3o8 



NA TURE 



[January 30, 1902 



AN ITALIAN ELECTRIC RAILIVA Y. 

 T^HE motive power on our great railways forms such an 

 •*• important question that any enterprise made with a new 

 motive power, electricity or otherwise, adapted so as to utilise the 

 existing rolling-stock, not only may at some future time greatly 

 accelerate the present speed, but also introduce great economies, 

 especially if the new power can be derived from a natural 

 source. In Italy the railway authorities have been thoroughly 

 slive to this fact ; a portion of the railway of northern Italy 

 has been electrically equipped for running by means of electric 

 motors, as a pioneer installation, and if successful the remainder 

 will be similarly e<|uippecl. The Valtellina electric railway (says 

 FetlJen's Magazine for January), which is sixty-two miles long, 

 runs from Lecco along the shores of Lake Como to Colico, 

 where it divides, one branch going to Sondrio and the other to 

 Chiavenna. The power ol the line is furnished by falling water 

 from the river Edda, which operates four turbines (2000 h.p. 

 each) and which, coupled direct with four Schubert three-phase 

 generators, give a current at 20,000 volts and 15 cycles. This 

 current is led to ten substations (placed about six miles apart) 

 along the route, where it is transformed to 3000 volts, at which 

 voltage the various sections of the Ime are led. The two over- 

 head trolley wires which supply the motors (the railway track 

 forming the third) are hung from steel wires supported on each 

 side by posts spread wiih crossbeams ; these also carry the main 

 supply wires (20,000 volts). The tratHic of the line comprises 

 both goods and passenger, and it is worthy of note that for the 

 former electric locomotives are used for the haulage of the 

 wagons (which are of the standard Italian type), and for the 

 passenger traliic bogie motor-cars act in place of locomotives 

 and pull four coaches as trailers (these latter also of the ordinary 

 Italian type). A train of this description is run at thirty-nine 

 miles per hour on all gradients less than 10 per cent. ; for anything 

 steeper than this •' the Cascade " arrangement of motors is 

 used, then the speed is halved. The speed of the goods traffic 

 is twenty miles per hour with a load of 250 tons. The line is 

 equipped with every facility for safe working, everything being 

 made as automatic as possible. For instance, "when a train 

 receives a block signal it also has its current cut oft so that it 

 cannot proceed." Again, "where a train is coming up at full 

 speed, and it is necessary to order it to stop owing to sudden 

 occurrence of something in front, the signalman not only makes 

 the signal to stop, but he also cuts off the current and applies 

 the full brake power available to the advancing train." Light- 

 ning has been fully guarded against. The power house is 

 supplied with a group of conductors of the " Horn " type outside 

 the building, and lightning arresters of a similar type are fitted 

 in the substations, and, lastly, the electric locomotives and 

 motor-cars have also similar apparatus fitted. The working of 

 the line will not only be watched with interest, but also forms 

 an important example of electric traction on account of its 

 newness in design (especially in detail), and the thorough way in 

 which the system is made automatic and interlocking and also 

 safely guarded against accidents. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambkidck. — Mr. W. E. Johnson, of King's College, has 

 been appointed the first Sidgwick lecturer in moral science. 



The Balfour studentship in animal morphology will be vacant 

 at Lady Day next. Applicants are requested to send their 

 names, with .such information as to their qualifications and pro- 

 posed researches as they may think desirable, to Mr. J. VV. 

 Clark, Scroope House, Cambridge, by February 28. 



The complete degree of M.A. honoris causa is to be con- 

 ferred on Dr. W. E. Dixon, London, assistant to the Downing 

 professor of medicine. 



The proposal to establish a University of Liverpool was 

 warmly supported at a meeting held at the Liverpool Town 

 Hall on Monday, the Lord Mayoi of the city being in the chair. 

 At the close of the meeting it was announced that the sum of 

 80,0000/. has been promised in support of the scheme. 



The Lord Lieutenant of Berks (Mr. J. Herbert Benyon) has 

 been elected president of Reading College, in succession to the 

 late Lord Wantage. A fund of 1000/. a year for five years has 

 been raised to augment the existing income. Lady Wantage, 



NO. 1683, VOL. 65] 



Mr. Benyon and Mr. Alfred I'almer have e.ach contributed 2501. 

 a year to this fund. 



