Show u INTERESTING EXPERIMENT HOW ELECTRICITY MIGHT BE BB UTILIZED TO ADVANTAGE IN THE MINES SA SALT T LAKE ciTY CITY June 29 1885 Editor Deseret yews News N ws i As illustrating the benefits arising from an intelligent nt application of the I results obtained by experiments in a laboratory the following account of a anew anew anew new and interesting application of electricity it will be tie seen is ot of considerable importance to some of our citizens may be of ot interest In the fall faU of ot 1884 Prof Prot Lodge e of Liverpool lectured on the subject of Dust and he be subsequently dealt with with the subject more extensively in In a a lecture which he delivered at Montreal during the meeting of the British As- As Association Association As In the course of these lectures the professor brought before hi his hia hearers the curious observations which he had made as to the effect of a discharge of high tension electricity from a point or points into glass jars or other vessels els containing dust of any kind in suspension suspension sion He also made interesting and striking experiments illustrating his remarks Thus if it a bell jar be filled with a dense smoke of f mag magnesium by burning some ma magnesium WIre wire inside it a avery avery avery very long time elapses before the Ina mag- mag magnesia mag magnesia nesia settles out and leaves the glass clear of smoke But if a metallic point be introduced into the jar con con- connected connected con connected by a wire to one of the poles of ofa ofa ofa a good frictional or induction electric machine it is 18 only necessary to set tile the machine to work and almo almost t instantly an extraordinary effect is observed in- in inside inside in inside side the bell jar The magne magnesia jia smoke commences to whirl about and then forms itself into large flakes and strings which rapidly settle on the bottom ottom and sided sides leaving the jar perfectly clean of smoke What would have taken several hours to set set- settle settle set settle tle in the ordinary course is completely cleaned and deposited in a few tew seconds The same effect is produced if the jar jarIs is filled IDled with any kind of smoke that from thick paper or from a cigar be- be beIng being be being ing acted upon exactly in the same manner as the magn magnesia sia Prof Lodge told his audience that he and his assistant had made experiments on a very much larger scale than those in the glass jars ROoms Booms had been tilled filled with dense smoKe and rapidly cleaned in the same manner A copy of these lectures having been read by Mr Walker of som some lead smelting works in North Wales where the flues for the fumes were two miles long and still left some fumes not deposited 1 it occurred to him that this discovery might be utilized utilised in in pre pre- precipitation precipitation pre precipitation and condensing the fumes from the furnaces He at once communicated with Prof Lodge and as the idea was considered very promising it was decided at once to try experiments on a practical scale They were carried out by Mr Walker at his bis works with advice and aud assistance of Prof Lodge and after many mal weeKS testing fully bore Jore out Mr Walkers Walker's si hopes an and expectations A large larate wooden flue was constructed at right angles to one of the main flues of the works and dampers ar- ar arranged arranged ar arranged ranged so as to turn any required amount of the fumes from a group of furnaces into and through the experimental experimental mental flue The latter was provIded with glass windows placed opposite one another for the purpose of observation observation observation It also bad had dampers to close the outer end nd In a was an electric machine one pole being con connected to the tile ground and the other by means of an insulated copper wire with an arrangement at points in the roof of the chamber mid midway way between the windows It was capable of giving sparks four inches long In the first experiments the flue wits was closed at the the end and filled with the fumes in a quiescent state which when viewed through the windows presented the appearance of ofa tl dense fog log or mist Left to itself it took it-took took many many- hours hoars lo to deposit But as soon as the electric machine was set to work the same action took place as with the magnesia in the bell Dell jar Through the windows could be ob ob- observed observed ob observed served the same whirling movement around the discharge points and ia in a afew afew afew few seconds the fog fop was seen changing into little flakes which rapidly flew fiew t the sides of the chamber and wet there deposited till tUl in an incredibly short time the fume fume had bad entirely dis dis- dis disappeared appeared from the atmosphere of the I chamber chamber which was as clear clea as before the he fume tume was let Jet intuit into it Further e experiments were then tried a to the action of the electric die dis- disc diec dis discharge c charge ir I ge u upon on the fume in rapid motion The dampers were turned so eo as to force the whole ot of the fumes through t the e experimental flue into the open air The electric machine was worked as before No effect could coald be seen through b the windows b because cause the rapid cur cur- current current cur current rent swept the fume onwards too fast to allow any change being observed at that point But at the outlet into the atmosphere the effect was very strUt strUt- striking striking ing inK the Issuing fume from fog into flakes A glaw lass plate Yield neld held in la rile t rR t 4 fio Hie sc Wee ge Irom the machine began was only coated after atter a considerable time with a thin film A similar plate held in the cur cur- current rent car rent reut during the working of the machine e ewas was instantly coated over with flakes and large separate flakes of fume So So much was the fumE fume agglomerated by its passage past the discharge points that it wo would ld fall to the ground imme imme- immediately imme- imme immediately immediately on leaving the exit of the flue fine On the strength of the satisfactory results above stated Mr Walker has to apply this new process on a full working s scale ale at his works Two electric machines will be driven by a small enri engine ne in a separate building near the main flue through which pass all the gases and fume from nineteen fur fur- furnaces furnaces fur furnaces naces 1 It t is intended to apply it to the con con- condensation condensation con condensation of zinc oxide in the manu manu- manufacture manufacture manufacture facture of zinc white and to the con con- con con- condensation condensation condensation of arsenic as the o outlay is very moderate and the chances of breakdowns very remote When Prof Lodge was experiment experiment- ing lug experimenting a dust from a purely scientific point of view it is not likely that thai he be had any idea how soon his results would be- be become be become come of practical commercial value I be-I and it is but one olle more case where the pure science of one day may become very valna valuable le applied science at the next It would also seem that the experiences experiences experiences explain the cause of the popular idea that in heavy states of the atmos Atmos- Atmosphere atmosphere phere thunder storms torms with their light light- lightning lightning lightning ning discharges dischargE's clear the air It has occurred to me that there is another useful application of this principle It is well known that in lasting blasting with either black or giant powder there is much time lime lost after a blast in close places wa waiting for the smoke to clear away and even with a ventilating fan several minutes are lost after each eLch each blast which time could probably be much reduced and the at- at atmosphere atmosphere at atmosphere at the mine much improved by depositing the smoke instead of of dIstributing it more orless or less through the rest of the workings the effects of which especially with giant powder are very unpleasant and nd deleterious W J S |