542

ABSTRACTS

OF PUBLISHED SPECIFICATIONS, 1888.

11354. "New or improved methods of and apparatus for utilising electric energy, and the application thereof to the propulsion of aerial vessels." J. G. LORRAIN. Dated August 7. 8d. The invention embraces an electrostatic motor; but, instead of feeding it by a current generated by an electrostatic machine, the inventor feeds it by a current from a source of current electricity, such, for example, as a primary battery. He may raise the current furnished by this source of current electricity to a sufficient electromotive force by means of an induction coil or transformer, the primary coil of which is in circuit with the said source of current electricity and the secondary coil of which may be in circuit with the electrostatic motor. To enable the current in the primary circuit of the transformer to induce a current in the secondary circuit he may interpose in the said primary circuit a device for rendering the current therein an alternating or an undulating or an interrupted one. This device may be actuated either directly or indirectly by the current or by the electrostatic motor, or by an independent motor of any suitable kind. 8 claims.

11898. "Improvements in or relating to apparatus for indicating the strength of current upon an electric circuit." O. B. SHALLENBERGER. (Under International Convention.) Dated January 21. 8d. Relates particularly to that form of indicator in which a Wheatstone bridge or equivalent circuit is so organised that when currents of the character named are caused to traverse it, a counter electromotive force will be developed in one or more of the conductors, which will increase the apparent resistance thereof. This counter-electromotive force will increase and decrease as the applied electromotive force varies. By properly organising the indicating circuits such changes in the distribution of the differences of potential may be secured as to effect the proper operation of the indicating apparatus. 7 claims.

14941. " Improvements in electrical burglar alarms." A. GAUGE. Dated October 17. 8d. Relates to a novel construction of electric appliance to be fitted within a centre bead or other necessary part of a window or to some portion of a door frame, or of a shutter frame, so that when the window, door or shutter is opened beyond a given distance, electrical contact would be made and an alarm bell or other sound producer operated. 3 claims.

15206. 66

Improvements in apparatus for transmitting telegraphic, indicating, or other analogous signals or movements." A. B. BROWN. Dated October 23. 8d. Claim:-In apparatus for transmitting telegraphic, indicating, or other analogous signals or movements by means of chains, cords, wires, rods, or similar mechanism, such mechanism being acted on by means of pulleys or equivalent devices and acting on pulleys or equivalent devices, applying springs or weights to act on the receiving parts and place them in exact correspondence with the transmitting parts whenever the latter are moved into or through the middle or other predetermined position, the transmitting parts being provided with a cam or other device which disengages the actuating parts so as to allow of the correcting adjustment, all substantially as described.

15433. Improvements in plates or electrodes for secondary batteries." T. J. HANDFORD. (Communicated from abroad by L. Duncan, America.) Dated October 26. Sd. Consists mainly in providing the supporting and conducting base plate or core of the electrode with a protecting covering which is impervious to the acid solution used as an electrolyte in the battery and outside of which the active material is placed. This protecting covering consists of a hard dense coating of an oxide of lead. 2 claims.

15601. "Improvements in the manufacture of electric bell push fittings." C. J. HARCOURT. Dated October 30. 6d. Consists in so arranging the construction of electric bell push fittings that two materials may be used instead of only one, in such a way as to facilitate manufacture and ornamentation. The frame, which carries the non-conductor carrying the metallic contact pieces before mentioned, is made of metal, but the front portion is left open, and, by means of a shoulder or "set off" made in the interior of such metallic frame, a ledge or seat is provided, against which is rested or placed a disc or other shaped body of some nonconducting material, which is secured in its position by the metal surrounding it being pressed tightly over the circumferential edge, and which is formed with a central hole to receive the ordinary push piece. 2 claims.

15550. "Improvements in apparatus for telephonic communication." J. SACK. Dated October 29. 8d. Relates to apparatus employed in intermediate stations, and has for its principal object to automatically connect again the branches of a telephone conduit which had to be separated during a conversation. 4 claims.

