ENGINEERING. (ELECTRIC ENGINEERING.) 



287 



ing down one side, throwing into the air a cloud 

 of bricks and debris. By a curious coincidence, 

 scarcely a quarter of a minute later a second 

 stroke fell upon the same spot, thus effectively 

 exploding the time-honored saying that lightning 

 never strikes twice in the same place. By a sin- 

 gular omission, no provision had been made for 

 ascending the chimney, but after this accident it 

 became necessary to inspect its condition. It 

 was deemed unsafe to continue working the fac- 

 tory, and the mill was accordingly shut down 

 until the tower could be examined. A roofer, 

 John Phillips, commonly known in Newark as 

 " Steeple Jack," was finally consulted, and he 

 undertook, for a stipulated sum, to climb the 

 chimney within a specified time. The under- 

 taking involved a bit of personal engineering 



TOP OF CHIMNEY OP THE CLARK THREAD VORKS. 



that deserves perpetuation, especially as he ac- 

 complished his task in three working days. The 

 side of the chimney opposite to that struck by 

 lightning was selected. A ladder was first placed 

 against the chimney, and a block of wood in- 

 serted between its upper end and the brick 

 work. The block was a little longer than the 

 width of the ladder. Phillips ascended this first 

 ladder and drove two straight-shanked hooks of 

 steel into the joints between the bricks, just out- 

 side the sides of the ladder, their bending ends 

 projecting inwardly and firmly gripping the lad- 

 der itself. A second ladder was now drawn up 

 with block and tackle and lashed securely to the 

 upper section of the first ladder. A steel hook 

 was then driven into the chimney far enough up 

 to hold the second ladder securely until the 

 climber could ascend and fasten the second lad- 

 der with hooks and a block driven in as before, 

 at the head of the ladder. This process was fol- 

 lowed, as shown in the illustration, as far up as 



the taper of the chimney continued uniform. 

 Twenty-four ladders brought him to the outward 

 flare o'f the brick work. Near the top of the 

 uppermost ladder precautions were taken for 

 security by driving additional hooks into the 

 chimney ; then a ladder long enough to reach to 

 the outer rim of the chimney cap was hoisted 

 and cautiously shoved out by means of tackle 

 and blocks until its upper end projected above 

 the outermost rim of the chimney cap. This 

 ladder, inclining outward, was securely lashed, 

 and the daring climber ascended it to the ex- 

 treme top of the chimney. This done, of course 

 the hoisting of timbers and the construction of 

 a working platform for repairs to brick work 

 was a simple matter. The operation of climb- 

 ing attracted a great deal of attention from the 

 thickly populated adjacent regions. With a 

 good telescope in clear weather the man could 

 be seen from New York, and the passengers on 

 passing trains crowded platforms and windows 

 on their way to and from the city. Phillips is a 

 member of a slate and felt roofing firm of New- 

 ark, N J. ; he is a slightly built man, Scotch by 

 birth, and undertook this climbing feat merely 

 as an incident of his e very-day life. 



Electric Engineering. The activity alike 

 in the invention and development of all kinds of 

 electrical appliances has been very rapid, the 

 United States leading in many directions. In 

 the employment of electricity for traction Amer- 

 ica is far in advance of the rest of the world ; 

 but tramways are now being introduced in Eu- 

 rope. One that has been brought into successful 

 operation near Berlin is about one mile long and 

 is operated on the Thomas Houston plan. In 

 electric lighting the main progress has been in 

 the direction of niaking glass bulbs at less ex- 

 pense, and .securing more perfect vacuums for 

 the incandescent lights. In the direction of in- 

 troducing electric lights on steam and tram 

 cars, some progress has been made, but their in- 

 troduction is by no means general. Among the 

 new applications of electricity are the rendering 

 of car brakes more efficient in their action, and 

 by a simple appliance causing the wheels to take 

 better hold upon the tracks. Electric search 

 lights, heretofore mainly confined to war vessels, 

 are now introduced on passenger steamers and 

 are a great source of safety in thick weather and 

 in the detection of possible obstructions. Elec- 

 tric welding and the discharge of guns by elec- 

 tricity have attracted attention from engineers. 



Among the important engineering works in 

 progress are the great breakwaters at Yokohama, 

 in Japan. These are said to be wholly under the 

 direction of native engineers. 



The triple tunnel across the Clyde is well 

 under way, and may be finished next year. In 

 connection with the Manchester Canal, men- 

 tioned above, large improvements in the naviga- 

 tion of the Mersey river are in progress at and 

 below Liverpool. On Sept. 15 work was inaugu- 

 rated for the opening of the famous iron gates 

 of the Danube, near Greben. This work is part- 

 ly in Hungary and partly in Servia, and is de- 

 signed to circumvent the rapids of the Danube. 

 It will probably not be finished until 1895. 



The Chignecto Shipping Railway, connecting 

 the Bay of Fundy with the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 is the pioneer of first-class railways of this de- 



