Sharp County record., 1885-05-28
THE WIZARD EDISON.
Harvesting New Electrical Though1s 10
Practical Work.

I found Mr.. Edison last week in his
laboratory on Avenue B, and asked him
what was the newest thought that ne
had harnessed to matter. "Ihls, he
answered, and called my attention to a
board hanging by one edge to ropes
above our heads, its surface covered
with tinfoil. In further explanation he
said: THAT solves the question of tel
egraphing to running trains. AS soon
as that little device is adopted every
moving train in the country Will be-
come telegraphic station, and anybody
aboard the train may be telegraphed to
as easily as if it was standing still.
This will not be done by putting up a
new set of wires, under the train or at
its side, but by using the ordinary tele-
graph now running by the side OF the
track. 1t is new, and hitherto un-
known, process of induction, by which
make electricity Jump thirty-tive feet
through the air, carrying the message
without spilling it. How's that for
lively?"
The inventors face glowed with
pleasure at the thought as he went on:
by putting up this tinfoil-covered
board lengthwise on the top OF each car
| can ca. ch a message from the wire
strung on poles thirty-fve feet Oft, and
can fling an answer back to the wire.
1t requires no change in the wires OF
any sort. The secret of it is in the
machine for transmitting. When | was
Investigating what | called the 'etheric
force, few years ago | accidentally dis
covered certain curious properties Of
static electricity. These l have now
applied. The process is very ineXpen-
sive, as three men could equip road
800 miles long for $1,000 in three or
four days. 1t seems certain that its
adoption will be run from headquarters
and every passenger will be accessible
to his friends. What do | call it? }
haven't named the baby yet"
Mr.. Edison looked exceedingly well,
although he was robed in d gown OF
bed-ticking reaching from collar to
ankles, which was not very picturesque.
At the Edison factory in Goerck street
new passenger car of the elevated
road is being equipped with the electric
motors which are to take the place OF
the present steam locomotive in the
early summer. TPelcar is turned bot,
tom upward, and two dynamos weigh
inc about 1000 pounds each are ad-
iusted to the under side in proximity to
the wheels. One dynamo drives the
four forward wheels and the other the
four rear wheels. Every car is to be
similarly rugged so as to bear its own
motive power. A train of four cars, in
stead of having one sixteen-tOn locomo-
tive, with two great driving-wheels, will
have no locomotive, but every one OF
the thirty-two wheels will be driving
wheel The eight dynamos will weigh
about as much as locomotive, and
they will all respond to the touch OF one
conductor. Mr.. Bachelor, in charge
of the work, tells me that one car can
be run alone in the easy hours, while IN
the crowded hours ten or dozen can
be run in train, and that they can
reach speed of twenty miles an hour
in the first 300 feet after starting. Mr.
Russell Sage, whom | saw yesterday,
feels sure that the electric motors will
enable the aerial roads to carry one
third to one-half more passengers than
they are now doing, and that the trains
will be much more safe and manage
ablc.-W 4. Crotut, in ~ T. World