The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-14
CUTS STEEL AS If WAX.
Wonderful Invention of n Chicago
Electrician.


From the Chicago Record Herald.
julius E. Haschke a Chicago cleo
trician. in discovering a way to apply
electricity to iron and steel so as to
cut or burn the metal as a warm
knife blade does a hard chunk of but
ter has brought to bankers and other
guardians of public treasure a feeling
of insecurity. Mr.. Haschke did not in
vent his carbon point-the name given
the metal cutting device-for the pur-
! pose of opening bank safes, nor does
he wish, so he says, to aid or abet in
! any way the dark-lantern fraternity
| yet he is able to cut into two pieces
the thickest iron bar or steel plate.
1t makes no difference to Mr..
Haschke whether he is called upon to
cut in two a big boiler plate in Mil
| waukee or sever asunder great steel
| ribs in the Rookery Building, Chicago
he goes about his labor with full
| confidence that he can carry out his
| part of the contract. Mr.. Haschke's
experience in Milwaukee a few days
| ago is being reported far and near as
| an example of what his carbon point
| will do. A big boiler foundation was to
| be removed, from the basement of a
| building. 1t was almost impossible to
| get the great mass of metal out as il
| lay and then it was equally preposter-
| Gus to think of cutting the plate in
| two.
Mr.. Haschke's simple invention was
mentioned to the Interested persons
and he was invited to go to the Cream
| City. Mr.. Haschke ensconced himself
| IL little steel house, placed two
| pairs of blue spectacles to his eyes and
after connecting his carbon point he
| touched the steel plate. Persons stand
! ing far back in the basement saw a
! lurid. flame shoot up; it was white
| light and produced extreme heat. The
/ light well-nigh blinded the spectators,
! but the operator was we'll protected
| and did the work
At the rate of foot in five minutes
| and cutting or burning away a wide
| space in the plate, the carbon point
with its terrible power worked along
! Mr.. Haschke had no trouble whatever
In handling the work, and those who
watched him left the place. although
blinded by the light, aware of the val
! uc of the discovery of the Chicagoan.
1t is reported that bankers in Chicago
! and Milwaukee have been investigating
| the Haschke carbon point and that they
| feel its value as an agency for criminal
| use is virtually nullfied by the fact
| that considerable voltage is required
| and that a bright light is caused by
the carbon point in its operation on
steel or iron.
ut is not feasible for a burglar to
| attempt to open the vaults of any well
protected banking establishment by
means of the Haschke carbon point be-
cause of the high voltage which / be-
| lieVe must attend the operation" said
! David f. Forgan yesterday. Even
| should a burglar gain entrance to the
| the vault room he would meet with
| the greatest obstacles in employing the
| Haschke device. 1t may be a valua-
Bile discovery in many ways, but 1
think it's use for lawless purposes is
virtually out of the question:
Other bankers either had not heard
of the device or agreed with the views
presented by Mr.. Forgan. When given
| the bankers opinions yesterday after
| noon the inventor said he could not
agree with them, although he confess
| ed he did not care to advertise his car
| bon point in such a way.
MY apparatus is simple and can be
| operated with a current of only fifty
| VOLTS" said Mr.. Haschke. "Such a
| voltage of electricity can be obtained
by tapping the wires of almost any
| large building. The modern building Is
| alive with electric wires and a shrewd
| operator could easily find a service
main and gather from il all the power
needed to use his carbon point. But
| nave dNOluSO the H6CSSSlly Oh tapping
| wires by inVenting a little storage bat
terry, which | use when my work is re-
| CURED in this capacity. This battery
has twenty-eight cells and 1 am able
| to get just as satisfactory results as
with direct or alternating current"
| The inventor added that the power
| contained in an ordinary electric auto
mobile would be sufficient to do the
work. An illustration of what the
Haschke device can do was demon
strated last summer at the Rookery
| building. The rear portion of the third
| floor had to be raised. Six 22-inch
beams of wrought iron were to be cut
Power was obtained from the plant in
the building, and Mr.. Haschke per-
formed the task in slightly over two
hours. 1 was estimated at the time
| that chipping or saving the beams
would have caused six men to work for
at least four days.
| The Haschke apparatus is simple. A
| carbon of electrode is attached to a
| wood handle BY means of a metal
| clamp: to this clamp a wire is fasten-
| ed, the other being connected with the
| object to be operated upon. If a safe,
| the second wire is attached to a hinge
| or lock. as the fancy of the operator
| dictates.
The eyes and face of the workman
are protected against the glare and the
| heat by a box OF aluminium or sheet
| iron. The carbon point is thrust
| through a hole in one side of this box
The box used by Mr.. Haschke is small.
| and it's inner sides are lined with as
bestos. Drill-proof Bessemer or crome
| steel are cut as easily as the softer
| metals with this remarkable invention.
| -Mother-You must remember.
Emmeline, that fine feathers don't
make a fine bird.
| Bits.