New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-17
ELECTRICITYS FUTURE WONDERS.

Electricity VIII stiIi profoundly interest the
Wizard as he has come 20 be known, because Of
what he has already done for the utilization Of
electrical energy. II is his belief that the world
knows only the beginnings Of what this mysteri-
Gus rorce can 90 for mankind. For one thing, Mr.
Edison says that the transformation of coal d.
rectly into electricity without the medium of the
steam engine can be accomplished and ct q
time not far in the future. Al the present time
when coal is burned and It's energy is trans
United into steam, and from steam into the
dynamic force of the wheel. and from the wheel
into the electrical power Of the dynamo nine
tenths OF the coal's energy is wasted. When a
means is found which will utilize the full power
q coal he says. the steam engine will be rele-
gated TO the scrap heap. all railroad trains will
De run oy electricity, all factories will be oper-
eted electrically. all lighting will be done by
electricity. At the mouths OF the coal mines
great electrical power houses viii be esta blished
which viii transmit power direct to the great
centres OF Industry. The cumbrous coal train
viii be thing of the past Instead Of the tons
Of fuel now hauled to this city from Pennsyl-
vsnia, great copper conduits will pipe the
power direct to the metropolis" as Mr. Edison
once put H. Direct electricity would also make
Il possible, he says. TO run an express train
from New York to Buffalo with two bushels Of
coal and 20 drive a o000-horsepower steam
ship across the Atlantic IN three days.
This problem has occupied Mr.. Edisou's at
tention for many years and some If its phases
he has already solved. He has obtained cleo
tricity direct by burning carbon and Gillian
saltpetre together In electrolte and al
though this process proved too expensive to be
commercially PFouLADAet II was scientifically
complete success.
Another field II study and experiment to which
Mr. Edison Will devote his time according to
those who are most closely In touch with his
work. will be aerona utics. In future wars he saws
one q the most potent engines Of destruction
win be the aerial torpedo. Il have no doubt tina
an aerial torpedo can be constructed in such q
way that ii can be steered," says Mr. Edison.
The cost Of construction would not be great
Each torpedo could be set so as to explode at a
certain time aSer being cut loose from its air
ship. Now. suppose feet was bomb riding New,
York City and fifty more aerial torpedoes
were sent out against that feet each torpedo
containing about FIVE hundred pounds OF dvra
mite When the distance between the hostile
ships and the city Was asceTtained the flying in
feIIai machines could be adjusted accordingly
50 that as soon rs they reached the aerial re-
g1on over the enemy's vessels they would let fall
upon them a veritabe downpOur Of FIRE. 1t would
not be necessary for torpedo to strike shin
when dropped from the air and exploded. The
very force Of the conclusion within a few fuu-
cred yards would sink an ordinary warship
have thought IL possible 10 construct an aerial
torpedo beat on lines similar TO those Of q Yacht
The body should be narrow and possibly rointsd
~ each end 70 offer little resistance 10 The
wind as possible"