The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-19
A FELINE MOTOR.
The Marvellous Machine Invented
by o Western Genius,
Cats Uti'ized tt Furnish .EicctsIcity for
illuminating. and Other Purposes
Steam Engines No
.ft where,

Prof. Richard DcLong, tho inventor
nf the new feline motor, says Slough
to1 CWis.) correspondent of tho New
York SIM, is = tall, palc-faccd man
with thrcc-story, baywindow fore
mead oycrhanging u pair of dccp-sct,
s.Sy-blue eyes, set on each side of u
large, thin, hooked nose. lie is not q
beauty, but he is II genius.
His feline motor, which is Mt present
creating such sensation in scientific
circles IN Stousshton, is q marvellous ma
Chine, unique i'll appearance and won
ucrful In operation. 1t may be de-
scrlDeu as curious combination of
large AMI small Gywhccls, great bal
ance-whccls, bright steel rods, and an
almost innuIncrable number Of coils of
copper wire, all joined to brightly
polished cylinder of brass, one end of
wilich projects into Il wire cage filled
kTvith ordinary eats. It's operation is
4cry simple, but surprising in its re-
Suits a slight pul1'on II snail nickel
4 plated lever starts the machine. Then
Mike lightning from out the end of the
&tylinder projecting into the cage there
hoots al long steel arm and hand, grab
ing one of the cats by the nape of the
8ci1 and yanlSing it into tho cylinder,
here 1T disappears with & yell of more
'oiitn feline terror. In u moment the
1ly-Uhecls, the great balancc-whecls,
and all of the complicated machinery
begin to move, ut first slowly, but soon
with startling rapidly. At the proper
moment, which is indicated by n small
'clock-liilc attachment, the operator
pulls another lover, when from out of
the other end of the cylinder with hair
and tail erect, scintilIating eyes, and Il
catcrwaul dislocating to ones spinal
column, the cat is projected into tub
CT cold water prepared for it's reception
This operation, surprising as it may
seem, extracts from the cat electricity
equivalent to the power represented by
ten horses, working for one hour, and
this power can be stored into the
cylinder until needed. AS eat can be
\ run through the motor every three
minutes, and all the accommodating
electricity be stored the power of the
machine Is practically limitlcss The
same cat can be used every ten hour,
without the least i.npairing it's health
and general usefulness.
The professor is iubilant over tho
success Of his invention. lie is satisfied
that he has overcome every difficulty,
R.lnd intends soon to put the machines
upon the market. In speaking of the
origin of the invention and the probable
results of its use, he says:
II have long believed that the cat is
natures Ieydcn jar, charged with an
enormous amount of electricity, but in
ileilch u manner as to require IL peculiar
process to extract it. This process it
has been my good fortune to discover
The discovery will .bc of incalculable
benefit to mankind 1t will revolution
lie the mechanical world and will be
felt in every department of life. By its
means every family, no matter how
poor, can have its home brilliantly
lighted with electricity at less cost
than to have it poorly lighted with
kerosene. By simply running the now
practically useless house cat through
the machine twice each day Insufficient
amount of electricity can be engendcred
to illuminate brilliantly any medium
sized house. Think how advantageous
1T would be to IL large city. Take New
York for example. Carefully compiled
statistics show that there arc at present
within the city limits 9,99S,347 cats.
This represents very nearly 10000 600
continuous horse power, or enough to
light the entire city and furnish all the
motive power needed to do it's work.
The feline motor will do away with
steam. Ten years from now venture
to say there will not be a steam engine
in active operation in the United
BSt atcs."