15626. "Improvements in electric batteries." P. SCHOOP. Dated October 30. 8d. Has for its object to increase the useful effect and the duration or "life" of the elements of electric batteries, in particular of secondary or storage batteries or accumulators, and has reference to an improved method or means for carrying and holding the electrodes, and for coupling or connecting them. The improvements in secondary or storage batteries relate more particularly to the arrangement of the positive and negative plates and to the construction of the cell. 3 claims. 15713. "An improved connector for electrical conducting wires." Sir DAVID SALOMONS and H. FARADAY. Dated October 31. Sd. Has for its object to provide a connector whereof all the

[NOVEMBER 8, 188

parts (except the safety fuse) are thoroughly infusible, and disposed that accidental short circuiting is impossible; the d are readily accessible without the use of tools; whilst, te on or nuts being visible, the connector cannot readily be tame with, and there is nothing to tempt meddlesome persons to e to pieces; lastly, the parts that act as insulators are secHD, external means in such a way that they are not liable to be or injured in fixing them, or broken by any object coming collision with the fitting. 3 claims.

15877. "Pocket or portable secondary batteries or som lators." E. ROUSSEAU. Dated November 3. 8d. Relates wa improvement in the construction of pocket accumulate secondary batteries, for durability, for the lengthened hold their charges, for perfect insulation of their lead-out termin for perfect insulation of their plates-one from the other and a section from its neighbour, for so arranging their termini gas vent holes as to guard against the leakage of liquid fre one or the escape of gas from the other; and for so build. the plates so as to secure a large active surface in a small we and lightness. 8 claims.

16212. 66

Improvements in phonographs or apparatus for cording and reproducing sound, and in phonograms or surfa receiving sound records, and in envelopes for such phonog G. E. GOURAUD. (A communication from abroad by T. A Edison, of America.) Dated November 8. 11d. Relates to a phonogram or phonograph record which can be conve transmitted by mail. Such a phonogram consists of a cylin paper or other flexible material, provided with a cover material adapted to be indented by the phonograph reor point, and capable of being collapsed into flat form so s T readily enclosed in an envelope for mailing. Such a cylinde made by first wrapping a sheet of paper, or other flexible mate around a cylindrical tapering core provided with a hande then (the core being held by the handle) dipping the paper melted wax, or a mixture of salts of fatty acids, such as olea lead and palmitate of magnesium. The wax or other ma adheres to the surface of the paper and forms a coating which be indented by the recording point of the phonograph. Th face of the coating is then turned in a lathe, so as to leave it tr cylindrical. A cylinder of this description can be used with further preparation on a phonograph. For making the cyles collapsible, the indenting material is scraped off the surface d paper by means of a suitable tool or machine along two na lines directly opposite each other, and extending the whole le of the cylinder. 5 claims.

16339. Improvements in the generation of rhythmic ela currents." C. LANGDON-DAVIES. Dated November 10. Claims-1. The described method of generating rhythmic e currents by means of vibrating parts so arranged in conne with a coiled iron core and a contact for the current to the that contact is maintained during one half of each vibration, a that contact is interrupted during the other half of each vites: the periods of transmission and of cessation of impulses being equalised. 2. In combination with a free tongue or rate gove vibrating under the influence of a coiled iron core, a subd vibrating tongue of less strength and greater speed, so aITEL in connection with the governor and with a contact stop the carried by the governor away from the contact during a vibration of the governor, and that it rests against the tact during half a vibration of the governor, substantially described.

NOVEMBER 8, 1889.]

1075.

ELECTRICAL

"Dynamo-electric machines." S. C. C. CURRIE. Dated y 9. 8d. Consists in a new way of winding the armatures of amo-electric machines, and of governing such machines, ether they be generators or motors, by throwing one or more mutator brushes or brush circuits into or out of action. 5

ms.

1900, "An improved conduit for electric railways."

M.

LOS. Dated July 26. 6d. Relates to improvements in a duit for electric railways, in which a sheave is made to operate onjunction with a wire or rod, and the objects of the invention to provide a device whereby cars may be propelled by elecity by means of a surface conduit. 2 claims.

2731. "A plate for secondary batteries." W. P. KOOKOGEY. ed August 13. 8d. Consists in general of the combination of pporting plate of some solid material which is not destructively ed upon by the acid of the battery, and which has a low erence of potential with lead (such as wood), such plate being rced with openings into which the active material, or the cerial intended to be made active, is placed; the two plates ng held tightly together. The objects attained by it are, that asts very much longer than any plate heretofore known, and re efficiently, owing to its completely avoiding or greatly inishing the common faults which lead to the destruction of ordinary plate, such as buckling, scaling, disintegration, uction of the solid frame of the plate, &c.; and that it is very ch lighter and cheaper, owing to the material used and the e of manufacture. 4 claims.

BETWEEN TWO STOOLS.

