New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-29

JAMES GRESHAM.
vented one in principle moro wonderful. anu
an small scale has shown that 1t Will WORK
He has built and Is getting q patent on Graz.
which he thinks. may upset the prosaic me'hooS oi
modern navigation Mr.. Gresham hopes ana eNPec'S
that in his wonderful contrvance men may soon
cross the Atlantic above beneath the surface al
, sneaa that seems incredible. Already his friends
are talking about having breakfast in Newborn
and dinner the same day in London MT. 1reS"ain
Cuban acquaintances. moreover are weighing ''e
chances a Spanish man-of-war would nave AGAINST
the vessel he has designed. And not the ieds'
astonishing feature of Mr.. Gresham's invention Is
,ha mechanical theory upon when II Is ueS's"''
AMI upon which the model Is built
ur Gresham is q cousin of Walter Q. Gresham
Secretary of state who died on May y, 1920 ana
was succeeded by Mr.. Olney. The father OF MI
Gresham and the father of Judge Gresham Weie
hrothers In 1890 Mr.. Gresham was nominated ~,
Congress by the Republicans OF the ia District anu
lest the election 10 David A. Body, MS Demo
cratic opponent; although If the votes nad peeh
counted fairly says Mr. Gresham he would nave got
his seat In Congress.
But II Is as an inventor that Mr.. Gresham at
tracts attention He is a chemist and mechanical
engineer and he Is the head OF the firm or James
Gresham & Co.. in Sixth-st, where he has his once
In the unpretentious building OF the firm putty
paints and chemicals ground and mixed. In
the engine-room the walls and ceilings are OF WOOD
that has BEEN carved into strange and tasteful de-
signs by tool invented by the proprietor Pictures
Of men and women OF birds and flowers and trees
with fancy letters-al done in ef-work-surround
,le engine and make the room Of the strangest
,ngine-rooms of the United States. In big work
t35m Is apparatus where Mr.. Gresham mas
hon experimenting successfully with the Rontgen
Jays and the Crookes tube. Nearby is ponderous
prtty-mixer. in inventing and perfectly which. Nh
CT sham says he spent $1,000 In his office, besides
ihe model Of the submarine boat, is a patented
banjo. with q deep head which has the effect Of
sounding board. Besides these things Mr.. Gresham
has invented a phosphorescent lifeline which he
Aas offered to the Government. and which, he ex-
pets VIII be used at the life-saving stations
along the coast. The fe-rope he says. looks like
rope OF fire in the dark. and be plainly in
TIE thickest storm. Mr. Gresham grinds the oyster
shells used for the phosphorescent mixture IN his
SiNth-st. workshop.
Some years ago he invents. submarine torpedo
boat. to be steerei by electric wires running from
the shore. or from a man-Of-war, and carrying an
e.cctric current. lie sold his invention the Rus
|sian Government. Away back In the 70s, as clip
pings from New-York newspapers attest this fer
tile-minded inventor worked scheme which
seemed born Of the impossible. 1t was nothing less
than the creation OF artificial mirages. He noticed
one day. when of his workmen had upset
some asphaltum into fire. strong atmospherical
effect. Immediately he conceived the idea that
this same effect--a mirage-cOuld be produced
~sea and be used IN communicating from ship
to another 1t his idea that ship should
chalk her name, destination and the latitude and
longitude on the deck in large letters, and then
create a mirage. Another ship miles away would
then read the reversed symbols In the sky and
reply by using the same process. The invention
never perfected. Mr. Gresham says his ma
terial was exhausted. All of which is interpolated
here to show what manner Of man James Gresham
is and TO prepare the reader for the wonders of his
narina a
work out the idea of artificial mirages is a
TO be considered. He deals in the romance of In
vention and the seight of hand Of physics and me-
chanics. Compared with him. the ordinary me-
chanic stunbes in the outer darkness Of ignorance
HOW THE NEW BOAT WORKS.
A Tribune reporter yesterday afternoon sat in Mr..
Gresham's office for t!me-staring at the oil
paint.ng-before the inventor courteousiy removed
the towel from the model OF his new boat and ex-
planned how It worked There was revealed
cylinder Of polished Steel about thirty inches long
and eight In ches in diameter and tapering, IN
somewhat blunt curves, to each end Around the
steel fange. fastened spirally so that the hangs-
always at right angles TO the surface OF the cylinder
.encrcles the cylinder about three complete turns
ptabout an inch and half wide in the model has
somewhat like that Of a screw propeller i, In
Shfr Words The spiral hans reyS S Ps5hfs
forced forward As this hange encircies the cylin-
Ger from emo 10 enc IL can De imagined Iidl tiic
pushing force eXerted Is great compared 10 the size
OF the cylinder and the ordinary screw.
At each END OF the cylinder rises bent tube, per-
haps II. inches in diameter and inches long.
These tubes are open at toIe, and, just below the
~ :. encircled by miniature coming towers. At
end of the cylinder Is a steel rudder attached
10 a heavy steel Keel hanging below the cylinder.
The upright tubes-which something like bent
smokestack5 or airshaftsrise from each end Of the
cylinders axis They are Joined to inner cylin-
der Around this inner cylinder and with
bearings where the upright tubes join Il. the
seF hangsd cysaef nh rey0ss While wGndrr
vove but preserves an equilibrium. In brief THIS
describes the model, beautifully made In Mr..
Gresham's workshop. Within the inner cylinder
are clockwork and machinery, but on account Of
the internal arrangements. Running into the up
fight tubes wires attached 10 electric bat
(tery. and connecting with the mechanism inside:
This contriyance represents Mr.. Gresham's model
Of a submarine boat. lie has tested this model In
ponds and in q specially constructed trough and
be found that 1t attained phenomenal speed. once,
ne said. in the trough. guided by wires. II travelled
Of speed Of five miles a minute In connection with
bis boat
HE MAY BUILD A LARGE BOAT.
The inventor, who Is widely known. does not like
to appear too enthusiastic but he wants 10 build
from his model the most astonishing boat outlined,
probably. since the days OF Robert Fulton He has
been investigating places where he might build the
Vessel but will not say whether not he has
Neglected place of construction or wnether II would
Dc near the Erie Basin. He could furnish the capi-
,a himself and moreover he says ne would IKE
to present one OF his vessels to the Cuban insur-
Gents and have 1t prowl through the waters around