The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-30
SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 1908.
ANOTHER PREDICTED INvEN-
 TT0N

It was an idea of Emerson's that ''whatever is necessary, that shall be-; probably not expressed in that exact lam guage, but something of the kind. The theory may be somewhat fanciful but perhaps it isn't so far wrong. If we go back through the long list of great in- ventions we find that each seems to have been made when the world was appar- entity unable to get on without it.. When the great and growing industries of Eng land needed development the steam en- zine of Stephenson came onto the scene. When men had tired of slow and uncer- tain sailing syessels Fulton gave the steamboat. When some quicker method of communication was imperatively ne- cessary, Morse invented the telegraph When a better system of lightning was demanded somebody gave us electric lights. When a cleaner. cheaper and was wanted we get the electric motors, and so 1t goes all through our lives. Whatever is necessary we get
 In this connection we note that Judge W. A. Anderson, of Sacramento. has sprung a new idea on the world. His icea is to harness and utilize seismic force that is now worse than going to seismic energy, be it understood, is that force or power which produces or causes earthquakes. Just what 1t Is, how it Is produced and how it acts with such frightful power are questions not yet an- swered. We know that earthquakes, tidal waves and other wonderful phenom- ena do ocur. but the why's and where fcres are yet very much hidden. An earthquake comes along. upheaves the earth in one place, splits it open in another, spreading death and desolation around; sud- den upheaval in one quarter of the globe sends forth tidal waves and sub merges lands and cities, and we see the effects but do not know the inner works cf the power which is responsible fo rall the unnatural and unexplainable cata- clysms.
 Now comes Judge Anderson and pro- poses to harness and control this hidden force and put it to work, just as the lightnings of Heaven have been har- messed and made to do the work of man. His idea is not limited one, for it em- braces the two objects of preventing this seismic energy from doing damage, and at the same time to regulate and control it And, again, it is to be prevented from doing harm in it's wild state. as it were. while man is tocontrol and direct it's force at will As the writer says, 1t could be made to remove a mountain, open a canal or sink an island or a con tinent. With that power in the hands of competent engineer, the isthmian canal would be dug without waiting for any nations consent. With 1t a cut for a railroad could be opened through the mountains and with 1t an enemy nation could be sent down among "the dark un. fathomed caves of ocean," if desired Perhaps such extreme measures as the last would not be considered proper, but We can never tell.
 It all looks fanciful. of course, but is 1t thereby made impossible? Is anything impossible? Suppose some man. even on, hundred years ago, had declared that be fore that century closed cars and ma chinery would be driven. cities lighted and messages sent by electricity, would the world have believed him? Yet thes, things. which would have been looked on as utterly impossible a century ago are now so common as to excite no won der. If that has been done. is it certain that this other cannot? We don't knov where or what are the limitations of hu man intelligence and human effort, ant we have arrived at the conclusion tha Impossible" is quite a vague word, fo eve are not able to tell where the pos sible ends and the impossible begins Al Judge Anderson enthusiastically says ''the American Electro Seismometer'' ma, come day be an accomplished fact.