Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-10-19
Inventions Big Triumph.
rHB FORCE OF NIAGARA TO DE TURNEl
TO USE IN NEW YORK oITY.

III USE IN NEW yOhh
To utilize the vast power generated
BY numberless rivers and tide-ways,
by transmitting it from regions where
not used to points where it is invalu.
able, has long puzzled scientists. In
places away from tbs seaboard and the
great water courses, especially, power
has heretofore been obtained only by
the erection of expensive machinery,
the constant generation of steam, and
the consequent consumption Of vast
quantities Of coal brought from dis
lance.
While visiting the mining regions of
the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Noun
tains in his late western tour, Prof. Ed
ison was struck with the difficulty there
had by miners in drilling and bearing,
though in many cases in the vicinity of
rapid flowing mountain streams. Ex-
sept in placer" mining, where the ore
ID; washed out of the bed or hanks of o
river, or where expensive steam drill,
are used, the work of mining is labor
ious. While watching miners drilling
by hand, a means of facilitating this
work evolved itself from Edison's fertile
brain. Turning to his intimate friend,
Prof Barker, of the University of Penn.
sylvania. he exclaimed ,abstractly, "Why
cannot the power of yonder river point
ing to the Carson river on the plain q
thousand feet below be transmitted to
these men by electricity" This
thought seemed not to 60 from Edison's
head. and all the way across the plains
on their journey home he and his friend
'.Barky," as he calls him, discussed va.
rious problems fds the transmission of
power.
Before starting for the West, Prof.
Barker had visited Ansonia, Conn.,,
where his old friend, Mr.. William Wal
lace, is engaged in the manufacture of
electrical machines. Mr.. Wallace has
profound scientific research, and be.
sides the mechanical part of his bust.
ness, he devotes himself enthusiastic
ally to the part OF physics that compre-
hends electricity, magnetism and the
polarization of light. He showed Pro.
lessor Barker an instrument to which
he had devoted the best years OF his
life, but which was yet in crude con.
dition He is still experimenting with
it, but he believed he would so perfect
it as to transmit power form one
point to another by means Of electric
~.
When the Edison party had arrived
IN New York, Prof. Barker bethought
himself of the instrument previously
shown him by his friend, and which at
the time he had only cursorily examin-
cd. He invited Prof. Edison to visit
Ansonia with him, an invitation that
was at once accepted. Last Sunday
was the day fixed upon. The party
consisted of Profs. Edison, Barker,
Prof. Chandler of the Board of Health,
and Mr.. Edison's assistant, Mr.. Bach.
sller.
It was an agreeable surprise to the
party to find that Mr.. Wallace had per-
fected his machine. Being exceedingly
modest and caring not for notoriety,
he had shown the instrument to few,
and these only persons whose lack Of
scientific knowledge prevented them
rom comprehending its usefulness.
Mr.. Wallace calls it telemachon. and
he smiled with pride as he pointed to q
number of these machines, each one
m Improvement upon its predeces-
sof. and each having required years
70 design and nearly $1,000 to con-
ytruct
Mr.. Edison was enraptured. He fair
y glosted over il. Then power was
applied to the t-lemachon, aad eight
electric lights were kept ablaze a; one
time. each being equal to ,dsso candles,
The sub division of electric lights be-
ing unknown % science This filled
mp Mr. Eiison's cup o, joy He ran
from TIE instrument IN the lights. ard
frptn tie lights b4cA 20 the instrument,
Ar spsswled over a table with the sim
piiescs ii a child. AMI male ali kinds
Of celebrations. H. caleu.a.ei the
po~tr a: the ;ns,runsnf and the lights.
ana probable boz. e poser by trans
nissioa. the amount 4 eosl tue instru-
nesa: Ssali save in a dsy. . week, q
soIt-. :. s-AF. spa the result u sach saw
ma a. 'naaaisc;Hriu