The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-02-19
[San Francisco Examiner, Feb. z, 1892. ]

had watched with eagerness the move
ments of one of the men in the lead
ing boat.
This boat was fitted with paddles,
the rapid rotation of which urged
the boat rapidly through the ripples
and drew swiftly the seven other
boats in tow.
The boating excursion was no pleas
ure party, but private exhibition of
motor which, if able to accomplish
one tenth of what is said of it, is the
most powerful application of electri
cal energy ever devised.
Charles Sellander is the man who
directed the movements of the leader
boat, and he is the discoverer of the
chemical combination that produces
marvellous results.
The process, the materials, the
manner of combination are secrets
closely held, for no patent has been
issued. To a very few people has
any information of the discovery or
invention been communicated, and
these people must be losing sleep con-
templating the marvels which the
young inventor claims for his motive
power.
Sellander is modest mechanic,
quiet and Industrious, who is en-
ployed by the Southern Pacific Com
pany as an extra engineer of loco
motive engines. He lives on Fourth
avenue, East Oakland, and bears an
excellent reputation among all who
know him., He is a member of the
Congregational Church and attends
service at the church in winch the
Rev. George l.. McNutt breaches.
His pastor is one of those deepest in
the confidence of the young invent
or.
THE EXPLOSION IN THE LABORATORY.
Sellander has said nothing for pub
lie perusal about his invention or
discovery and is believed to be now
in the East. What he has said and
shown 10 private is merely sufficient
to whet curiosity.
AS u boy he had fancy for chem
istry, and spent SO much of his time
as he could spare in little labor
atory of his own construction, built
in the back yard at his fathers dwell
ing-place. Here, with crucibles and
relorts and acids and mixtures and
machines he made experiments and
learned by his own processes the eff
fectS of combinations
One day be spilled one schemical
solution into another, Immediately
an explosion occurred and fire ignited
his little laboratory and burned it to
the ground.
What seemed a calamity was his
greatest benefaction. Interested by
the unexpected and disastrous result
of the chemical combination he began
a series of Investigations of the male
rials that had produced the explo-
sion. During this study he found
accidentally stumbled upon, it is be-
leved-his great discovery of new
means of generating electrical power.
The outward appearance of his APP
paratns is simple. His chemical COM
pound is inoased IN air-tight copper
vacuum bulbs, for it explodes on exg
posture to the atmosphere.
Attached to the copper receptaces
are wires through which the electro
city is fed as on supply wires of other
electrical systems.
THE MINISTER'S PHoNoGRAPH.
The discovery is the generating
materials and their imprisonment.
One of these vacuum tubs Is no
longer than walnut. Yet with this
infinitesimally small storage, or gen
orator, he is said to have sent the
sight row-boats in column dancing
over the surface of Lake Merritt as
though they were shells moved by a
Cambridge crew.
Sellander's pastor, Rev. Mr.. Nc
Mutt, has practical knowledge of the
value and success of the new motor.
MIR. McNutt is the owner of phono-
graph. To operate this he used an
Edison motor weighing sixty pounds.
Sellander applied one of his little
contrivances, and it does all the work
that formerly was accomplished by
the cumbrous and heavy motor. With
one of the small batteries young
Sellander has for months furnished
power to run his mothers sewing
machine.
The inventor recently told a friend
that for three weeks he had supplied
constant power from his tiny genera
tor TO move toy boat in pond in
his backyard, and the battery showed
no signs of Weakening. To the
same friend he said that he regards
his invention, or discovery, as the
nearest approach to perpetual motion
yet attained.
With the same generator young
Sellander can furnish electric light
ing, so he says, and declares that the
cost will be so small that one is as
tonished at his estimates. For in
stance, r. M. Smith has magnificent
and spacious grounds about his dwell
ing on the East Oakland Heights.
The inventor has agreed TO supply
current direct from the batteries to
illuminate arc lights in the grounds
for q cost of SO per month.