The Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1886.

Inangahua Times, Volume XI, Issue 1789, 1 December 1886, Page 2

The Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1886.

Mr W. W. Mobs, sharebroker, left for Greymnuth on Sunday last, but will return to Reefton shortly. The sitting of the District Court here has been adjourned from Thursday to Saturday next. Jurors summoned will not be required to attend till the latter day. The annual general meeting of shareholders of the Inangahua Low Level Tunnel Company was held at the company's office, on Monday evening, Mr 0. Cohen in the chair. ' The report and balancesheet for the past year were read aud adopted, and the retiring directors were reelected, Mr H. Bartlett being appointed to the vacant seat on the board. In reply to a question it was stated that the company's reserve extended for 600ft on each side of the line of the tunnel. The distance driven in the tunnel to date is 2,3060ft, the country still being of a good slatey character. The explanation of the principle of electric light is this :— The passage of a current of electricity through a wire raises the temperature of the wire. The increase of heat from an ordinary current is not great, but still tangible. In order to raise ordinary telegraph wire to an incandescent heat, sucb as would serve for illuminating- purposes, a current of electricity of great power would be requisite, aud then what would follow ? The wire would be melted the moment it reached a white heat, and with the fusion of the wire darkness would ensue. The difficulty then was to find a substance of high conductivity, which would at the same time he unfusiblu and almost indestructtible by heat. Platinum wire, on account of its high fusing point, was for a long time thought to be the only substance in nature which met, although only partially, these conditions. The cost of platinum, however, presented one great obstacle to its use. After a time another substance was found which came nearer still in meeting the requisite conditions. This wnn carbon — Hie pareßt form of carbon, next to the diamond. A thread mnde of tins rnbstance whr found to gire even a liigin-r conducting power than metallic ! (iron) wire, wbilu nt the same time it was j raised to incandescence at a lower ten)per- ! at lire, was absolutely uufiisible. and, in a vh nun*, [naotically indestructible by he;>f-. Thin important advance inado, the. 1 only fithi«reonsH<'Vjition was as to the cost of guiiply'iiL' Mip. electricity. It w;is soon found that the fin<";t lilament or web of carbon that coui 1 W. manufactured, when mined to iiic:indeßo».'n«a, has a higher illiiniinatinir power than c<>al g:>e, and as the measure <>f electricity necessary to effect Miis wits infinitesimal, if such a term may ba used, the last requirement whs met. The notion runs that the strength of tb>; current uf elo.'ri'i^ required for

domestic lighting is such that it would cause the instant death of anyone touching the conducting wire. This is a fallacy, as it would be perfectly safe to paw all the curront which Mr Prince uses for lighting the hotels through one's body. As a matter of fact this was actually done the other evening, Mr Prince himself affording the "shocking" example. At a meeting of the shareholders of the Britannia Extended Company held last night it was decided to proceed at ouce with the registration of the company. A provisional directory was elected, and Mr W. O. Collings was appointed manager. A canvass of Broadway was made yesterday, with the object of ascertaining the amount of support which would be guaranteed to the project for providing the town with electric light. We believe we are correct in saying that the measure of support already'promiaed is sufficieut to assure the success of the undertaking. Mr E. Clarkson, photographer, is now prepared to execute portraits of the highest quality and excellence, at reasonable prices. Having established a permauent studio in Reefton, and procured the latest and most perfect apparatus, he trusts to meet with liberal patronage aud support.— Advt.