Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-09-17

one of the most prominent consulting
engineers and electricians in the coun-
try as al Express reporter was sitting
in the outer office.
what is it?" asked the engineer.
"I'll tell you" responded the pros
porous looking man. Its an inven-
tion'-here the engineer began to look
bored, but he smiled politely and his
visitor continued invention that
will revolutionize the business of trans
mitting electric power.
Now If there is one thing that this
particular engineer is more interested
! in or knows more about than anything
else, 1t is this same subject Of the trans
mission of electric power. He began TO
look little more interested and urged
his visitor to tell him what the scheme
was and also to inform him what he
could do for him.
well, before / describe the inven-
ton" said the prosperous man, "Ill
tell you what we've done. We've dis
covered way to transmit power with
absolutely no loss in transmission-ab-
so-lute-ly no loss. Do you realize what
that means?"
1t means you'll own the earth if
you've got it, remarked the engineer.
Correct" exclaimed the prosperous
man. LAS you so aptly put it, we'll
own the earth. You will notice do not
admit that there is amy doubt about the
proposition. We know what we have
got. We have seen it work There
millions in it,
What tests have you mado?"
Tests: Why, my dear sir, we have
made the most exhaustive tests. We
have built IA mile Of conduit sir, and
the most delicate instruments fail TO
detect the slightest loss of power in
transmission. Oh, there is no question
that the process works TO perfectiOn
Now, what | want you to do is to give
Us your opinion on 1T. Study the sub
ject give your opinion III writing and
We'll pay you handsomely.
well, tell me what your process is
and III see what l think of it, said
the engineer. IF l think you have a
practicable thing, I'd, like to see your
experimental line in operation.
"That's the way like to hear you
talk, sir; shows you are "a conservative
man, sir | wouldn't give a rap for the
opinion of man who jumps at conclu-
sions, sir. Now, I'll tell You what this
great invention consists Of. It's Il va
cuum-nothing but "a vacuum. You
know vacuum is the most perfect in
sulation, don't you? Put vacuum
around wire and the electricity can t
get away. Moisture can't get at the
wire. Air can't get at it. Vacuum II
keep the current on the wire, won't it,"
The engineer allowed that vacuum,
if good one, might be of value for in
sulating purposes.
well" continued the prosperous
looking man, I've just take this vaccu-
um idea and carry it to its ultimate
conclusion, understandable its last anal
ysis, SO to speak. It's easy enough to
surround wire with a vacuum. All
you've got to do is to put the wire i'll
tube and pump the air out of a tube,
ism { 1t? Well, suppose you pump away
until you've got all the air out;
you've got your wire insulated, haven't
you? Can't lose any current, can you?
But that's all. You've got the resistance
of the wire to deal with, and that's
where you lose energy. That is where
our discovery comes in. We know why
the resistance exists, and from that it's
easy 70 learn how to cure it,
Take copper wire. Copper's made
up of molecules, ism it? Molecules keep
vibrating all the time, don't they
IN,
tact! You know all about that Well,
there must be something between those
molecules, then, isn't there? There is,
and that something is air. That's what
the electricity don't like-can't pass
through the air. Now, suppose you take
the air from out between the molecules.
what happens? Molecules remain at rest
- stay in contact. Electricity goes
through without any obstruction, and
Logical, isn't it?''
The engineer was getting faint, but
he found voice enough to admit that the
theory was certainly ingenious.
81 knew you d say so, +" said the en-
thusiastic visitor. Now, it only re-
mains TO extract the air, and that's
what we've done-got an airpump
that'll pump all the air out from be-
tween the molecules of copper wire.
We've done it-done it on mile of
wire, sir. Took a mile and furlong to
cover mile, because the wire short
ened up when the molecules crowded
| together. That's what we've done, sir,
and l think you'll agree with me that
we've got the greatest invention of the
ages won't your"
The engineer gasped for breath and
then automatically told the stranger
that he would do little figuring in the
scheme to see how much money it would
save in year and send a report in writ
ing on the merits Of the project. AS
the visitor bowed himself out the en-
glneer turned to The Express reporter
and remarked:
Did you get on TO that? That's only
sample If there's one crank comes to
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