The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-02

battery without increasing their aggre-
gate bulk, he could solve the problem OF
overcoming the resistance offered to a
currant by long wire. This discovery
made the electric telegraph possible.
On this account Prof. Henry has been
called the father of the electric telegraph.
Nevertheless, he cannot be said to wholly
deserve that title. Great inventions are
always a growth, arriving at their devel-
opment through the brains of many in
ventors. The eye-pointed needle, which
was the most essential feature of Howe s
sewing machine, had been used in France
as an embroidery needle for century be-
fore his time.
THE STEAM SIREN.
The invention of that diabolical con-
trlvance, the steam siren, is commonly
attributed to Professor Henry. In fact,
however, he merely adopted the idea from
French device for recording the vibra-
tions OF musical notes, and applied it in a
shape for use as fog signal. OF all the
instruments for making loud noises ever
constructed this one is by far the most in
fernal. Under favorable conditions it can
be heard 40 miles at sea. Recently it has
come into use to some extent in cities as
a substitute for the factory whistle, and
at II snd 6 O'Clock daily peaceful
nelghborhoods are disturbed by its
fright1ul believing. The sounds are
produced by projecting a jet OF steam
through a tube which is partly OBJ
structed by revolving toothed wheel.
The faster the wheel goes round, the
higher is the pitch of the shrek uttered
by the machine, so that it goes up and
up note after note until the listener feels
as if foot or two higher would render
him a raving lunatic. Incidentally to
studying the operation of this kind OF fog
signal, Professor Henry discovered the
cause of certain odd acoustic freaks
which had been a puzzle to navigators.
1t had often been found that such q sig
nal, though clearly audible twenty miles
from land, could not be heard at all ten
miles off shore. This, as he learned, was
due to refraction OF the sound waves oc-
casioned by wind. He also ascertained
rendered inaudible on the deck of the YES
sci at sea, could often be heard loudly by
ascending to the masthead-a valuable
suggestion for sailors.
LIGHTHOUSE ILLUMINATION.
When Professor Henry became chairman
of the lighthouse board, sperm whale oil
was used in ell the lighthouses, having
been found to be the best of all illuminants
then available. 1t became very expen-
slve, and, inasmuch as the consumption
of it for this purpose amounted to hum
dreds of thousands of gallons annually,
the item was large one. At the same
time it was held that nothing but the
best thing could be considered good
enough where the safety of seafaring
people was concerned. Petroleum was
out of the question, on account of the
danger of using it. Accordingly, Pro-
lessor Henry experimental with lard oil,
which he found inferior in every respect.
1t was not sufficiently fluid, it's combus-
ton was imperfect, and it did not climb a
wick well. But finally he discovered
that, when heated to fairly high tenn
perature, it lost all of these disadvant-
ages and became even better than sperm
oil. The idea was applied simply by ar
ranging the oil-reservoir of the lamp so
that it would be constantly subjected to
heat. 1t was necessary to reconstruct all
the lighthouse lamps in the service, but
in this way saving was made of 500, DOC
per annum. In after years processes
were devised for refining petroleum in
such manner as to render it perfectly
safe. and that mineral oil is used in all Of
the lighthouses now.
FRANKLIN's ELECTRIC ssBATTERY. -
Benjamin Franklin died at Just about
the time when the patent system in this
country was first started. No models OF
his Inventions, therefore, are to be found
in the patent Office. In his day electricity
was newly attracting public attention as
mysterious novelty. Accidental dis
covery was made in 1746 of the
possibility of accommodating large guam
titles OF the slippery fluid in a jar
People Travelled around with such Jars and
generators of simple pattern, astonishing
customers by giving them shocks. This
was all that was known about electricity
except that the rubbing of certain sub