The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-05-25
ELECTRIC SCIENCE.
The Great and Rapid Development of Elec-
trical Inventions.
CHICAGO Times.

CHtcug0 Itmes.
Speaking of the electricity divisions, and
the recent marvellous developments of elec-
trical inventions, Mr.. E. NJ. Bently, one of
the examiners of the electrical division of
the patent Office, gives some very suggestive
facts. He says that about 1000 applications
for patents In electricity were filed in 1882,
Of which about two.thirds were granted
To show how the subject has grown in i'm
portance within few years he said that in
1877 electricity was sub class In division.
Now II Is the largest division in the Office,
and regarded as the most important. The
astonishing growth Is due chiefly to two eau
ses: /. The invention of the telephone; and
I'd, the development of the magnetic electri-
cal machine. The telephone had opened,
directly or indirectly, wide field of inyen-
tions. The minds of many persons through
out this country were turned to this class Of
invention, and were not only improvements
upon the telephone itself attempted, but At
tention was given to great many incidental
appliances useful in Its successful applica-
ton. The second great stimulus to inven-
tion was the development Of the magnetic
electrical machine. For thirty years the
world had been awaiting cheap and con-
venient source of electricity. Immediately
following the discoveries of Faraday and
others, from 1880 to 1910, there was wide
spread effort to make practical use of them,
and special activity was manifested in the
line Of electric lighting. The arc light was
put into practical form, and the foundations
Of incandescent lighting were laid. But no
economic source Of electricity was at hand
for the galvanic battery consumed too much
zinc for profit. The principle of the magnetic
electric machine had, indeed, been long
known; but 1t was left for the Italian, Pscin-
otti, In 1860, to perfect machine wherein
contiguous currents were genera,ed. The
Idea literally lay on the shelf, however, until
1870, when Gramme re-invented, practically
the same machine, and pushed IL into notice.
he was speedily followed by the Siemens
brothers Of Berlin and by Mr. Brush and 9th.
ers In the United States. The magnetic elec.
tric machine, adording cheap and abundant
supply Of electricity, Immediately rendered
practical all the half completed inventions Of
thirty years, and opened the way TO many
new ones. Brush got his patent In 1877,
Weston soon after, and the growth Of the
electricity division of the Patent Office has
been steady and marvellous ever since. The
inventions had been, however, rather In the
application Of known principles than In the
discovery Of new ones; for during the filty
years that have elapsed since the investiga-
tions Of Faraday, little new has been added
to the science Of electricity. The present &C
tiviiy springs from the application Of we'll
known exhibitions Of the still unknown force
and moreover, only few Of these features
Of the science have been IS yet made Of prac-
tical value. One Of the broadest and most
successful patents appear to be the telephone.
The man whose name is perhaps more wide.
ly known than any other in connection with
inventions, In his line Of inventio ., il EdI-
son, and his most famous achievements. have
been in tha Improvement In tslegraphy and
In ihs incandescenf hight.