HE Edinburgh and Leith Gas Commissioners have opted a rather peculiar policy. At their last meeting ey agreed neither themselves to supply the public ith the electric light, nor to allow any other body an portunity of conferring this benefit upon the comunity. With rare selfishness they have taken up the istaken attitude, "Let other towns bear the expense the experiment of testing the value and success of e electric light; we are content to wait to take vantage of their trouble and outlay." In such a posion the Commissioners are bound to fall between two pols. They must either take upon themselves the ity of supplying the electric light to the many applints for the benefit of such a boon in a large city like dinburgh, or leave room for others to do so. many companies knocking at their door, seeking perission to provide a much desired illuminant, it will ot do for the Edinburgh Commissioners to pursue is dog-in-the-manger policy. It is not creditable to Le metropolis of Scotland that it should thus seek to op the hands of time. Edinburgh, like other cities, ust keep abreast of the age. Their untenable posion cannot be entertained by the Board of Trade, and e trust that this so-called "despot," for which Counllor Cranston has a wholesome fear, will see that dinburgh is not left out in the cold in the matter of le electric light.

CORRESPONDENCE.

The G. P. O. Engineering Department.

With

The morning paper from which you copied the pararaph about the engineering force of the Post Office elegraphs is not far out as regards facts. The engineerng of the public telegraphs is not conducted by "teleraphists" but by officers of "similar rank and pay ". he only exceptions being the superintending engineers -and their pay is less than that of their predecessors. The engineering clerks and inspectors have the same ay as telegraphists but longer hours, and either a less ate for overtime or no payment for it at all. Your commendation of the work of the department is very ratifying, but the public would hardly believe that an ngineering clerk of some service, to get an increase of 8. per week and be placed on the next scale, may be ent from, say, London to Belfast, whilst a telegraphist would get the same increase and stay in London. If he said clerk qualify for an inspectorship, after more years of service, he might be sent from Belfast to some listant place in England, Ireland, or Scotland, and so

REVIEW.

543

far away that for years his so-called promotion would be a charge to him instead of a benefit, the department, in its generosity, expecting him to bear the whole cost of removal. The same rule applies to clerks, and I know that some (who were picked from the ranks of skilled telegraphists on account of their ability) are too poor to bear the cost of removal when their 2s. a week increase is offered them 300 miles off. It is high time that this branch of the service was better treated and its clerks paid at least as well as the "lowest rank" of clerks in the Civil Service. No department is so badly paid, and none has perhaps been so "pared down" of late. S. N...

May I be allowed to introduce to your notice a method of making electrical joints by fusion. I was anxious to construct a somewhat complicated network of conductors in such a manner that the system might (as far as possible) be free from Peltier effects. When solder is used we know that such effects exist. In order to avoid this source of trouble I have used joints made by fusing their ends of copper conductors together by means of the oxyhydrogen blowpipe. As many old joints, on which a current has been acting during the usual hours of house lighting, have now been tested and found as strong as when first made, I venture to suggest the method to some of your readers to whom, perhaps, it may be of interest. It is as follows:

:

A V-groove is cut in a piece of dry fire brick, or a piece of hard quick lime, the ends of the wires to be joined are placed side by side in the groove, and then the flame of the blowpipe is brought down upon them; in the case of a joint made in No. 12 wire the ends were fused together in 32 seconds. Care must be taken not to prolong the heating after fusion is complete; if the heating is prolonged much after fusion the copper is suddenly converted into minute spheres, which scatter themselves about and leave a thin place where the joint should be. My first joints were made long before oxygen could be bought at its present price; with oxygen as now supplied, joints can be easily and cheaply made in big wires and leads; no flux was used in making any of the joints, nor were the ends cleaned previous to their being heated.

Frederick J. Smith. Millard Lecturer, Mech. and Phy.

Oxford, November 1st, 1889. [Doubtless our correspondent's experiences will be of service to the electrical trades.-EDS. ELEC. REV.]

American Correspondence.

It is eminently just that I should make an apology and an explanation in reply to the letter of Mr. McAdie, and it is equally just that I should protest against your protest against what you rashly term "want of care" on my part, in the REVIEW of 11th October.

As to the correctness of the statements which Mr. McAdie is pleased to qualify as "most distorted, onesided and untrue," I should not be censured for having copied verbatim the official stenographic report of the testimony of Mr. McAdie given under oath before a legal referee, which was published in nearly all the leading newspapers of New York City, and, so far as I know, has not been contradicted by any publication of Mr. McAdie.

