AS A MOTIVE POWER. BY COUNT TH. DU MONCEL, MEMBRE DE L'INSTITUT DE FRANCE; AND FRANK GERALDY, INGENIEUR DES PONTS ET CHAUSSÉES. TRANSLATED, AND EDITED WITH ADDITIONS, BY C. J. WHARTON, ASSOC. SOC. OF TEL. ENGS. AND ELEC. WITH 113 ENGRAVINGS AND DIAGRAMS. LONDON: E. & F. N. SPON, 16, CHARING CROSS. 1883. 18665e PREFACE. COUNT DU MONCEL's work, 'L'Electricité comme Force Motrice,' has only quite recently been published in France; and although I was favoured by him with the rough proofs, in order that the translation should appear as soon as possible after the original, some little time necessarily elapsed; and although that time has been very short, it was necessary, before this present book went to press, that considerable modifications and additions should be made, in order that it should bring down to the present moment the history of all that has been done in the employment of electricity as a motive power, and the almost daily developments and improvements that are taking place. If further proof were required, this would show how important and pressing a subject at the present moment is the transmission and distribution of power. Owing to the recent wonderful developments in the various applications of electricity, the question of utilizing for the benefit of mankind the vast powers of nature at present wasted has assumed a practical shape, and the number of recent experi ments, books, papers, lectures, &c., by eminent and learned scientists, shows what a great future is looked for by those who have made a study of the subject. But at the same time very little of the difficulties or the possibilities of that subject are appreciated by the general public, and it is to them that I trust the present work may be useful and instructive. 8 AND 9, HOLBORN VIADUCT, LONDON: August 1883. C. J. WHARTON. |