The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-07-24
STORAGE BATTERY TEST
How a Plucky Chauffeur Gave
Edison a Scare.
HAD CHANCE TO PROVE HIS NERVE

HAD CHANCE TO PROVE HIS NERVE
Doubted by Inventor, He Ran Auto
mobile Into Ditch at Full Speed.
s'Thought Saw Pearly Gates Begin
to SWING" Said the Wizard-Nov
the Man Will Have Charge Of Most
Dangerous Tests.
Thomas A. Edison had a hair raising
experience the other day while riding
In one of the automobiles built to test
his new electric storage battery. He
considered it good Joke on himself,
and he laughed in describing it to a
New York World reporter.
1--WE are speeding these test automo-
biles about the country every day."
said the inventor.
II don't intend to let battery be
put on the market for at least three
months or until have made a five
thousand mile endurance test and have
discovered all the weak points and
rectifed them.
1--WE have gone up and down steep
hills, over wood roads, through forests
and have travelled miles with two
wheels in a car track and the others on
cobblestones In fact, we've looked
for the toughest roads in New Jersey
and on three or four occasions have
had narrow escapes from catastrophes.
"Three days ago heard of a particU-
Iarly rough and dangerous road. Guess
I'll have to go there myself said to
one of my superintendent. I'd send
- naming one of my chauffeurs), but
I don't think his nerve is good
THAT was an unfortunate remark.
1t nearly brought about distinguished
funeral | thought saw the pearly
gates begin to swing yesterday.
''You know my house is On the brow
of considerable hill. It's the custom
when going through the park in an au-
lomobile to coast down the hill, then
stop and cross the deep bitches near
the road at a speed of not more than
one or two miles an hour.
81 sent word that wanted an auto
mobile to come to the house to take me
to the factory 1t arrived, and the man
whose lack Of nerve had commented
on was at the lever. He looked at me
strangely as | took my seat, and then
we headed for the hill Over this brow
we rushed at railroad speed. We took
the curves on two wheels. When we
reached the bottom, he looked at me
quizzically and grabbed not for the
brake, but for the lever. He showed it
down, and we went for the bad
grounds at thirty five miles an hour. /
grabbed for the seat and wondered
how I'd look when the coroner reached
me.
'That machine fairly leaped.
heard things break, felt that my arms
were coming out and that my head was
on hinge. Then we stopped. In the
bowels of the auto one battery was
resting on the other, three nut heads
had been broken off, some screws were
broken and steel axle snapped.
1.-THE chauffeur had the shadow of q
grin on his face. He convinced me that
had jumped to wrong conclusion
about nerve. He's got plenty, and he
will be In charge of the machine that
makes the jo Irney over the worst ter
ritory I can find.
That experience and the expert
ments that have been going on have
convinced me of two things continued
no Sc
figure exactly right on mechanical
strength. The other thing that i'm
pressed me is the fact that Americans
have much to learn from French manu-
facturers. Our machines do not com
pare with those made in France. I sent
for the massive Mors machine which
Fourier used when he made his great
est record, and l ran it many miles
about this portion of the state studying
1t. 1t has all of the weight in the
wheels and axles and near the ground,
where it should be. The body is light.
The American machine is gingerbread,
with lighter lower works and heavy
body. That is mistake"
Mr.. Edison is confident that his stor-
age battery for automobiles will soon
be in general use. A trial in which one
of his automobiles ran eighty-five miles
on single charge has already been
described. Recent tests. he told the
reporter, proved that the storage bat
terry gives immense power.
Some time ago there was hill
climbing test on the Eagle Rock road
he said, ''the hill being fully half
mile long and very steep. In that con
test twenty machines were entered.
Very few of them reached the top of
the hill. A few days ago went up
there with my second experimental
machine, equipped with a thirty-tive
cell battery, and we assembled the hill
smoothly and quickly. On the same
day we ran some miles through sticky
clay mud six inches deep"
Mr.. Edison repeated his promise
heretofore made that it will be posi-
BILE for. any man Of moderate income
to own an automobile equipped with
his storage battery.