., admitted student, 174.

Brunet, a means of increasing the quantity of ammonia in a gas-work, 392.

Brunswick, E. J., asynchronous motors, 449.

Buck, L. L., elected member, 176.

Buckley, E. W., admitted student, 174.

Buildings, effects of the subsidence of the soil on the stability of. See
Subsidence.

Bullivant, F., admitted student, 174.

Burman, J., H., B.Sc., admitted student, 174.

Bush, T. J., elected member, 176.

[THE INST. C.E. VOL. CXXXV.]

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