The purpose of this work is to present the public with a concise and
practical book of reference, which it is believed will be appreciated in
this age of electricity. The science has expanded so much that the
limits of what may be termed strictly a dictionary of the present day
would a few years ago have sufficed for an encyclopedia. It follows that
an encyclopedia of electricity would be a work of great size. Yet a
dictionary with adequate definitions, and kept within the closest limits
by the statement of synonyms, and by the consigning of all the
innumerable cross-references to a concise index will be far more than a
mere dictionary in the ordinary sense of the term.
Duplication of matter is to be avoided. This makes many definitions
appear short. Yet, by the assistance of the reader's own general
knowledge, and by referring to the very complete index, almost any
subject can be found treated in all its aspects. There are exceptions to
this statement. So much has been done in the way of mechanical detail,
so many inventions in telegraphy and other branches have sprung into
prominence only to disappear again, or to be modified out of
recognition, that to embody descriptions of many ingenious and
complicated apparatus has been absolutely impossible for want of space.
A word as to the use of the book and the system of its construction may
be given here. Each title or subject is defined once in the text. Where
a title is synonymous with one or more others the definition is only
given under one title, and the others appear at the foot of the article
as synonyms. It may be that the reader is seeking the definition of one
of these synonyms. If so a reference to the index shows him at once what
page contains the information sought for. The use of an index in a work,
necessarily of an encyclopedic form, will be appreciated by all users of
this book.
vi PREFACE.
Where a title embraces several words, all orders of the words will be
cited in the index. To make the operation of finding references easy
this rule has been carried out very fully.
It is customary to regard electricity as a growing science. It is
unquestionably such, but the multiplication of terms and words is now
not nearly so rapid as it has been, and the time for the compiling of a
work of this character seems most propitious. It is hoped that the
public will indulgently appreciate the labor it has entailed on all
concerned in its production.