Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-15
TO CHAIN LIGHTNING
The Great Aim of Electricians.
A Gigantic and Unlimited Force in the
Atmosphere That Has Never Sur
rendered to the Inventor.

''What is likely to be the next great
step in electrical invention ?" was a cues
ton prcpounded to Professor A. P. Wood
side, the distinguished electrician, of
Boston, who is at present visiting Chi
cago.
"Ehe next great step? That depends
largely upon what would be considered a
great step. The phonograph would be
regarded by many as a great step, but
do not consider it such. Il is certainly a
further ap plication OF well known priu-
ciple-that by which the telephone works
but nothing more. Much has been
made of this little instrument. I fail to
see that it can ever have any great prac-
tical value. In my opinion what is now
needed in an electric way is d cheaper
source of supply. Electricity as at pres
ent produced is more costly than steam
power, and will scarcely take the place of
the latter in working machinery until a
cheaper supply is obtained"
"Where Is this cheaper supply to come
from?"
"That is the problem which will in the
near future exercise the inventive genius
of electricians. Watre power can be re
lied on to g limited extent in giving cheap
electricity, but it will always be subject
vented it from maintaining It's suprema-
cy against the dearer form of power
steam. For myself I look to the atmos-
phere az furnishing the great source of
supply. Enough electricity is evolved in
the atmosphere daily il it could be util-
lied To more than equal all the other
forms of force in existence"
"Wkere does il come from?''
"From the rays OF tho sun. Jt has
been established that in twenty four hours
the sun raises to the clouds 1,C0O,O coo, 0OG
gallons of water. The force expended
does not disappear, nor is it destroyed
1t simply changes 1ts form from heat to
electricity, these forms of force being in
Interchangeable. The problem is to gather
this electricity from the atmosphere be
fore it is absorbed by the earth"
"Has this been done successfully SO
YETI"
"Yes, but not with the design of using
it as a source of mechanical power. One
of the most noted of electrical expert
ments-that by which Benjamin Franklin
drew down electricity upon the string of q
kite and demonstrated the fact thai l1g ht-
ming ard electricity are the same-was
really a step toward securing cheap sup
ply of electricity, but as there was no de-
mand for this at the time the greater
value of the experiment was overlooked.
1t is the requirement of an invention that
brings it about. The world now has
every need of electricity and con apply
1T in a Thousand useful ways. 1t has learn
ed how to store it, and now only needs to
draw it from the atmosphere in order to
have 1t at hard as the cheapest power in
existence"
GkGpnII not kois 10 Jo,a ,0,oc-a
towers which would reach the clouds?"
eyes, or by balloons with the
storage system by wires; but this would
reach only com paratively small portion
of the electricity In the atmos phere. The
popular idea that lightning exists only
in thunder clouds is an erroneous one.
No more lightning is in one cloud than
another, weight for weight, and the fash
es of lightning seen in a thunderstorm
are merely a disturbance of the atmos-
phere. The fact is, the moisture in the
atmosphere parts with by far the
greater part of its electcicity
before it becomes visible in the
shape of clouds. The condensation of
vapor releases the electricity which is re-
PEELED by the different atoms or PARTICLES
of water, and the greater part of this oc
ours before the vapor is SO condensed as
to form cloud. The existence of the
aurora borealis at height of 600 miles
above the earth. and which is an electri-
cal disturbance, shows that the field of ct.
mospherical electric supply is much
greater than the cloads merely, while cleo
trio disturbances in perfectly clear
weather, of sufficient force To operate all
the telegraph wires of half the United
States for days at time, Is even more
convincing proof that the supply from
this source is practically illimitable.
"Of course" continued the professor,
"a greas many things will have to learned
about electricity in its native field before
the wild article can be chained down to
the service of man at a merely nomis al
cost, but it mast come. This is the great
field toward which the genius of electric
inventors must turn in the near future
as promising the greatest award obtain
able. The man who first succeeds in
claiming the lightning ard making it tbs
servent of man will have complished
work before which all of the other works
of inventive genius will pale in to in
significance. He will have controlled
force of unlimited supply, which will take
the place of all other forms now in use
on account of it's cheapness and SUPER
ority.'
A CITY OF THE DEAD.