Upon enquiry, I find that I mistook this witness for another electrician of the same name, a resident of New York city, who, I know personally, is in the employment of the American Bell Telephone Company as a

544

detective; I therefore tender to Mr. McAdie an apology for the mistake.

Baltimore, October 25th, 1889.

Trades Union.

Das Telephon.

The time seems to have arrived when the workmen in the electrical industries have made up their minds to constitute a 66 union among themselves. There is no doubt much to be said, both for and against trades unions, as a careful perusal of the accounts of the recent dock strikes show.

My main reason for writing is to show one great point which I think must have passed unnoticed by those present at the meeting, viz., the uselessness of attempted secrecy; I think it a great pity that they did not let their names be made public if only as a guarantee of good faith. One thing must be taken into consideration, namely, that to have a union which is to help the employé it must be one to help the employer, and so surely as the men make a secrecy of it, so surely will the masters have just cause to think that rules have been made that are detrimental to their interests. I think most of us will remember the so-called union which was started some years ago. I think that the failure of it was due to the fact that rules were made so adverse to the just interests of the masters that they could not possibly acknowledge such a union, hence its failure; had the rules been made fair on both sides many men would have now been in much better circumstances.

I can see no reason why men need fear their names being mentioned, as I am sure the employers and their engineers would be glad to see such combination and quickly avail themselves of its advantages; for instance, what can be more annoying to a master than to pay a man's fare 100 miles or so on his representing himself as a wireman to find when he starts work that his only title to that name lies in his having been employed "wiring aerated water bottles."

In conclusion, I would advise them once more to make their names and resolutions known, and thus gain what I am convinced will be their greatest support, their employers good wishes and assistance.

"Energy" and "Electricity."

Why will your correspondents (amongst others) refer to" electricity" as "a form of energy?" In our present stage of knowledge it is by no means safe to make any statement as to what electricity is; but we may in many cases be quite "cocksure" as to what electricity is not. We know positively, for instance, that it is not a vegetable product, or an allotropic form of CO2. With still greater certainty we may predicate of electricityadopting any hitherto given definition of the wordthat it is not, that it cannot possibly be, a mode of energy." This statement means, simply, that one factor of a product cannot generally equal the product. Desmond G. FitzGerald.

Overhead Wire Rules.

66

The following is an extract from a letter from Major Cardew "I see there is a mistake in the report of the Chamber of Commerce. Low pressure' has not been altered to 600 volts; but when the total potential difference cannot exceed 600 volts, and where the circuit can be earthed in the middle, and where the potential difference between any wires on the same poles or supports cannot exceed 300 volts, the wires are low pressure.' Instances:-A 5-wire battery system, 110 between each pair of wires; or a 10-arc circuit with a return wire led back by a different route."

Alexander P. Trotter,
Correspondent of the Section.

[NOVEMBER 8, 1889.

Long Distance Lighting.

In your last number you challenged comparison w a certain long distance incandescent system, desired any of your readers to bring forward anythi to compare with this in flexibility. Perhaps the lowing, therefore, may be of interest, and show that lighting has still a chance.

At Quebec, Canada, there were (12/11/88) in use i Thomson-Houston arc lights besides series incandes lamps on their well-known system (taking the current as the arc lights) and groups of incandesce lamps running from their special distributor box, whi divides the arc current up into six circuits for runnin 16 C.P. lamps, and interposes automatically a resista equal to any lamp, should one break, but if by aadent or design all should be broken, the box is at matically short circuited.

All these lights are run from a lumber mill. Montmorenci Falls, 9 miles away. There are 8 circu each way, and each measures 22 miles, owing to the direct course the pole line has to take. There are t exactly similar switchboards at each end of this l and from that in the town the lighting circuits are tributed.

Several of the circuits have altogether 33-35 m of line wire in circuit, from which are run prote cously arc or incandescent lamps. The wire betwe switchboards is bare, but for the lighting circ underwriters' wire is used.

On the line circuit a river is crossed, an enorm pole 110 feet high being fixed on each bank.

Each circuit and machine is protected by the spec Thomson-Houston lightning arrester, and during stor a succession of lightning flashes is always carried safe to earth. They were building a second pole line: motor and alternating service during my visit, w will also be a further interesting exhibit of the tex bility of our Thomson-Houston system.

The long distance series incandescent lighting c is now used in 16-18 towns, and more work has be done on our system in this direction than by all or other competitors.

An interesting example may be seen at the very t station of Malden, Mass., where 25 C.P. lamps h streets, &c., all round, some being over four distant from machine. My firm is at present engaged. fitting this system for lighting the roads of Weybri near London.

