The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-24
THE FELINE MOTOR.
The Marvellous Invention of a Western
Genius, and It's Mode of Operation,

10 AANAA NSAOd0 Al4N vi n w SSl6Tu
Genius, and Its Mode of Operation,
From the Nelc York Sun.
SEDUCTION, DANE COUNTY, WIS, May
16.-Prof. Richard de Long, the inventor of
the new feline motor, is a tall. pale-faced
man, with three-story bay window fore
bead overhanging a pair of deep-set, sky
blue eyes, set on each side of a large, thin,
hooked nose. He is not a beauty; but he is
genius.
His feline motor, which at present is
creating such a sensation in scientific circles
III Stoughton, is a marvellous machine,
unique in appearance and wonderful in
operation. 1t may be described as a curious
combination Of large and small fy-wheels,
great balance wheels, bright steel rods, and
an almost innumarable number of coils of
copper wire, all Joined to brightly-pol-
lshed cylinder OF brass, one end of which
projects into q wire cage filled with ordinary
cats Its operation is very simple, but sur
prising in its results A slight pull on a
small nickel-plated lever starts the ma
chine. Then like lightning from out the
end of the cylinder projecting into the cage
there shoots a long steel arm and hand,
grabbing one of the cats by the nape of the
neck and yanking it into the cylinder, where
it disappears with yowl of more than
feline terror. In a moment the fy-wheels,
the great balance wheels aud all of the com
plicated machinery begins to move at first
slowly, but soon with startling rapidIty. At
the proper moment, which is indicated by a
small clock-like attachment, the operator
pulls another lever, when from out of the
other end of the cylinder. with hair and tail
erect, scintillating eyes and cauerwaul dis
locating to ones spinal column, the cat is
projected into tub ofscold water prepared
for its 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 in the cylinder until needed. As a
cat can be run through the motor every
three minutes, and all the accommodating
electricity stored, the power of tho machine
is practically limitleSs The same cat can be
used once every ten hours without in the
least impairing its health and general uses
fulness.
The professor is jubilant over the suo-
cess of his invention. He is satisfied that
he has overcome every difficulty, and in
tends 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:
81 have long believed that the cat is
natures Leyden jar, charged with an enor-
nous amount of electricity, but in such a
manner as to require peculiar process to
extract it. This process it has been my
good fortune to discover. the discovery
will be of incalculable benefit to mankind.
1t will revolutionize the mechanical world,
and be felt in every department. By its
means every family, no matter how poor,
can have its home brilliantly lighted with
electricity at a less cost than to have 1t poorly
lighted with kerosene By simply running the
now practically useless house cat through the
machine twice each day a sufficient
amount of electricity can be engendered
to illuminate brilliantly any medium sized
house. Think how advantageous it would
be to large city. Take New York, for ex-
ample. Carefully compiled statistics show
that there are at present within the city
limits about 9,99S, 347 cats. This represents
very nearly 100000 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, l venture
to say, there will not be steam Iengine in
active operation in the United States"