The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-03-30
THIRTEENTH PRIZE PAPER.


1 What is electricity, and when and where and
by whom discovered?
2. What the great American electric inven-
lions?
8 Who are the greatest American electricians
living dead?
4 What will be the extent of the electrical ex-
hibils al the Worlds Fair?
/ Nearly or quite all of the readers of THE Ma
TIoSAL TRIBuHE familiar with that brittle.
TesBous substance, Of varying degrees OF trans
pareney. which = utilized to a considerable ex-
tent in the manufacture OF ornaments and 10 which
we give the Of amber. This substance WAS
known 10 the altcents and the Greeks long before
the time of Christ found that by exciting frag-
meut of il By friction it acquired the properly Of
attracting small bits Of light materials. They
called the substance election.
DR. Gilbert an English philosopher of The SIX
teenth Century applied the electricity to the
force producing these phenomena. He also con
duced many experiments III electrical science
and in fact. gave the first impulse TO The study of
electrical phenomena, which study has always
been productive Of such grand results. and which
laav be said Ia be yet ia its infancy.
What Is electricity? This question i one
have heard propounded many times. 1t is
which has received the attention OF the profoundcst
thinkers, bBt which yet, has not been saiisfac
torily answered. Some advance the theory that
it is q manifestation Of the luIBi.if.rous ether
imaginary substance possessing the properties of
both a solid agd gas, the substance which il
brought forward to explain the phenomena Of
light As il IL has never been proven that there
is such substance luminiferous ether, lis
isienee being purely hypothetical. we may accept
repudinte thi- theory. we choose.
"a
lar motion, or moilon among the molecules OF
really existent Substances. exactly hes. is
another manifestation Of this same motion, seems
to Argument in It's favor and is accepted
by most practical electricians of day.
IL is not absolutely essential however. that we
be abe to define electricity 20 long as we are
qaainted with the Jaws governing its generation
aud the means Of maintaining and governing the
electric current. together with the effects pro-
dnced under different conditions and circGin-
siHGces.
! ? It is. ia fact. difficult matter TO place the
/ credit for the Invention Of many methods and APP
planes for the utilization OF electricity where IL
/ rIghlfuIy belongs. There many priority dis
pUtcs certain inventions; ia truth, nearly ali
! which are of much inportIBce or consequence
Therefore. in naming the principal American in
veHttoas. ne shall name those which .e, as Amer-
| cans prone 10 ascribe TO felow-country-
men, and trust that il the credit Of these inventions.
or discoveries rightfuiiy belong to others that il
will in dHe time be settled upon those who are
more deserving Of the honors.
Joseph Henry in 1879 invented the electro ag-
net. which invention. however. was anticipated by
| the experiments OF William Surgeon OF England.
! in Isa5
: +. b. Morse Invented The electric telegraph in
1857.
Joseph tearnsaocomplsiled sin ultaneous trans-
mission ia different directions in 1868.
/ Thomas s. Il iison Invented the quadrupIex in
! is74
To Alexander Graham Bell is accredited the is-
vention in 1916 of the speaking telephone.
IN 1877 Eeriner and Edison invented battery
/ telephones, and many improvements in telephony
/ have been faade since that time by Edison, Bell,
The foremost American inventors in the field of
electric lighting are Brush. Wallace. Edison, and
Weston.
T. A. Edison and Frank Sprague are among the
foremost inventors in electric propulsion.
NJ. E'iison - also the inventor of the phono-
/ gfaiah aud the ucsndescenl lamp.
The work of Benjamin Franklin might be men
toned In this connection although it can hardly
| be elassed invention. but rather as discovery
lie advanced the theory of positive and negative
electricity. and discovered the identity of lightning
| and electricity.
1 3. Tie greatest American electricians are the
/ following: Benjamin franklin, Joseph Henry. S.
| r H. Morse. Wan Wallace. Thomas A. Edison Alex.
,,iider 6. Bell. Charles Brush Frank Spraguc,
! Ehbn Thomson. Edwin Houston, {. J. Van De-
poole Niisola Tesla
4. The extent Of The electric inz;ailrnent at the
Worlds Fair. according 10 the report of the Column
ban Worlds Fair Committee Of the Nntional Elec-
trio Light Association, Is follows: Contracts have
been placed by the Worlds Fair Managers for 500
arc lights of 1000 candle power and so 900 in
candescent lamps, besides l0.oO0 more special
exhibits. The managers have contracted for gem
orators aggTegnling 29u0 horse power. and 600
horse power viii be doBaisd The eIectricaiIy-ilu-
minated fountains will require 900 horse power
The electric installation will therefore aggregate
1850 horse power. Beside this monster plant
those Of ali Expositions In she past sink into insig.
| nifcance.
Electricity has been used almost exclusively for
power in the construction Of the buildings aud
will be applied to the transportation service OF The
Exposition This service il "a doube-traek eeyat ed
| railroad, three miles long, with block signaling
| devices, power brakes. and all improved appli-
| auces.
The Electric Building itself is 7e7 feet long and
| 81 wide The main axis running north and south
| u Is unnecessary to state the exhibitors Nearly
| all American companies and the larger of ths
| foreign corporations will be well represented and
10 all of The visitors to the Worlds Fair the eiec
trieal display will be pleasing innoy alton while
TO many u will be the chief feature of the Exposi.
| tons w Wheeloek Electrician, Moline, Iii.
HONORABLE MENTION PAPER
Samuel +. u. Morse conceived the magnetic teie.
| graph in 1882, bat being poor he could not appi y
Il rs in Ia had In matt
| Congress appropriated money for a line between
| Washington and Baltimore. The first message
was What hath God wrought" Cyrus W. Field
invented and laid the Atlantic cable. He crossed
the ocean fifty times and spent IL years in costly
| experiments. The frst Transatlantic cable, fin-