HARNESSED LIGHTNING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2260, 22 October 1889, Page 2

HARNESSED LIGHTNING.

That electricity is to be the motive power of the near future admits of no doubt, and the electric railways of London and Paris, though as yet only isolated lengths of line, are the forerunners of what will one day be the general system of railroad traffic. Nor m regard to locomotion alone is the " harnessed lightnning " destined to be the obedient slave of man, it promises also to become the substitute for steam for the driving of looms, mills, and machinery of all kinds, to the great benefit of the millions of workers m the world's factories by increased safety and the removal of the discomforts of heat, noise, and smoke which are the accompaniments of steam as a motive power. So far m New Zealand factories we have had electrioity used only for lighting purposes, the steamengine being used to drive the dynamo, but the day is coming when the dynamo will displace the steam-engine and do all the work itself. The first application of eleotricity as a motive power, m this part i of the colony at anyrate, has taken place at Temuka, where a few days ago the installation of an electric motor m connection with the local Hemp Mills (phormivm tenax) was celebrated by a champagne spread. The proposal to work the machinery at these mills by eleotricity originated with Mr R. B. Postlethwaite, who is an electrical engineer, and the work has been carried out under his supervision with complete success, a driving oapacity equal to 15 horse-power having been secured. The "Leader" says :— •'. At Messrs Aspinall and Co.'s mill, about a mile from the works, a turbine wheel capable of giving, with 12 feet fall, some 40-horse-power has been fixed. This drives one of Statter and Oo.'s dynamos of power, when full loaded, equal to 20 horsepower. The wire transmitting the electric current to the works is a 714 hard drawn copper wire. This is suitable for double the power it is at present conveying, having been pat up with the. idea that the power might require to be duplicated. In transmission a certain loss of power takes place, and it is estimated that the power at the works is about 71.5 per cent, of that at the dynamo, or roughly speaking about 15 -horse-power. One of the features of the machinery that Strikes even an inexperienced eye is its perfect government. The 'turbine and the dynamo have independent governors, and the action is so true that at the works the scutching machines, when not fully employed, show little or no tendenoy to ( get away.' When it is considered that the variation of a machine running full or empty is from flay thirteen horse power to less than one the complete action of the governors will be ap"preoiated, The machines are supplied with two gauges or. metres, The ampere metre indicates equivalent horse power, and the volt metre the, pressure. The belting from the fly wheel of the turbine to the pulley of the dynamo is that known as the ' patent link belt.' It is ingeniously constructed ol linked pieces of leather, and is proving a success. It appears to be used more Blackly than the ordinary belts, and there is little or no friction. Should anything occur likely to cause complication or accident, a simple safeguard automatically shuts off connection and destroys the magnetic current. The dynamo and motor each weigh about 1£ ton. At the works the motor is fixed m a small shed about 6ft x 6ft adjoining the soutching shed. When onoe started it requires little or no attention, and one is struck with the comparative silence of the machinery. Even when working at its highest speed there is no noise except the hum of the scutcher. Smoke, dirt, and danger from fire are done away with, and the whole machine ib an embodiment of unobtrusive power." Not only does the new motive power work emoothly and well, but it appears that as compared with steam it is considerably more economical, showing • clear saving of £120 a year. This, being the case, the example set lv Temuka will doubtless soon be followed elsewhere, a.nd if as there is every reason to believe will be the oase, the like satisfactory results are generally obtained, the use of electric motors will speedily become the rule instead of .the exception,