The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-11

to the square inch is rot less than ninety
tons TO the square inch or thereabouts."
In elaboration OF these statements.
| through many chapters, Mr.. Nickum gives
! his reasons for beliefs so contrary 10 the
| accepted views of the scientific world and
| states hypotheses under which the recog-
| ntzed facts OF daily Observable become pos
| siole. Thus he substitutes for adhesion, CO.
| hasion and gravitation all forces drawing
matter together, force pushing these par
| ticles into juxtaposlton, otherwise vi5ra-
| ton. Vibration under Its many forms,
| tells the whole story. The atoms in varying
! sizes, with different Vibrations rates, from
| the different kinds of matter knownfto our
senses. The force itself, in different forms.
makes heat light, electricity gravitatton
and the other sources of energy. Thus one
| force and one kind of matter. both urigi-
| nally implanted by the Creator, account for
| His theory OF light is that it is the result
| Of a high period of vibration in moving
atoms. The larger the atoms the faster
/ they must be forced TO vibrate and the
more power required to make them get zip
the speed required TO produce light. The
smaller the atoms the easier 1t is to pro-
| duce light with them. OF all substances
the inventor selects PHOSPHORUS as having
| the smallest atoms, and therefore being the
easiest to make light with. 1t is supposed
| this substance in certain compounds Is used
| by him 70 produce his vacuum lamps, max
/ ing possibly true phOSphorescence
BY a strange chance this inventor of the
| supposed light of the future was bern in
| years later his family moved TO Jay county.
| Indiana, and in 1869 TO Franklin county.
| Kansas. The next change was back to
| Grant county, Indiana, in which state the
| inventor has lived ever since. Mr.. Nickum
| has been twice married, the first time at the
age of nineteen, his wife living only eight
cen months. Four years later he was mar
rled again, only to lose his second wife at
the end of two years. He has no children.
Mr.. Nickum was a born inventor, display
| ing unusual ingenuity from childhood. He
| secured a number of patents before coming
| of age, in one of which it is stated the pT1n-
| ciple of the split-rail switch was incor-
| porated. For these patents he received al
most nothing. He supported himset LOT
| years by running machine and model shops
/ in Marion and LoganSport until he hit on
| the new light, which he has been develop
| ing for the last three years.
| Mr.. Nickum's personal appearance is but
| little known to the inhabitants of Logans-
over five feet high and heavy set, weighing
| 100 pounds. He has black. straight hair. a
! dark complexion and a Stubby black mus
| tache One eye was lost a few years ago
| as the result of an injury from flying
splinter of steel out of q lathe. He wears
| glasses since this accident. and apparently
has some difficulty in seeing well. On the
street he walks hurriedly, with his head
down, apparently studying over some prob
| lem. He is one of the busiest men In In
| diana
| Whether or not Mr.. Nickum's new light
| becomes the success he expects it to be. his
work cannot be entirely neglected. That
| he produces light of some kind there APP
pears to be but little doubt, and the man
ner of it's making is new to the scientific
world. Even If the light is a failure a
| practical adjunct of life, developments and
discoveries of greatest moment are likely to
come from this beginning. And if the light
answers the high expectations of its in
| ventOr the whole world will soon stare with
open mouth and dropping jaw at wonder
| beyond its comprehension.