The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27
MAXIM SEES VERY WIDE
FIELD FOR INVENTORS
Says the World Is Still in It's In
fancy and Many Wonders VIII
Be Accomplished.
FUEL PROBLEM IS VITAL
woman's Home Companion.

Woman's Home Companion.
Hudson Maxim, the inventor. has pre-
pared a particularly interesting article on
Inventions That Ought to Be Invented"
in the course of which he says:
will commence with what may be rech-
oned our domestic primaries or the mat
tiers which affect US Immediately in the
familiar circle of home life. 1 refer to in
ventions which have to do with light, heat
and food. Obviously there is scope for an
immense revolution. Hundreds of cleo
tricians are at this moment striving to con-
struct lamps in which nothing is consumed
save the electrical energy applied TO them
lamps that have the radiance of the sun
and the GOODNESS of the moon. The reason
why determined study is thus being pros
ecuted with respect to illuminants is the
need for lamps of longer life and purer
light than the arc and ncandescent lamps
now in vogue The economy OF these is
not high enough. They are not really very
superior TO the best forms of gas which for
cheapness still holds its own.
With regard to the great fuel problem, ii
is well known that Mr.. Edison is conc7n-
tratng much of his attention on the higher
economies of the use of coal. Coal is king
to-day The immediate task of scen lists
Is To draw from this commodity something
like its real value in work, to obviate
the enormous waste involved in present
methods. Mr.. Edison declares that a buck
ct full of coal should drive an express train
from New York to Philadelphia and few
tons be sufficient for the largest ocean
steamship, whose bunkers must now hold
thousands. The Oceanic consumes a ton Of
coal every three minutes, about 500 tons
a day, during her voyage between New
York and Liverpool. But a single pound
OF coal burned under perfect conditions
would do much work as the strongest
hod-carrier climbing stairs or ladder with
brick and mortar during a weary day of ten
hours working time. At present we waste
six-SeVenths OF the value of coal. Our in
ventors will know no rest until they have
found the furnace, the engine or the appli-
ance, or whatever it may turn out to be,
which will substitute absolute economy for
this immense extravaganza.
Both Tor domestic and for manufacturing
purposes engineers and men of science are
diligently studying the art of Harvesting
the direct rays of the sun. They anticipate
the time when the worlds supplies of COAL
petroleum and other combustibleS will be
practically exhausted Vast regions of the
earths surface are sunburnt to aridity and
everywhere the suns heat is constantly
/ deluging that surface with stores of latent
| potential energy which might be made
available for the purposes of civilized hu-
mainly. Water power and wind power both
derive their energy from the suns rays,
and many clever inventions yet unheard of
will have for their special object the ap-
! plicaton of each OF these sources of activ-
| ity. But the defect in each case is the lack
/ of certainty. Wind and tide are variable
/ and Intermittent. Therefore, scientists
| look with great expectations to the per-
lection of the solar engine, which was pro-
duced by Ericsson in an elementary form.
! Some day there will be discovered method
/ of gathering and storing the energy of the
i direct rays of the sun for use in producing
a heat motor. But the practical sun engine
is still among the 'uninvented inventions"
FOOD SUPPLY PROBLEMS.
Science will be more and more concerned
with problems of food supply. Here the
chemist comes into evidence. Scientists
predict wonderful results as the ultimate
reward of the research now going on quiet
ly in many laboratory. The way will be
found of growing strawberries as large as
| fine apples, and raspberries and blackber-
ries will be produced of such dimensions
that one will suffice for the fruit course of
each person. Cranberries, gooseberries and
| currants will be as large as oranges. One
| cantaloupe will supply a large family.
| Melons. cherries, grapes, plums, apples,
pears and peaches will be seedless. All
varieties of summer fruits will be of such
a hardy nature that they will be capable
of storage all through the winter, pota-
toes now are How Will all these wonders
/ in culture be achieved? BY the discovery
Of new methods of applying electric agency
| In glass gardens. so that at one and the
same time currents will be passed through
1 larger, and also to eXtermnate weeds and
TO destroy bacteria; while plants will be
bathed ali night in electric light to stimu-
late their progress. All this will be done
but the way to bring Ii 10 pass has yet to
be invented
one of the dreams of medical men is like
ly to be realized in the near future. Few
drugs will be swallowed or taken into tn
stomach unless needed for the direct treat
ment of that organ itself. The methods o
administration of healing indictments will
be revolutiOnized in the days of our great
grandchildren. With the aid of diagnose
by X-rays and by the medium of electri
currents drugs will be applied to variou
organs through the skin and flesh, and tn
treatment will be painless. 1t will be cas-,
with the instruments that are certain to b
invented-of which the microscope, the pho
toGraphic camera and the X-ray apparatu
are but the pioneers-for the pathologist
physician and surgeon to see the interio
of the body and TO explore its recesses a
it is now to survey the exterior. Furthr
more food will be made for travellers Il
the pemmican style known to our Nortl
American Indians. All kinds of nutrimen
will be condensed into tabloids containin
in very tiny compass the essentials to sus
tain life in full vigor for long periods.
Though the means are as yet undevise6
there will be no intermissiOn OF researc
until everybody can see and hear every
body without the slightest regard to inter
walls of space. matter how great. TIL
| coming age will demand wireless telephon
! and telegraph circuits which will span tn
/ circuit of the globe, so that it will be a
easy to telephone from New York TO Pekin
as from New York to Brooklyn. Our dc
scendants will not be satisfied If the scien
lists of the next generation do not enabl
them with greatest facility and economy [
witness by perfected Acknowledgements tn
weddings of any of their friends at the ar
tipodes the battles being fought on tn
other side of the world, and the races c
| horses, yachts and boats in every lanC
Balloons will rise high above contendin
armies, and with automatic cameras wi
"snap-ShOt'' the whole scene, bringing dow
forthwith 20 the respective generals perfeC
pictures of their enemies forces.
FIELD OF TRANSPORTATION.
There is much TO be done in the way O
improving transportation. In this spher
invention has but initiated its attempts
Many observers imagine that aerial navi
CATION is to be the realm of immediate sci
, entifc advancement. but though the aero
nauIt is one of the foremost of present da
! scientific sensationalstS, the enginee
: knows that he really holds the field. TIL
possibilities of navigating the air. althoug
its navigation is sure To come, offer
practical minds a far less inviting field {
: achievement in the lines of transportatio
than the necessary Improvements on terri
frma On land and sea vehicles for travt
will be i'm use which will render all thos
known at this hour only eligible for a mt
: scum OF antique and obsolete curiositie
| The automobile has come. but that is onl
, pointing out the way of possibility. So ia
I as velocity is concerned, the automObi