The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-31
TWO BOY INVENTORS.
They Build and Run an Elec-
trio Boat on the Harb0r.
MANY INGENIOUS coNTRivANcEs
A Boat Run by an Electric Trolley-A
Workshop Full OF Inventions
Electricity to Saw Wood.

W anu w HUH ANACQCISSsdcSSs tAio
little sons of Robert Niedergesaess, mana
ger of the brickyard on the North Seattle
water front, are the inventors of novel
electric boat. The boys are only Is and II
years of age respectively, but they are an
ingenious and interesting little pair. The
electric power for propelling the boats Is
transmitted by means Of two wires, one
for the outgoing current and one for the
return. These wires rest on arms extended
from poles, the same as electric cars. but
instead OF the wires being suspended from
the arms they are held above them. so the
trolleys can run on top. Both wires are
placed on the same side of the poles, one
above the other.
A trolley is placed on each wire and a
weight suspended from it so it cannot
jump off. An insulated copper wire con-
meets each trolley with the armature in
the boat. These wires are wound around
drum or reel in the boat. which acts as
an automatic extension. and, IS the boat
pushes away from the trolley wires, this
tension allows the armature wires to ex-
tend, and then, as il comes closer, takes up
the slack, keeping them tight enough all
the time TO draw the trolleys along on the
wires
The armature used yields about one-half
horsepower and the boat IS about the
size of large rowboat. When carrying a
load of about ton, the boat IS propelled
at about three and half miles per hour.
The wheel is seventeen inches and makes
about $50 revolutions. So far the expert
ments have been rather crude. but Mr..
Niedergesaess, who is himself well posted
on the subject of bodybuilding and cleo
tricity, says he feels sure that a boat could
be built that would run forty miles an
hour propelled by electric power. He bases
his calculations on the fact that about the
limit of speed in boats propelled by steam
power is thirty miles per hour. To in
crease the power SO as to give boat q
higher rate of speed adds SO much weight
in boiler aud machinery that the addl-
tional friction counteracts the additional
power realized and little is gained. But
with electricity any amount of power can
be put in with comparatively little addl-
ton al weight, thus greatly increasing the
propelling power without materially
adding To the friction.
As poles must be used of course the boat
could not run great distance from shore,
but if the experiment should prove sue
cessful, it could be appliedto shore lines,
canals, ETC.. and even be utilized for fer
ries across narrow or comparatively shall
low streams.
But the electric boat is not the only evil
dence of mechanical skill and ingenuity of
the two young inventors. They have a lit
tie workshop near the brickyard, IN which
they try their hand at every imaginable
mechanical Continuance from a dog-cart TO
the lighting of the family residence by
electricity. The residence is situated ON a
hill ahnttf IN fact aiava fha Baaeh AMI thu.
water from a spring near the house is con-
Quoted down TO the shop through two
inch pipe, driving small water wheel
which yields about one horse power At
this season OF the year the dow Of water
from the spring is not heavy enough TO
run the wheel constantly, 50 a small dam
has been constructed and the water is
stored when the power is not needed.
The shop is lifted up with circular saws,
wood-turning lathe. emery stones FOR
sharpening saws and various other con-
trivances. In addition there Is a nice Kit
of hand tools. ami. outside the shop. is a
forge, the friedrich Tor the construction OF
which the boys got from the bottom OF
Smiths cove. a scow having been upset
there some time ago aud a lot Of hrebrick
lost. They make small wagons. dog-carts
and various other toys and sell them TO
the other BOYS and ncighhors and spend
the money for more machinery for their
shop. They even make the wheelbarrows
for the brickyard. They have ten-volt
dynamo, from which they get the power
To operate their boat. and have short line
erected along the beach for conveying the
current. An electric light wire runs up to
the residence. and at night the water
wheel runs the dynamo - furnish light
for the house. When bedtime
comes, the water is shut of at
the pond. and by the time the person
shutting il oil gets into the house an
rolls into bed. the pressure in the pipe has
run down and out 90 the lights. The
younger boy is the electrician, and he
actually carried it so far rs % use electric
ity for lighting the lire in the fireplace by
pressing on = baton. Not satisfied with
water power and electric power, they con-
structed a big windmill on the hill in
front of the house and use it for saving
stovewood for the residence.
They are two interesting boys, whose
spare moments out of school are probably
spent even more prodtably than those
within. They are all wrapped up in their
little shop and enterprises, and can tell
more about electricity than half the ex-