Connecticut western news., 1890-11-05


 Van Damschloss he had already the early promise of having another "Van" emblazoned on the Knickerbocker book of peerage of the American metropolis.
 Upon these two men and their fami lies fortune smiled brightly, distribut- ing her favors with lavish hands. The genius of American liberty has lifted them both far above the toiling masses of the Old World, whence they came. But proud America should yield them yet more of her treasures. It was the land of invention, and from the un- fathomed mystery of further invention they should wiring further millions of riches! -H.=. -t .....
 While they were building their mighty fortunes steam power had been almost perfected, electricity had been further trained from simple telegraphic trans mission to perform Illuminating, tele- phonic and photographic work. It had been taught to vibrate on the tongues of the living and finger on the lips of the dead. The genius of the lightning had been curbed to perform menial hotel and household services, and to rend the rugged breast of the mountain with exploded mine.
 But there is one other mysterious and sublime force in the system of electro-thermo dynamics which man has not yet controlled. Science has demonstrated the fact that nature em- ploys in the evaporation and condensa- ton of one gallon of water a subtle and sublime power, capable of removing a range of mountains If that force could be converted into the controllable es- sence of motion by man he could move the world, split continents for his mighty canals like those of the planet Mars, blow loaded railroad trains along like tiny feathers or mowaakes before the fierce tornado's blast and circum- navigate the globe in eighty minutes.
 These are some of the mere possibili- ties of controlling but one more thermo- electro force. MT. Keely has but so far toyed with its fearful mysteries in obtaining motor pressure of 15, ,000 pounds to the square inch of motive surface. His volatile and vibratory ether of water is but as the breath of body whose muscle is capable of pro- ducing the enormous pressure of at least 15, GOO, GOO pounds. to the square inch.
 Messrs. Leger and Van Damschloss determined, after long consultation, to try their hands at the evolution of this unknown force M. Leger was really a mechanical genius, who had hitherto had the good luck to let his genius alone and amass wealth by attending to other things, contrary to the course of the usual run of geniuses, who per ish in poverty and let posterity profit by their inventions.
 M Leger maintained that MT. Kee- ly's principle was to iberate the hydro gen from water under tremendous pres sure, and to use this highly compressed hydrogen as his motive power. Such accidental liberation of hydrogen from water under extreme pressure is alleged by scientific men to. cause some of the mysterious, terrible and tragic boiler explosions of the times.
 M. Leger's plan, considered by him. self as a marked improvement on MT. Keely's, was to completely remove the hydrogen under pressure, to store it by itself in the strongest steel reservoir which mechanical art could construct, and there, by electrical disintegration, to separate the component parts of the hydrogen, and to utilize it's most elastic compound gas as the source of power.
 This modern ,inventorconsidered the theory most satisfactorily disproved that hydrogen was a simple and indi- visible element of nature, eminent sci entists agreeing with him. He consid- cred this most subtle and active gas known as divisible compound. If it could be separated its most active and powerful principle might be seized and made available. Here was the key to hfs situation, theoretically at least.
 Impressing these views upon the mind of his partner, these two gentle. men had a most massive steel cylinder manufactured and moved to the top o1 their establishment, under the pretexi that they wished to experiment with 8 Asw and extraordinary powerful pulI roller. Having had this roller duly elevat ed to the desired place, in secret, they constructed several electric batteries for the disorganization of water and the storage of hydrogen under pressure. Finally they charged the main steel cylinder with hydrogen under enor- nous compression, and determined to make further arrangements in the proper time for connecting this cylinder clandestinely with the wires of>an elec- tric storage plant, to further separate by electrical action the modernly claimed component gases of the hydro gen. For safety against accident they had screwed into their immense steel reservoir Keeley 15, ,00O pound regis tering gauge and like pressure safety valve.
 One midnight, in course of time, everything was ready. The steel res ervoir was charged with hydrogen already stored under 1,500 pounds pressure per square inch. Two o1 three hours were consumed by the two concealed toilers in perfecting the con. nection with the wires between theil hydrogen storage reservoir and the public electric plant which furnished light and power to their paper mills. Shortly after a. m. all was finished The partners stood facing each othe, at their respective posts, one at the east the other at the west end of then mysterious machine. Leger's eyes burned with brilliant, expectant light
 Van Da1nschloes stood pale and ex cited out of his usual stolidity. He | held in his large right hand the button