Ir is proposed to erect a bronze tablet in the museum at 

 Marischal College, Aberdeen University, in himour of the late 

 I'rof. H. Alleyne Nicholson. Prof. J. Arthur Thomson and 

 Mr. J. E. Marr, F.R.S., have undertaken the preliminary steps 

 and are prepared to receive subscriptions from " those who 

 were friends, colleagues, collaboratcurs or old students " of 

 I'rof. Nicholson. 



Mr. T. J. I'a Bromwich, Fellow of St. John's College, 

 Cambridge, has just been appointed professor of mathematics 

 in Queen's College, Galway, in succession to Prof. A. C. Dixon, 

 lately appointed professor of mathematics in (Queen's College, 

 Belfast. Mr. Bromwich graduated as senior wrangler in 1895, 

 and subsequently obtained a first class (first division) in the 

 second part of the mathematical tripos. Since taking his 

 degree he has made a number of original contributions to various 

 branches of mathematics. 



Announcement is made in the Times that Lord Cuizon, the 

 Viceroy of India, has appointed a commission to visit the 

 University centres and colleges of India to inquire into their 

 prospects, report on their working, and recommend measures 

 lor the improvement of the teaching and the standard of learn- 

 ing. The commission is composed as follows : — Mr. T. 

 Raleigh, president ; Syad Hossain Bilgrami Nawab ; Mr. J. P. 

 Hewett, Secretary to the Home Department ; Mr. A. Pedler, 

 Director of Public Instruction in Bengal ; Prof. A. Bourne, 

 Principal of Madras College ; and the Rev. Mr. Mackichan, 

 Principal of Wilson College, Bombay. Mr. R. Nathan will act 

 as secretary. 



Pro lESTS are being made against the dissolution of Victoria 

 University. It is suggested that there might be one great Uni- 

 versity for the north and not several connected with single 

 cities. At a meeting of graduates of Victoria University held at 

 Leeds on January 24, a resolution was unanimously adopted 

 expressing the conviction that to abolish the \'ictoria University 

 would be detrimental to the interests of higher education in the 

 north of England. A committee was appointed to attend an 

 approaching meeting at Manchester in connection with the 

 Victoria University and protest against its disruption. The 

 board of governors of the Yorkshire College, Leeds, has adopted 

 a resolution expressing the view that though the dissolution of 

 the Victoria University in favour of separate universities would 

 be detrimental to the interests of education in the north of 

 England, still, having regard to the resolutions passed by Owens 

 College, Manchester, and University College, Liverpool, pre- 

 parations should be made for the establishment of a University 

 for Yorkshire based upon the existing Yorkshire College, with 

 provision for the admission of other constituent colleges and for 

 the afliliation of other suitable institutions. 



The annual meeting of the Association of Directors and 

 Organising Secretaries for Technical Education was held on 

 Friday last. Mr. A. Keen, the president, delivered an address 

 dealing with the question of rural education. He urged that 

 what are wanted are:— (l) .A. system ol suitable elementary 

 instruction which should include practical work in every 

 standard ; (2) a good supply of secondary schools at low fees 

 of the rural grammar school or modern school type, taking, say, 

 the Rural School of Science course in the Government Direc- 

 tory, and such other studies as the circumstances of different 

 districts might direct ; (3) a more limited supply of higher 

 secondary schools of the high-grade grammar school type for 

 boys and girls who were intended to continue their education 

 beyond the usual age, and probably go to a university or some 

 other place of advanced education ; and (4) for the benefit o. 

 boys intended to be farm bailiffs, agents, stewards, farmer.s, or 

 market gardeners, and especially those who had no suitable 

 means of .acquiring at home an intimate knowledge of farm and 

 garden work and general practical experience, there should be 

 in every large county, and in every group of smaller ones, a 

 farm school, or an agricultural school or college, lor boys of 

 fifteen to sixteen years of age and upwards, providing a course 

 of instruction for two or three years of a thoroughly practical 

 character. 



An interesting introductory address delivered by Prof. Wilson, 

 professor in anatomy at Sydney University, has been sent to us. 

 The address is entitled " Ideals in Medical Education" ; it is 



