Evening star., 1901-02-27
FU TURE INVENTIONS
Prophecies Pronounced by the Com
missioner Of Patents.
WHAT ELECTRICITY WILL ACCOMPLISH
The Sun and Wind to Be Har-
messed for Humanity.
A E r L EX XCU SION S

'It is bold man indeed who dares limit
Commissioner Charles H. Duell stopped
signing patents and addressed The Star re-
porter. Continuing, he said:
Il believe the new century Will see great
er advances in all lines of invention that
the world has ever known. By common
consent, when we speak of the great inven-
tions and discoveries we start with cleo
tricity. Many and varied are It's uses even
now, but 1 am in position to see the great
possibilities. l cannot appreciate them, It
is true, but handling the subject every day
in its many forms of presentation before
the patent office, 1 marvel at its advances.
Once we find a way to harness this great
power in light and compact form, 1 see no
limit to its possibilities. AS motive power
it's adaptablity is endless. Horseless We
h!cles, steamless engines and electric air.
ships will come in the next quarter of a
century, and maybe sooner, in cheap and
durable form. Once this question of COM
pact, cheap and durable storage batteries
is solved electric vehicles will be in uni
versal use. The wizard of Menlo Park
l see by the newspapers has solved the
problem II he has he has made for himself a
rame greater than all his other inventions
and insured for time beyond mans widest
dream"
of a real hair restorer?" queried The Star
ran facetously
well, yes; for the reason / have been
trying hair restorers for the past dozen
years and l am prejudlced.' replied the
head of the patent office, stroking his thin
locks, and smiling broadly.
Electricity an Infant.
Electricity is still In it's swaddlng
clothes. American genius will develop the
child for the glory of mankind and keep our
inventors where they have always been,
away ahead of the world Yankee inge-
Euty, whatever else they may call it,
wins every time, and the history of the
inventive world is one long chapter of
American success.
What will happen when we consume the
fuel of the world? Will that affect the
production of electricity?' asked the re-
porter.
You will be dead many, many years; yes,
even If you live century before that hap
pens. 1t will occur in your lifetime, l ven
ture, when electricity will he generated
from the sun and wind. Our inventors will
utilize the influence of Old Sol and harness |
Old Boreas. What a spanking team they
will make, to be sure, and what a vast |
amount of endurance they will command. |
Some brave inventors talk about harnessing |
the waves but Father Neptune has ever |
been untractable old man and l hesitate |
an opinion of his docility in harness. We |
all know by personal experience how un- |
reasonable and deceptive he can be.
Everyone His Own Ice Man.
what householder will not hail with de- |
light and rare exultation the relegation of |
the ice man? No more small pieces for 5 |
cents, no more vexatious delays in his ar |
rival. The time is not far distant when |
each house will be provided with an ice |
plant or, better STILL cooling room where |
the dangers from germs in ice will be elm
mated. Think of going down stairs some |
very hot day and looking in your refriger- |
ator and finding no ice simply resort to the |
turning of a spigot and letting in stream |
of North Pole extract and freeze every |
thing in sight. Cooling devices for houses |
will surely come, and then you Washington |
folks need not dread the hot summers. Oh, |
the possibilities of the future! 1 almost |
wish 1 could be born again if only to wit |
ness the wonders of the new century.
aerial navigation? Why, that is assured. |
In few years we will be consulting time |
tables for the Bee Line route to New York,
with such advantages One hour in the |
clouds; cool and comforting; no smoke, no
dust; healthy and invigorating.' Think of
the glorious possibilities of airship trip |
with all it's luxuries, To mount skywards
on summer afternoon and float away
above the noise and turmoil of the cities
and sleep undisturbed away up there on the
way to Andromeda.
ActuaIities Formerly Scofed At.
'1These are not exaggerations. few
years ago the very lued Oh taking 10 a |
person in distant city was jeered at, and
the genius who invented the telephone was
classed with the non compos crowd. And
when it was ventured that a device had |
been perfected which would enable one to
see through another person, yes, even a
block of wood, the public smiled and said
yellow journal talk But all these have
come to pass and greater wonders are COM
ing. Within the next five years will |
be talking to our British cousins across the |
pond There will be no limit in long-dis-
tance telephone. And how cheap tele-
phones will be. Washington merchants will |
have no cause to complain. Quadruplex
ma chimes will come and telephones at 10 |
cents a month will be about what to ex-
pect 1t will be as easy to send four or five |
messages over a single wire by the tele-
phone as it is with the telegraph now. |
Everybody will have phone. People will |
live longer, be happier and enjoy greater |
blessings.
Watch the inventions Of the new cen
tury."