Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-08
EDISON IS SOLVING
AN AIR PROBLEM
Wants to Perfect Device for Using
II in Railroad Locomotives,
DESIRED A FLEXIBLE TUBE
OF Great STRENGTH - Specimen From
England Proves 10 be Satls-
factory to the wizard

II seems that Thomas A. Edison. the
wizard Of electricity, IS about TO solve
one Of the problems connected with the
use OF lliuId afr as a power agency IN
locomotives.
one Of the greatest problems which
the great inventor Is studying out is 20
devise some means 10 reheat the air
and there are many inventors and scien-
lists Of note who are now trying 20
discover some practicable way 10 get
around this difficulty. for n the problem
could be solved the development OF COM
pressed air would be much greater than
Is now possible. Among those who have
been deyoting much time and thought
20 this question Is Mr. Edison who has
gone so far IN his Investigations that he
has asserted that he would be able 90
attain the desired result n he could OBJ
tain flexible tube and ono that would
resist high pressure. perhaps as great
as one thousand pounds TO the square
inch.
More than one inventor In tine past
has been staggered by some such OBJ
stacle More than one invention has
failed for the lack Of some such little
thing
At the same time. scientists will adj
init, IL is no simple matter to construct
such a tube as that which Mr. Edison
requires. IL 49, Of course, possible TO
obtain a flexible metallic tube. Gutta
percha tubes have also been made and
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have been strengthened By having "a
wire wound around them.
II low pressure only Is required such
tubes fill the bill perfectly. but for such
work as that OF reheatlng the CONS
pressed air they would be practically
useless A flexible metallic tube capable
OF responding without damage TO itself
20 every twist or turn that the use Of
machinery would involve. and yet cap
able OF resisting such an enormous
pressure Is quite another matter In
fact. IL has only been within the past
year than AN English inventor sue
ceeded In perfectIng the machinery nee
essary for such work. and 10 viii be
some time before The tubes come into
general use.
Several weeks ago this English inven-
ton was sent 90 Edison by those who
are particularly interested IN the conf
pressed air problem with the request
that he examine IL 10 see II 81 might not
be possible that IL could be used in
carrying out his plans for the relocating
OF the new product
In appearance this tube was less than
three feet In length. and Us circumfer-
ence was In spiral c0nvOlutions that
gave thte rod the semblance of an el0n-
gated screw. SO far as a casual exam
nation went IL was lust what was re-
quired. Il had rigidity and It was also
flexible the hutlng OF IL giving 10 al
most the flexiblity OF rubber without
apparently impairing MS strength
To. Mr.. Edison the discovery Of this
tube was a most delightful surprise,
and he assured those who had called his
attention 10 IL that he would az once
inaugurate q series Of experiments. and
that ii was not AT all improbable that
this might be the one thing required 20
make his discovery OF the utmost adj
vantage TO the commercial and scienti-
&c world.
Prof Charles Trlpler Of the Trpler
LIQUID Air company NJ New York. Is
said 20 have been perfectlng devices for
the same purpose and IL reported 70 be
making very satisfactory progress.