This combination of arc and incandescent light: has tended materially to bring that great success to " Thomson-Houston system which is so well known: all your readers.

November 5th, 1889.

Five-Wire System.

Fred. J. Dow

Your allusion to this novel system compels us refer to the fact that during the last two years Thomson-Houston Company have fitted a great nur of small towns for general lighting by means of the compensator system, which has an initial tension 300 volts, and as the distribution transforming comp sator is split up into four circuits so as to give 75 lamps, it follows that five wires are required.

It is therefore a five-wire alternating system of d tribution, and is worked out most perfectly in all de giving excellent results.

We enclose you a catalogue, a copy of which wes you a year ago, and on page 45 you will see the arra ment, and also the compound-wound alternating mac for driving it. The latter subject is also a novelty. has not been previously commented on in this count Laing, Wharton & Down, Managers. THE LAING, WHARTON & DOWN CONSTRUCTI SYNDICATE, LIMITED.

November 5th, 1889.

HIGH TENSION AGAIN.

seems pretty evident that the outcry against high nsion currents in America is more due to politics ad jobbery than anything else. It is certainly a very eadful thing to contemplate the number of deaths hich have so recently occurred in that country rough the victims coming into contact with the res conveying the lighting currents; but, after all, e peculiar methods adopted by our enterprising and, too many cases, reckless Transatlantic cousins, have en mainly responsible for the casualties which have. t the whole of New York by the ears. Higher Itages than that which is generally employed in the ates have been tried in this country, and so far, we e thankful to say, without any fatal consequences; d it is not too much to assert that even if high tenon currents become extensively employed in England, are hardly likely to suffer the evil consequences that ve hitherto been the fortune either of the American ht companies' men or the general public, for assuredly e safeguards against danger are more carefully worked t on this side by both legislative and individual effort. We have so often set up American enterprise of e right sort as an example to be followed here, at the dead lock now existing is exceedingly fortunate, for matters pertaining to electrical devepment over there just now appear to be on the rge of a crisis, and the sale of the commonest pliances is threatened by fearsome ideas about eleccal dangers. These fears are not likely to be set at st when Mr. Edison asserts that the wires should go derground, that even then underground circuits cant be operated with success and safety, and that his rsonal desire is to prohibit entirely the use of alterting currents, which, he says, are as unnecessary as ey are dangerous. Mr. George Westinghouse natully states his belief that overhead wires, properly sulated and maintained, may be considered perfectly fe, although he is in favour of having them under

ground. He is perfectly within his rights in protesting against the general prohibition of high tension currents because they are dangerous to life, for if this prohibitive policy were carried out in all things, we should be deprived of railways and many other advantages which are absolutely essential to business.

The National Electric Light Association Executive Committee has seriously considered the question, and after discussion several resolutions were adopted. The committee is of opinion that currents, both direct and alternating, of the pressure now in use in America are absolutely necessary for the successful and economical distribution of electricity for lighting and power purposes, and that to reduce the electromotive force to any degree would greatly cripple the electric light and power industries in which so much money has been invested, and which have become a public necessity. The cause of the fatalities from contact with the wires is assigned to faulty construction and defective insulation, coupled with restrictive legislation and divided responsibility which have prevented the repairs and reconstruction which would have ensured perfect safety. Furthermore, the committee believes that such are the improvements which have been made in insulation, that overhead wires may now be rendered quite free from danger.

It may be taken that all this will result in the public companies and authorities seeing the necessity of adopting proper rules and regulations for ensuring the use of well insulated conductors, the systematic construction and repair of the lines, and the necessary precautions to protect the public and those, who, engaged in the duties of electric lighting, may involuntarily be placed in positions of risk.

Luckily, in this country, considerable headway has been made in the direction of guaranteeing safety, but more remains to be done, and the deplorable condition of New York must impress upon us the necessity of leaving no stone unturned to keep free from anything which shall bar progress. Americans rapidly reassert themselves, and work will go on more energeti

B

546

cally than ever, but we are so little advanced in the practical applications of electricity, that anything in the shape of the accidents which have fallen to the lot of New Yorkers would have a far more damaging effect upon us, and it would be very long before we should emerge from the position in which such a mishap would place us. The latest authentic information, however, shows that the scare in New York is gradually subsiding, and the effects of the darkness in many districts which were lately so brilliantly lighted is beginning to make itself seriously felt.

