tested Aug. 14, 1890, at Holyoke testing flume, and gave fair results,
and at the time of his demise he was having made a new runner for the
cylinder gate turbine, which we will complete and have tested. His
idea was to have us manufacture and sell register and cylinder gate
turbines. His inventive powers were not confined to water wheels, for
on Feb. 23, 1886, patents were granted him for automatic steam engine,
governor and lubricating device. We also remember in the year 1873 or
1874, when his mind was occupied with his "Standard turbine," he was
hindered by some device used now on locomotives of the present
construction (what it was we are unable to say), but when draughting
at his water wheel, would conflict the two, and by his invitation we
wrote to a prominent locomotive builder and had him examine the
drawings, which he had not fully completed, and sold same to him. Of
this we only have a faint recollection, but do recollect his saying:
"Well, that is off my mind now, and I can devote it to the finishing
of my new wheel."--_American Miller_.

* * * * *




ALTERNATE CURRENT CONDENSERS.


At a recent meeting of the Physical Society, London, Mr. James
Swinburne read a paper on alternate current condensers. It is, he
said, generally assumed that there is no difficulty in making
commercial condensers for high pressure alternating currents. The
first difficulty is insulation, for the dielectric must be very thin,