The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-27

known. In spite of this great expert tes-
timony, however, Mr.. Edison believes that
ne has made a discovery that will yet
enable him to give to the world its new
instrument, and there are few persons
who will fee! inclined to question his abil-
ty to keep such a promise without having
pretty good ground upon which to base
d doubt.
Like many other great inventions this
new discovery was the result of acct
dent Music has never been a subject of
much interest to the man whose life has
been so thoroughly in touch with every
thing electrical. and it is safe to say that
the need of such an instrument as that
which he is now trying to devise never
occurred to him. Instead, Of late he has
been devoting his time 10 the study of
compressed air, SO many problems con-
corning which must be settled before the
power can be economically and satisfac-
torily adapted to commercial uses.
One of the greatest Of these problems
is to devise some means to reheat the air,
and there are many inventors and scien-
lists of note who are now trying to dis
cover some practicable way to get around
this difficulty, for If the problem could
be solved the development of compressed
air would be much greater than is now
possible. Among those who have been de-
voting rlucl, time and thought TO this ques-
ton is Mr.. Edison, who has gone SO far
in his investiga tons that ne has asserted
that he would be able to attain the desired
result if he could obtain a flexible tube
and one that would resist a high pressure,
perhaps as great as one thousand pounds
TO the square inch.
More than one inventor in the past has
been staggered by some such obstacle.
More than one invention has failed for
the lack of some such little thing.
At the same time, scientists will admit,
it is no. simple matter to construct such
a tube at that which Mr.. Edison requires.
It is. of course possible to obtain a flex-
ibe metallic tube. Gutta percha tubes have
also been made and there have been in
stances in which they have been strength
ened by having a wire wound around
them.
If low pressure only is required such
tubes fill the bill perfectly, but for such
work as that of reheating the compressed
air they would be practically useless. A
flexible metallic tube capable of respond
ing without damage to itself to every
twist or turn that the use of machinery
would involve and yet capable OF resist
ing such an enormous pressure is quite
another matter. IN fact. it has only been
within the past year That an English inven-
ter succeeded in perfecting the machinery
necessary for such work and it will be
some time before the tubes come into gen.
eral use.
Several weeks ago this English invention
was sent to Edison by those who are par
ticularly interested in the compressed air
problem, with the request that he examine
it to see if it might not be possible that
1t could be used in carrying out his plans
for the relocating Of the new product.
A SURPRISE.
In appearance this tube was less than
three feet in length and its circumference
was in spiral convolutions that gave the
rod the semblance of an elongated screw.
So far as a casual examination went it
was just what was required. It had rigid
ity, and it was also flexible. the f1uting
OF it giving it almost the f1eXibilty of
rubber without apparently impairing its
strength.
To Mr.. Edison the discovery Of this tube