WE noticed on Saturday last in the Weekly Dispatch a rather curious circumstance. In the report of the action against Messrs. Claude Marks and Charles Woolf, editors and proprietors of the Mining Record, and Mr. Marix, an advertising agent, on the charge of extortion, there occurs the following passage in the examination of Mr. Bebro :-Marks said " you had better arrange with Karl von Buch and let him have 500 shares, which he has sold as a bear, as he is a most dangerous man, and has great influence with my brother?" "I told him that he (Karl von Buch) could do what he liked ?" Now we have only come across this name but once, and that was in connection with the exploitation of the Electric Traction Syndicate's Northfleet tramcar system. Can there be more than one Karl von Buch? This is worth ascertaining.

DIFFERENT people look at things from a different point of view. Those of our countrymen who unpatriotically deprecate everything English in comparison with what is done in America, might profitably read a paper recently read by Mr. T. D. Lockwood before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, on his experiences of matters electrical in this country. The results are mostly decidedly flattering. Of telegraphy Mr. Lockwood says:-"I found no place too small for a telegraph office; moreover, in my opinion, telegraphy is cheap in spite of the fact that the address and signature have to be paid for "; we certainly have often had it dinned into our ears that in America "no town is considered too small or too unimportant to be without its telegraph," this being said in unfavourable comparison with the telegraph facilities in this country.

INSTEAD of condemning or advocating wholesale State telegraphs, Mr. Lockwood considers that under a monarchical government, where the latter is permanent and usually stable, such a system works favourably, but in cases where republicanism finds favour a better service is provided by keeping telegraphy in the hands of private companies, in fact in the latter case Mr. Lockwood thinks State telegraphy would be an unqualified evil.

As regards the electric light, Mr. Lockwood points out that although the progress made in this country cannot be considered as great, yet there is actually more being done than appears to a casual observer; this is particularly the case in the Metropolis where the magnitude of the work done is lost in the vastness of the wilderness of buildings comprising the metropolitan area. Though the two points of telegraphy and the electric light form only parts of Mr. Lockwood's interesting discourse and there is much said about both of them; the general idea that one gathers from the turer's impressions, after allowing for the natural

[NOVEMBER 15, 1889

self-satisfaction that flattery confers, is that the old country is well in the van of electrical progress and has no reason to be ashamed of the position th occupies.

THE short paper on the "Blavier Method," which we publish on another page, does not contain anything actually new in the arrangement, but the author think that it might nevertheless prove of interest to many of our readers.

A GENTLEMAN well known in the electrical work who has just come back from the Antipodes, think that there is much business to be done in Australia but he fears that the orders will, in the main, go into American hands. He complains greatly of the lack of smartness and the generally apathetic behaviour of Englishmen who, with better electrical machinery than can be obtained in any other quarter of the globe, stand passively by and allow others to reap the harvest which the mother country should justly claim as her due.

THE Thomson-Houston Electric Railway system is very effectively set forth in a beautifully arrange pamphlet issued by the company's London representa tives. There are three methods of supporting the main conductor, which is overhead, and we really hope tha Mr. W. S. Graff-Baker, who has come over to England to "Show us how it's done," will be successful in arranging for the electrical working of tram lines which shall satisfy both technical and commercial demands.

REFERRING to the communication from our corre spondent on the Zipernowsky Electric Tramway, wi cannot agree with the claimed superiority of the design. In the first place, the conduit, owing to the side thrust, will have to be of a specially strong con struction, involving an expense which the originator can hardly have considered. Sometimes it will happer that more passengers will sit on one side of the car that the other; this unequally distributed weight, together with the lateral swinging motion which necessarily takes place, must involve a structure of the most substantial kind in order to give a margin of safety. Supposing there is an obstacle on the rails, causing the wheels to mount, and even leave the rails, will the car not tumble on its side, or, at least, jam itself tight without immediate hope of extrication? It is claimed that care on this system can be made narrower, but this can be done with ordinary cars, and we find the narrow gauz tramways obtaining favour in many cities. We doub whether any tramway engineer, to say nothing of timid Local Boards or the public, will look with favour upor such a scheme as that devised by M. Zipernowsky Some of the so-called advantages mentioned would not, in this country, be of any account. For instance. with regard to the reference to the pavement for wide tracks, the tramway proprietors here are bound to pave more of the road than is contained within the track.

THE Committee of the proposed Edinburgh Exhibi tion now looks suspiciously Edisonian, and readers will not fail to see the result of the action of Major Flood Page which was reported in the REVIEW of the l inst. We hope, however, in the former respect we may be mistaken.