rovements now being made in traction
wheels, etc., the heaviest grades are as easily surmounted as with the
cable; although it is true that for grades exceptional in character,
such as 20 per cent. grades or over, I should be willing to give the
contract to cable.

With electricity any speed can be attained by the individual cars.
They are absolutely independent. Lost time can be made up, etc. With
cable the cars are dependent upon speed of cable. Lost time cannot be
made up except on down grades.

With electricity work done by engine is synchronous with work done on
the track at any time of the day or night, with the loss of 35 per
cent. due to the conversions in each case. In other words, for every
horse power of useful work done on track the engine does 1.54 horse
power. This ratio is constant. It makes no difference whether 1 or 100
horse power of work is necessary on the track, the engine has but to
do 35 per cent. in excess.

With cable, if 1 horse power of work is all that is required on the
track, the engine may be doing 25 horse power to get that amount there
through the gears and cable. With heavier loads this is somewhat
diminished, but about the very best figure that can be put forth is
but 35 per cent. recovery, with 65 per cent. loss--the exact converse
of electricity under heavy loads.--_Street Railway Journal._

* * * * *

ELECTRICAL ALARM FOR PHARMACIES.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.]

To avoid the errors which sometimes occur in a pharmacy or in a
laboratory, where one bottle is taken for another, especially in the
case of those containing highly poisonous or dangerous substances, a
simple arrangement, shown in the cuts, has been proposed. The
apparatus, in principle, is a species of electrical alarm, in circuit
with an ordinary house telegraph line. It consists essentially, as
shown in Fig. 1, of a battery, bell, and pedestal, provided with an
electric contact on which the flask rests. Fig. 2 shows this contact
or break piece. On a series of pedestals thus arranged and
intercalated in the same circuit the flasks containing poisonous or
dangerous substances, whose inadvertent handling might cause trouble,
are placed. In removing one of these flasks the circuit is closed, and
the electric bell notifies the pharmacist of the danger attendant on
the use of the substances contained in the flask referred to, thus
guarding against the errors due to carelessness, and