Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-12-28
A LOOK TO THE FUTURE.
Edison, the Electrical Wizard. Promises
Revelation In Production Of
Power.
james Crcelman. in New FORK World


eyes was almost as stirring as his de-
claration OF confidence that before his
death he would see the worlds clcctrici.
~ produced by direct process-withort
the Intervention of stean,-and. with that
discovery, the solution Of the problem Of
aerial navigation and ocean vessels
crossing the Atlantic IN three days time.
We are cropping on the verge of an =.
other great epoch in the worlds history"
he said. 1T would not surprise me any
morning to wake up and learn that some
one, or some group. of the 100000 scientific
men who are Investigating all over the
earth. has seized the secret of electricity
by direct process and begun another
practical revolution Of human affairs
ut can be done. 1t will be done. ex-
pect TO see it before I die
Again we were sitting in the little
bare compartment at the end Of Mi.
Edisons chemical laboratory at de
wcllyn Park. one of huddle OF brick
buildings. the wonder theater of the al
tcrnatc da mnations and salvations Of on"
of the very foremost men in the history
Of human invention.
THE FIRST GREAT CHANGE 70
COME.
Mr. Edison sat in an implanted woOhet.
chair leaning against a rough wooden
bench. his back to the window, his gr,l
sensitive face in the shadow, and the
light shining through his tOuselcd, pic
turcsuue mass Of hair. nlmbusike.
One hand shaded and half-suppoi ted
the wide. full forehead. and the otha
lay liner, in his lap.
The strong. inc mouth. so human and
expressive. was purscd up nervously and
the shadow OF prophecy was in the kind
~ eyes, gazing as though at something
beyond the dusty wall.
For moment his glance ranged
through the open doorway into II vista of
glass bulbs aud tunnels and tw,st' Il
tubes and strange rctorts and fiery ovens
with all the dabolrie of tonsu"-'ke
flames of violet and scarlet. and brood
ing, sulphurous mists, and everything oi
the chemists mysterious instrume ntali-
ties.
Then his look fell upon a boy OF II
years, standing in an attitude "f Il" ?
and admiration. the young American ut
the knee of IA great architect OF the
future.
'"rhe first great change in the pro ;'ic-
ton of electricity will abolish the carr
ing of coal for that purpose he said.
"Instcad Of digging gross material out
OF the earth. loading it on cars and ear
frying it say 500 miles, there To PVT IT
under a boiler. burn ii, and so &C power,
we shall sot IN plants at the mouths or
mines, generate the power there ana
transmit it wherever it is needed by COP
per wires.
1T is prcpostcrous to keep oil putting
the coal mines on wheels 1t is too
clumsy. /, is too costly. lners is \"
necessity for it.
at is easier to carry moleculeu vibra-
tion-millons Of waves "A Sc" md than
freigh; cars full of crude matter. No
can ship a l0o0oo horsepower over a
wire quicker aud more economica'lv than
we can send the equivalent in coal over
a railroad track
IAN Engishman told me little while
ago that he intended to set IN IL power
station on the Thames, bring down coal
by barges. and sell electro power t.
London. | said to him: HOW iool'sh
Why not run q copper wire betT'een Lon
don and tine coal mmines and develop
YOUR power where the coal is III you
build that power station. it w!ll lie oh
% iete inside OF II years
eve must eliminate the rai!roa" alto
vethcr from this problem 'NnitH thr
use Of it We don't want thu c', any
how. 1t does us no good to look AT H.
What W, want is the resultant, the ut
most energy that can be produced. Ana
there is no sense in carrying around NIL
lions of tons Of raw material like coal
when we can get its product delivered to
us ny wire.
"E'>e,ything points to the fnct that III
to lea, future elcctrici,t VIZ! he ;"''
c,;,.rI OF general CONSUMPTION IN Ire',
mower houses at the mouths of tn" coal
nts that I. the logical an! .''' ~ ~
s,.se outcome of present events.
-, hc u,aecnt method of doing ,hinSs ~
me,olv a matter of habit It's simply
wonderful 10 observe how habit controls
man and how it sometimes delays great
rorormatious even in practical affairs.
This svsten Of carrying coal from the
mincs for the purpose of producing cleo
tr,c,tv somewhere else is habit. Habit Is
the greatest foe TO progress and invention
.The great majority of men are con-
| trollcd by habit. They have always seen
a thing zone one way "'A '''"s ''''
TO them the only way. But there are
some of us who have . little of the spirit
| Of evolution and We bother and trouble
the others by not letting them alone.
| "Now the truth il that 1t VIII cost q
third less to transport electrical power bs
wire than 10 carry ii in the form OF Goa
in railroad cars Assume the price OF Goa
IN Inc 81 at the mouth of the mine and as
sumc the freight to be $3.50. Now we can
,urn that coal into electricity at the mine
ana convey it ny wire at less than halt
the cost of the freghtage OF coal.
So in years To come. the great cl"c-
| tric power plants VIII be set up in the
coal fields. Electric power will largely dc
lnWav with steam power Electric light
Will become cheaper than gaslight.
II believe hrmly that all great trunk
railroad lines viii go TO electricity inside
nf fifteen years | don't mean simply pas
s.npcr traffic. but heavy freight traffic
also. Within twenty years steam will be
as ont OF fashion for railways rs horses
are for street cars to-day.
GREAT CHANGES COME SLOWLY.
Mr.. Edison threw back his broad shout
ders ana claspcd his hands behind his
head. fitting back his chair. and crossing
his legs. lie looked at the ceiling intently
and then "A curious smile came over hi.
splendid countenance.
"lt's curious to see how long 1t takes
men to get in motion when anything new
turns up" he said And it doesn't seen