The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-22
DEATH OF PROF. ELISHA GRAY.
Sudden End of the Electrical Inven-
tor Mt NcwtonviIle, Mass.

tnlS morning. he mad been WISHING Mr..
Arthur J. Mundy and his brother in New
toEvilie. and had made arrangements to go
to Maine today. During the afternoon
yesterday he complained of feeling ill. and
consulted DR. Talbot. who told him he
had slight acidity OF the stomach. Neu-
ralgia OF the heart is assigned as the
cause of death.
Elisha Gray was one of the best known
of the electrical inventors of the day. His
death at the age Of sixty-six years calls to
mind a life which was vexed with con-
viction OF having been wronged by those
who purchased from him the rights which
he held in the perfection OF the telephone.
Preserving even to his maturer years the
Elasticity which characterized the work
of younger inventors, he contributed in
valuable additions to the mechanical re-
sources of the world. and was ranked
among such men as Sir William Thomson,
Prof HelmhoItz. Werner Won Siemens,
and A. f. Doibear. Close up TO the
day CT his death he was engaged in his
last notable experiments which resulted
in the discovery of a Ee.hod whereby fog
signals at sea could be transmitted
through the medium of the water
His was a humble birth at GAINESVILLE,
Ohio. on August 2. 1885, and for many
years of his early life he was a carpen-
ter's apprentice and learned blacksmith
ing and bodybuilding. 1t is related of
him at this time that he made a nuisance
of himself because of his proclivty toward
acids and laboratory stuffs. At twenty
one he went TO Oberlin College. and
there pursued five years of work, mostly
in physical science. 1t was not. however,
until his thirtieth year that he became
interested in electrical mechanism and
always it was apparent that his success
was due to mature ability rather than to
youthful hrillancy. His first invention
was an automatic self-adjusting tele--
graphic rel@y. which, while successful in
accomplishing that for which it was in
tended, never came into greater use than
to furnish the basis for later inventions.
He followed this soon after with the tel
egraphic switch and annunciator for no.
tells. and the private telegraph line print
er. and the telegraphic repeater
By this Zine Prof. Gray had organized
the Western Electric Company. and had
a mandatory of electrical apparatus at
work in Cleveland. During the years
1S73-4-5 his attention was much absorbed
in developing a system of So-called cleo
tro harmonic telegraphy for transmitting
sounds over the wires OF the telegraph
The basis of this system was the discov-
sound produced in the presence of a mag
net will cause a magnet of similar ad-
justment to respond to it's tone. Prof.
Gray was led to bis most valuable dis
coveTies in this line by 4 domestic incl
dent. His own description follows:
My nephew was playing with a small
induction coil. taking shocks, for the
amusement of the younger children. He
had connected one end of the secondary
coil to the zinc lining of the bathtub,
which was dry. Holding the other end of
the coil in his left hand, he touched the
lining of the tub with the right. In max
ing contact his hand woulG glide along the
side for a short distance. At these times
noticed that sound was proceeding
from under his hand at the point of con-
tact. having the same pitch and quality
as the vibrating electrome.
On February IL 1876, Prof. Gray filed
cayeat at Washington with the expecta-
ton of perfecting the art of transmitting
vocal sounds Geographically" Contem-
poraneous workers in the same line were
Prof DoIbear and Prof. A. Graham Bell,
the latter of whom, though probably an
ticipated by Gray's caveat, was granted a
broad patent for speaking telephones on
March s. 1876.
At this point began a history which, il
true. as Prof. Gray believed it. was dra-
matte in the extreme. 1t related to the
claim of priority between Prof. Gray and
Prof Bell At an early stage Of the in
dustriaI development of the telephone, in
1879 the Gray patents and rights were
merged in those of the Bell Company, by
the important dealings between the West
ern Union Telegraph Company and the
American Bell Telephone Company. under
which for the staying out of the telephone
field the Western Union Company re-
ceived yearly four or five hundred thou
sand dollars as a commission royalty;
and under which only few weeks ago a
further claim for some S12, 100000 was de-
cided against it in Boston. Very little of
all this money went into Gray's pocket
probably less than s100, 000-but he was
embittered and angered later when he |
made the apparent discovery that his
caveat in the Patent Office had been tam
pered with and revealed to the Bell peo-
pie. This strange story constitutes one |
of the episodes in later electrical history. |
and il was given great prominence in re- |
cent governmental efforts TO break the |
primary Bell telephone patent.
The story is based on the afidavits of |
an examiner named Wilbur. who said that /
he was indebted to Bell attorneys, and !
took brides from them; also that Prof.
Bell himself gave him 500 for an opporz.
tunity TO see Pr3f. Gray's papers. This |
h1s been denied affirmed, and |
until little credence is attach
ed to 1t; but it is reported that on his |
deathbed Wilbur again stood by his ex-
story. II was under the sup |
position that Prof Bell really anticipated /
him that Prof. Gray conceded his earlier
rights in n weak manner that rather as
tonished his friends; but in these alleged
revelations he was fanatic believer; and
he died in the profound conviction
that he had been deprived of the credit
Of a great invention.
One of the most important of Prof
Gray's inventions was the telautograph,
which so far improved on the telephone
and the telegraph as to transmit the
lctual writing of the message. The last
work which engaged him was the perfec-
ion of underwater fog-signals, in which
lie is said to have been wholly success
uI. The experiments were carried on
rear Boston, and apparatus was devised
Whereby a bell could be rung electrically
lnder water to be heard at a distance OF
welve miles or more. with no connecting
Medium whatever except the sea. This
must share the field with wireless tele-
,raphy but Prof. Gray believed that GER
ain atmospheric conditions prevailed at
INES which gave his invention the ad-
antage
,PREAD OF SMALLPOX FEARED.