The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-24
EDISON, THE ELECTRICIAN.
A Visit to and Talk with the Greatest
American Inventor of the Century.
The Queer Antics of the Wizard of the
Wires-His Latest Miracle Personal
God Scientifically Qemonstrable.
of the Indian apolis Journal

Correspondence OF the Indian apols Journal
NEW YORK, May 21.-Last week talked with
Brahmin. This week have conversed with
Thomas A. Edison in his laboratory. When the
greater part of the city is asleep, when grave
yards yawn-though why they should be addict
ed to yawning cannot see, since they have no
harder work than sustaining epitaphs to fatigue
them-when respectable citizens have mostly
gone to bed, and gamblers and criminals, to-
gether with people Of extreme fashion who at
tend late parties begin the sweetest part of their
life, then it is that the most remarkable of recent
scientific investigators goes to work.
We make our way down to certain corner of
Avenue B. where huge brick building stands
unresponsive in the midst of the nocturnal
blackness. 1t would appear dead but for a CLEAN
or two of light in the highest story. According
to preconcerted plan. we knock at the big door
and are admitted by sleepy youth who carries
lantern you'll find a light on the next
foor,' he says, reassuringly, and forthwith lets
us in through the trap or weir of the woodwork
compartment which forms the Office. We clam
Der up two half-fights of rough wooden steps;
find only single gas-jet in the midst of
wilderness of machinery, and proceeded to light
ma tches. By their fitful illumination we able
to achieve flight after flight until We reach the
fifth story. Still darkness everywhere, except for
glimpses of wide spaces in which machines, belt
ing and posts stand out suddenly in the match
glare AT last, stepping upon the final landing,
we walk securely under the rays Of a few gas
jets; for Edison, curiously enough, uses gas in
stead of his electric lamp, in his own work shop.
Here, in a small room partitioned off from the
rest of the area, we meet the presiding genius of
the whole place. The room is perfectly plain.
At one end is the new ticker from which the
occupant expects to draw small fortune. Along
one side are shelves partly filled with hooks on
chem istry and physics; opposite a complication
of wires and apparatus, which are explained as
an arrangement for transferring messages from
one telephone line to another. At the nearer
end is big table, at which Edison is sitting.
The first impression is that of a middling-
sized. quiet man. with very large
head and pale. smooth-shaven face. Black
hair interspersed with white surmounts
the high forehead in a careless, short trimmed
mass, oblivious of parting. One is inclined to
say, Here is an actor, musician, an artist of
some sort" The features are strong and clear
cut, with that air of mobility under self-control
whls is so frequent in the physiognomies of
actors. The lips are firmly shut when in repose;
the chin is deeisively nodded; yet the general
effect is an open and genial one. The moment
Mr.. Edison begins to speak his face becomes
as frank and eager as boys but at the same
time his eyes-especially when he is describing
some scheme for an lnvention-grow bright with
an intense Intellectual gaze. Concentration
seems to be the great secret of his strength,
concentration in a marvellous degree. AT one
moment he was talking placidly; at the next
he was up and active, wholly absorbed in the
working of the notograph which he had had
rugged UP for the occasion This is the con-
trivance for magnifying sound from tele-
phone, which Edison sold to the Western Union
for 500, 900, only to find it locked up and with
held from use by that company because 1T inter
fered with another patient He is just as much
interested in it as if this had not happened. He
quilted his study and hurried to and fro, from
one end of the building to another, trying expert
ments. He rushed out to the organ in the main
room and played various melodies on it to test
the power of the receiver. Some gentlemen
came in on business but he gave no heed to
them until he had ended the experiment All at
once he shut himself up in his Office and became
immersed in business. That DONE he once more
emerged, and entered into mock feEcing bout
with one of the party in waiting; listened to and
told stories; danced gayly about among the
benches; then resumed sober discourse All
this without the ightest affectation The man
throws himself absolutely into the mood Of the
moment He is as ready for play as for work;
but the instant he fixes his mind on one thing
he is oblivious of all others.
1t was rather weird experience meeting him
there in the great gloomy building where there
are but two men beside himself, at night. He
was chiefly engaged with his new idea of tele-
graphing from railroad trains in motion. This
is not to be done by cable laid along the track,
on the Phelps plan, but by throwing the electric
current by induction, to one of the wires along
side the railroad His experiments have already
shown that the spark can be thrown 180 feet.
The regular Morse instrument, with certain ap-
pliances will be used. The battery is to be
grounded in the wheels of the car, and on the top
of the car there will be condensers of tin foil
spread upon long strips Of wood Arrangements
are also progressing for an experiment in tele-
graphing by the same method from one ship to
another at sea.
''But is that possiblep asked ''How far do
you think you can throw the current over the
waters"
81 am afraid to say how far" was the answer,
From the data already obtained the theoret-
ical conclusion is that we throw it twenty
four miles Possibly we can do more than
that"
Then Edison rapidly sketched on paper a map
of the two continents and the Atlantic, and
illustrated his plan of telegra phing from ship to
ship so as to establish certain communication
between the shore and any part of the frequent
ed seas Not contented with his projected mir
acle which seems to be near its fulfllment he is
also busy upon improvements in submarine tel
egraphy. the method now generally in vogue of
recording words sent through cable by the flicker
of flame thrown upon mirror is amazingly in
sufficient, as is shown on diagram which Edi-
son displayed The number of dots indicat-
ing letters often has to be judged by oper-
ators from the length of time that the fame
hesitates. Even the siphon receiver, invented
by Sir William Thompson and used by one or
two of the new cables, is not quite satisfactory,
although it marks the dots pretty nearly.
Edison is trying to devise some means of at
tanning higher or better regulated rate of
speed so that the record may be made clearer.
But 'its tough job" he says.
Perhaps the most interesting thing he had to
say was respecting his exploration for new
force" At present he calls it simply xyz. He
does not pretend to know what it is. But he
says that there are many phenomena which are
not explained by any force yet recognized, and
it is these which he is going to investigate.