Show NEW LIGHT the electrical situation as respects light and power the announcement that teala had succeeded in producing a brilliant whito light with but a fraction of the current now expended in the incandescent lamp has been commented upon by mr edison who claims to have made alike discovery baye the boston transcript that mr tesia or some one make such a discovery has asea almost a foregone conclusion to make ono or two lights for exhibition purposes is one thing but to make them for regular daily uso is another and the lime which must necessarily elapse before the perfection and introduction of the new light will probably be very considerable notwithstanding electrical de are bounding ahead at a great rate the question of course euch a discovery is its possible effect upon existing investment while we havo become to look upon electric lighting as the principal pirt of the electrical business as a matter of fact it is fast becoming the least important part discovery whereby alternating currents could be used for the transmission ot power has changed the aspect in connection with the development of electrical apparatus for by its use electricity can be attane ditled economically from central stations and water powers over very large areas for arc lighting incandescent lighting and for power purposes the however being of the greatest commercial value new lamp simply gevea in light a greater percentage of the electrical energy than has heretofore been obtained but with respect to arc lighting and power transmission there is no such great waste as in connection with alie ordinary incandescent lamp for power purposes from 60 to 90 per cent of the electrical energy pat into the line can be taken out in mechanical power and in electric beating especially in connection with electric cooking over 90 per cent of the current put into the line can be used effectively discovery in to his new lamp however important can never have one tenth of the value of hie discoveries co in connection with the utilization of the alternating currents for power purposes already the westinghouse electric and manufacturing company lias completed leslae motors tor use in connect itson with the elevated railways of new york and will shortly use these motors to opp crato a train of the bame type as those used in new york in order to demonstrate the superiority and ad vantage of the tesia alternating system over the direct current system which is now the only one used for the operation of railways these new tesia motors havo been sufficiently tested to chow that they possess marked advantages over continuous current motors and their use will enable tho manhattan elevated railway company to operate their entire in new york from one central station by the use of main conductors coating but a fraction of what would have to be expended were the continuous current ay stem to be used the work on these teal motors ia being pushed forward the utmost vi gorin order that mr could and others connected with the manhattan elevated railway may it ness and understand their operation as preliminary to the presentation of a plan for the equipment of the entire new york elevated system in refer rips t the extension of rapid transit in new york of the metropolitan company is quoted as saying the trolley system which was being tried aa an experiment upon upper lexington avenue had not proved the success which he had anticipated there had been too many breakdown s and delays there would be a howl if they placed such a system on eighth promised relief however and mr whitney is reported to have said that they bad discovered a new motive power but I 1 cannot tell you what it is you may rest assured that you will have a perfect system within a year and the impression was given out that the new system would be the propulsion of cars by means of compressed air of late it has been claimed that a compressed air system has been perfected wherein storage tanks carrying from to 1000 pounds and even up to 2000 pounds pressure are to be used to carry enough even at these pressures the tanks wili have to be large and the explosion ot one of them under a street car would be almost equivalent to an explosion ct gunpowder the reliability of reservoirs to stand such a strain is one of the things which will have to be fully demonstrated the idea of operating cars by means of compressed air is neither new or untried some of the brightest experimenters have spent a great amount of time and immense sums of money both here and abroad in attempting to solve this important problem |