Electrical Engineering.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 179, 23 July 1901, Page 3

Electrical Engineering.

Mr Heary Scott. AJ.E.E., of Dunedin, brother of Mr W. L. Scott, Waimate, and Mr J. C. . Scott, tiraaru, has lately returned to New Zealand, and has comnlenced practice as Consulting Electrical and Mechanical Engineer in Christchurch ; and it is possible a short account of his experiences may interest some of our young jsasn ambitious to succeed. After e

preliminary course of engineering in the employ of Messrs A. and T. Burt in Dunedin, Mr Scott left the colony about seven years ago to ..continue his training in England. Ho was anxious to have a thorough : course of training, both practical and theoretical, and after close, enquiries in London as to the best colleges and places for his purpose, he chose Glasgow, With its wellknown Technical College, and followed out a course of training there. He obtained certificates as an engineer in two branches of electrical and mechanical engineering, and was offered afi appointment as demonstrator in the Electrical Laboratory of the abovementioned College. Mr Scott speaks in high terms of Glasgow as a manufacturing centre, and a thorough modern municipality. At the Municipal Buildings is installed an Automatic Telephone Exchange by means of. which each subscriber works his or

her own exchange. As a Corporation, Glasgow is thoroughly up-to- ; date, the town owning the tram: system, in which electricity is th » motive power. The current sup- • plied is generated in two large and entirely new stations, the plant being worked by steam. The Corporation, after close investigation, of the various systems of electric traction as conduit), surface contact, overhead, &c., adopted the overhead system as being the most efficient. In Liverpool, there is every facility in the way of electric trams, with the well-known overhead electric railway along the docks, which extend for miles. Latest developments here and in Glasgow, in fact over Great Britain, include the adoption of the high speed engines of the Beiliss and Morcorn, and Willans and Robinson types, up to 1100 h.p. in the generating stations, some of which'he saw being erected. In London the latest and most modern improvements in the way of electric underground railway is the so-called “Tuppenny Tube,” starting from the Bank and passing along Holborn, High Holborn, Old and New Oxford streets, etc. On this he travelled when id was opened last year. In Glasgow the suburban underground railway is

worked by cable, but it rs lit thnttjhout by electricity Corliss engines used for cable haulage. F>r some time Mr Scott was connected with the firm of Messrs James White, (i.e. the works of the electrical expert Lord Kelvin) now Kelvin and White, electrical engineers, and instrument makers, London and Glasgow. Part of his

work there consisted in the making, testing and standardizing of scientific instruments of the renowned electrical expert. He also took charge for some time of outside work such as installing and repairingofelectrical plant and accessories in the interests of this firm, and had an opportunity of assisting at the test of the first motor, or Deisel motor of twenty m.p. worked . by compressed air, under the enormous pressure of lUOOlbs. per sq. inch. Still another important part of his training consisted in noting as assistant engineer in ohe of the Corpoiation Electric Lighting and Power Stations in the Old Country. Experiments are being made to discover the actual advau-

tngea of working steam engines at a much higher pressure than has been used, and in Britain, the foremost country in the developing of p 6 :,m and its applications, results

have proved in favour of bigl Gpressures. In order to continue his training still further, Mr Scott spent nearly four months on the Continent in Germany and Switzerland. He states that these countries are far advanced in their knowledge of electrical and the theoretical training given in foreign colleges Such as Berlin and Heidelberg (Germany) and Zurich (Switzerland) is the best obtainable, but, the laboratories are not as well equipped as those in Great Britain. Having returned to New Zealand and made an inspection of the Colony, he is convinced there is a splendid future in the development of electrical engineering in this country owing to the abundance of water power which is best suited for its purpose. He looks forward to seeing, in the near future this enterprising colony lit up by the “ Light of the Age.