The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-01
PATENT NOT YET ISSUED.
That May Account for the Mys.
ferrous Silence, but Publica-
ton of Designs Is Ex-
pected Soon.
SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
: Washington, Feb. Reconnaissance Duell
of the Patent Office and the experts gener-
ally of that institution preserve a mysteri-
GUS silence in respect to the ideal storage
battery reported invented by Edison. They
make evasive replies to all inquiries as to
the nature Of the patent which will make
coal useless and revolutionize the methods
Of travel by sea and by rail and naval war
fare.
Commissioner Duell and other officials of
the Patent Office have read with keen in
terest the exclusive story in last Sundays
Republic describing the wonderful inven-
ton of the Wizard of Men1o Park and
marvel how a secret intended to be COM
municated first at the annual meeting of the
Scientific Society leaked out.
There is no question that the sudden
! closing of the hannels of communication
at the Patent Office was due to direct or
ders from the COMMISSIONS of Patents on
account of the vast Importance of Edison's
invention.
Duell Declined to Talk.
Commissioner Duell took refuge behind
the law which forbids information to be
given out as to applications for patents. He
was Particularly Interested IN the state
ment made to him that certain experts Of
the Patent Office had gone to Menlo Park
on invitation, where they became satisfied
of the success of Edison's new wonder.
1T is not the usual rule" said Commits
sioner Duell, "to send experts to private
laboratories. II that rule were followed
the demand would be SO great from the
laboratories of the country that there
would not be experts enough to go around.
Occasionally. however, private laboratories
have the benefits of experts on their vaca-
tons. 1t is to the advantage of these and
of the service that they make such visits"
Commissioner Duell declined to state
whether experts had visited Menlo Park on
invitation or voluntarily.
All of the officials were prompt, how
ever. in stating that no patent had been
issued yet" to Mr.. Edison. They would,
of course, not discuss the merits of his APP
plication for a patent for a new storage
battery, which was entered last fall.
Aluminium Substitute for Lead.
The fact that the patent has been applied
for and that 1t has been reported upon al
ready favorably by Patent ONCE experts
n the air Of profound mystery with which
the proceedings are invested here, are in
dicative hat the usual publication OF de-
signs and descriptions may be made at any
time
The question OF the value of the substitu-
ton Of aluminium for lead, which is n
of the important devices of Edison. was re.
ferred to an expert.
the first glance" said he. aluminium
would appear not to be available. In the
first place., aluminium Is about ten times as
valuable as lead. and. in the second place.
it cannot be ~reconverted after use. and used
again, as is the case with zinc and lead.
Everything would depend. however, in all
probability, on the way in which aluminium
is treated. 1t is not impossible to a man
like Edison to have discovered a mode of
treatment by which aluminium can be used
again. or by which it is made one Of the
chief factors of his great invention. These
will be secrets, however, about which you
cannot expect officials to talk before the
granting Of a patent. and the publication
OF the details"