The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-31

New York. May M.--"what I want TO
see is O. hrst-class little automobile. the
equivalent OF the ono horse and buggy
easily afford 10 purchase now.
'"rhe rich. of course. car AFFORD to pay
any price. but .yhat we want Is reiia-
BILE automobile within tho reach of men
OF limited means. As about ss per cent
OF the population fall within the latter
category. they are the people ! want to
see get their own automobiles. AT pres
ent the street car Is the poor mans
coach, but It will not be so much long
er.
"I have been credited with saying that
we have put the horse out OF business
but that is not strictly accurate. What
intended to say was that with the per-
fection OF the electric storage battery
we may say goodby to the horse for
commercial purposes.
''The storage battery will propei all de-
livery wagons; the sphere of Its useful
ness is unlimited. am confident that
electric vehicles will soon supersede all
others for city work"
Thomas A. Edison thus announced yes
terday the purposes and results OF expert
ments I'm which he has been engaged for
more than two years. In what 10 all out
ward appearances IL rectangular tin
can OF the kind distributed to their GUS
toners by peripatetic venders OF kero-
sene oil Mr.. Edison has bottled up what
he believes to be the solution OF a prob
lem which has been perplexing scientists
and electrical experts for many years:
In other words, he believes he has perfect
ed high power and thoroughly reliable
storage battery which will revoiutionize
methods OF travel. abolish horses as use
less and slows place within easy reach
OF men OF moderate incomes the swift
running automobile.
WORK UNDERMINED HIS HEALTH
One OF the deplorable results OF Mr
Edison's work as he expressed II to a
reporter yesterday at his laboratory in
Glen Ridge, ~. j., Is that 1.-the public
owes me n stomach.
IT have workeds night and day." con-
tinued the great inventor. "and now my
stomach has gone back on me. but I am
more than rewarded by the success up TO
the present time OF my invention. Hav-
ing perfected storage battery that has
stood more than fair test, i have no
doubt OF it's ultimate success.
What I am aiming to do Is TO perfect
a storage battery that will enable us 20
furnish an automobile that WIN be with
in the reach OF practically everybody
an automobile that will be absolutely re-
liable capable OF high speed and equipped
with a battery that will run II for not
less than one hundred miles without be-
ing recharged. and which In point OF en-
durance will stand test OF not less than
5000 miles.
"I do not like people to speak OF this
invention as a discovery. No one has
any conception OF the genuine hard work
that has been done In the matter OF this
storage battery. I think the problem
has now been solved and that the future
will be clear sailing"
On the table before the inventor were
the disconnected parts OF one OF the stor-
age batteries. When put together the
whole is encased in a rectangular box OF
sheet steel 1ih inches high. 5lh inches
long. and 3h inches wide. The weight of
the battery is 332 pounds. The battery
has successfully withstood tests over
some OF the toughest roads In the local
ity. and has propelled a runabout auto
mobile conveying two persons. with to-
tai weight OF 1850 pounds, IS miles on one
charga