TREE FELLING BY ELECTRICITY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 129, 2 June 1877, Page 4

TREE FELLING BY ELECTRICITY.

A novel and .interesting experiment baabeenattempted in the Compound of the Sailor's Home, Mazagoo, and there ._ can belittle doabt that ultimately great results will accrue from what at first sight appear to have been hot a greM success. The experiment referred to (observes the Homeward Mail) was tree-felling by electricity instead of. by the ordinary method of the clumsy axe. The patentees of the process are .Mr H. H. S. Parkinson and Mr W. H. Martin, both of Bombay, and the experiment was superintended by Dr Lyons. The plan is simple, the two ends of the copper wires of a galvanic battery are connected with platinum wire, which of course instantly becomes red hot, and while in that state it is generally sea-sawed across the trunk of the tree to be felled. When arrangements were made for the experiment, it was never for a moment doubted that the enterprising merchants of Bombay were possessed of all the made thicknesses of platinum wire, but it turned out that the thickness of the thickest (hat could be got was only that of crochet cotton. It was at once seen that a wire of such thinness would be consumed bafore the tree was half severed from the trunk. However, the atempt was made. The burning wire performed its task very well so long as it lasted, but, as was anticipated, the wire continually broke, and at length there was no wire left. There can be little doubt that with a stronger battery—the one used was only a twelve-chambered one—and a thicker wire, the experiment would have been entirely successful. As it was, the tree was sawn one-fifth through. It is calculated that, under proper conditions a tree, which at present takes two hours to fell will come to the ground by this process in fifteen minuted. It is almost needless to add that there is no waste of wood, no sawdust. The process is one worth the attention of all Governments engaged in foreat clearing.