New-York tribune., 1902-04-18

years old. not his birthplace He was born in
Belfast. where his father university profess
prior to 1892
Many Of Sir William Thomsons researches have
dealt with such speculative matters the age of
the earth and the nature of atoms Another line of
investigaton-nto the precise amount of mechani-
cal power that is the equivalent of a given guam
tity of heat-had a great practical value but was
rather abstruse. and has attracted the attention
OF few except adopts In physics. His work I'm the
field OF electricity. the other hand. while calling
for equal penetration. perhaps. was much more
popular. and has occupied much more of his time
and thought. For many years scarcely any I'M
portant commercial electrical proposition came up
for discussion In the United Kingdom without his
opinion being asked. His laboratory contained the
best equipment In the world for making tests. The
first storage batteries imported into Great Britain
from Franco to him for verdict. One
OF the earliest practical alternating current dy-
designed by him. When American cap
italiss and engineers began TO think about utilizing
Niagara for power purposes. and the transmission
OF energy therefrom to a distance they called
together a council OF experts OF which Sir William
Thomson chairman
A large part OF his work has been devoted to
the improvement OF the means employed in sub
marine telegraphy. It he who showed how
TO overcome a certain sluggishness In the flow of
current in a cable which almost oblterated sig
mails. It he who devised the instrument for
taking down a cable message. the siphon record
err He invented a telegraph key for this sort OF
Instruments for measuring the strength OF
strong and feeble currents. Into this special class
invention he drawn by the necessities OF
achievements which won him his knishthood The
intimate relations which he sustained with Sir John
Pender led his taking many ocean voyages. in
the capacity of electrical engineer for cable enter
prises While touching at Madeira in 1873. on one
* Re1e Rsn MISS Bahdy 81 iyt met the %
Three important n-electrical Inventions of Sir
William Thomson may perhaps be due to the pur-
suits lust mentioned More than a quarter of Il
century ago he improved the method of mounting
a compass needle to make ii more service
able to the mariner He also devised machine
for computing the time of high tide, and a method
of measuring depths with a steel wire. or
late years. too he has developed n fondness for
yachting
Lord kelvin's mastery of the secrets of physics
and electricity is largely attributable. no doubt TO
his command of mathematics science which ne
used extensively in his treatment OF many prop
lemS. This passion may possibly have been IN
herted. for his father was n professor or rnathe,
matfcs in Glasgow. At any rate. the son s special
talent in this direction shown by his winning
the honor of Second Wrangler Din ma thema tlcal
competition Cambridge in lSi5- In spite or TINS
trait and highly technical style of many or his
most valuable papers his lectures to students were
simple intelIigble and even fascinating.
Lord Eelvns health. sprghtliness OF move
ment and boysh enthusiasm have been wonderful
y preserved although he Is now nearly an octo-
genarian while his genial and unassuming man
ners heighten the admiration that Is inspired by
his splendid contributions to science.