tion, they will probably be coupled together electrically, enabling them to share the loads and average up their power factors or to supplement or aid each other in any emergency. The capacities of the respective stations will ultimately be about 10,000 K. W. each at Motherwell and Yoker, and 5,000 at Crookston. By utilizing cheap sites for the stations outside of towns and near to the coal mines, it will be possible to generate power at a very low cost. Of the 710 square miles covered by the scheme, only thirteen are at present supplied with electricity. It is said that over 300 manufacturers petitioned in favor of the proposition, and it is thought that many of the remainder petitioned in favor of the rival Caledonian scheme which was turned down. The carrying out of this mammoth scheme of and Robertson are the engineers of the Clyde Valley Electrical Power Company. Mr. Robt. Robertson has recently spent a considerable period in the United States investigating our systems and methods of power transmission and distribution, particularly in our large cities and in such localities as Niagara, Snoqualmie Falls, Wash., Canyon Ferry, Mont., and other places. Popular Application of Wireless Telegraphy. The Paris correspondent of the Scientiflc American describes in the November 22d number of that technical journal the "Popp-Branly Aerial Telegraphy System." He says that an "aerial telegraphy project of unusual interest is now being power distribution will place the manu- organized in Paris. It is the intention facturers of Glasgow on a footing to be compared to that of American manufacturers who are so fortunate as to be within range of our cheap water powers. The authorized capital of the Clyde Valley Electrical Power Company is $4,500,000, with borrowing powers of $1,500,000. The total cost for plant on the transmission lines is estimated at over $2,000,000. The electrical apparatus, which will comprise polyphase alternating-current generators and transformers for high voltage power distribution, rotary converters for the supplying of direct current, etc., has been contracted for with the British Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Messrs Strain to establish a subscriber system which will cover the whole city, and the subscribers will be kept posted as to all the important news of the day. A company has been formed for the purpose, which company is headed by Victor Popp, a prominent engineer and director of compressed air and electric lighting systems in Paris; with him is associated Dr. Edouard Branly, whose work in aerial telegraphy is too well known to be dwelt upon. This company has already installed a station at its headquarters, Place de la Madeleine, and two others at the newspaper offices of the Figaro and Journal, besides a third at the Agence Havas, near the Bourse. For some as it does to pull the same train at 30 miles per hour. Even the most skeptical will probably admit that the cost of producing high speed is greater than that required for the maintenance of a moderate rate of travel, even if they dispute about the figures. In the item of cost, for any speed, the amount of fuel burned practically plays the most important part. We have, in the science of railroading, come to the point where we deem it essential to know the actual amount of coal burned, and we know that the faster we travel the more coal we will burn, has been weighed out to them. At the end of the month the amount of coal used is divided by the ton miles made, and the result is the amount of coal used to make one ton mile. From that, the cost per ton mile, as far as coal is concerned, is easily computed. If A pulls more cars in the month he makes more ton miles to divide into his increased coal figures, and his cost per ton mile may not be greater than that of B, who has gone along steadily in the old way. This is all "plain sailing," because an increase in the coal burned is offset by more ton miles made. yet in the matter of ton-mile statistics we have not yet made any attempt to connect the time element with the coal consumed. An example will show this. Suppose now that A and B pull trains of equal weight for a month, but B has been making up time and A has not. B ran over the division, let us say, in 2 A and B are two passenger men run- hours and 45 minutes, whenever he got ning sister engines on the same division. the train 15 minutes late. He made the As to condition, the engines possess same ton miles as A did, but he burned about equal amounts of "scrapheapness," more coal to do it, because he was runyet are doing good work. The division is 125 miles long and the trains weigh, say, 250 tons. One train runs each way every day, and the schedule time is 3 hours. When everything goes as it should both engines make 31,250 ton miles in the allotted time, and they burn practically equal amounts of coal, which ning faster. The company's higher officials may be fairly overjoyed that B makes up time every day or two, but B is in a new position now. His performance will be figured up by a clerk with pen and ink, who shows no emotions of gladness and has not the power to praise or blame. This man finds that A and B made the same number of ton miles, but B has burned more coal. B has, therefore, apparently cost the company more per ton miles run than A did, and it is so recorded. B knows it is wrong, so does the man with the pen and ink, if he stops to investigate, but there is no provision made for putting B where he has a perfect right to stand. It was all right to burn more coal when more ton miles were shown, because both increased together, and thus gave A the chance to keep his average as it should be. When B burned more coal making up time, without increasing his ton miles, he clearly entitled to have that point considered. In fact, the science of mathematics is not able to give a correct result without it. Some people may regard all this as a needless complication, and point to the man who guessed at the floor measurements of a box car and assumed its height, and then figured out the cubic contents to five places of decimals, as an example of wasted energy. The cases, however are not parallel. Whether it be complicated or plain, whether the extra work looks inviting or not, the fact remains that if coal burned represents work looked like an expensive man when the done, as it should do, the time element searchlight was turned on him. If B could get his company to consider the time element, he might save his reputation. When everything else is normal 31,250 ton miles are made in 3 hours, and neglecting fractions, 10,417 ton miles would be made each hour. But B made the total ton miles in 24 hours, which is at the rate of 11,363 tons miles per hour, and that is 946 ton miles per hour more than A. So figured, ton mileage comes up as coal consumption increases, just as when A pulled heavier trains and burned more coal. If it was fair to keep A's average right, it is only fair to do the same for B. The time element when introduced does not injure either man, if both make the same time with heavy or light trains, but with equal trains the man who makes up time is can not be overlooked in calculations like these without vitiating the result, and doing an injustice to some one.-Railway and Locomotive Engineering. Liquid Fuel for Steamers. According to recent English .exchanges the Red Star liner "Kensington" has been ordered to the Tyne, where she will be fitted with patent oil-burning furnaces by the Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Company, Limited. Whereas the previous vessels converted into oil burners by this company have been tank steamers, the "Kensington" is a large Atlantic trader, and will be the first vessel of her type that the Wallsend firm has adapted to oil-burning. Journal of Franklin Institute. |