Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-18

remembered Beginning with his work as
chief electrical adviser at the installation
of the first Atlantic cables, there are few
departments in the science of electricity
that do not bear the impress of his mind.
In 1867 he was knighted for his work in
connection with the Atlantic cable, and in
1892 he was created Baron Kelvin.
William Thomson was born at Belfast.
Ireland. June %. 1924 He was the son Of
James Thomson, professor of mathemat-
les at Glasgow University. He was edu-
Gated at Glasgow University and at st.
Peters College. Cambridge University, Of
which he was for many years subsequent
ly a fellow. Very early in life he exhib-
tied the ability that has since made him
famous, and at the age of twenty-five he
became professor of natural philosophy
at the University of Glasgow, chair
which he filled until 1899.
A Great Physicist.
Some of Lord Kelvin's work as physi-
cist, though most important was of
character that did not bring him into
prominence. Such work included, for eX-
ample, speculative matters relating to the
age. of the earth and the nature of atoms.
Another line which his Investigations fol-
lowed related to the precise amount of
mechanical power which was the equiva-
lent of given quantity of heat. This in
quiry was regarded as of immense prac-
teal value but it has attracted little at
tention excepting among scientists.
He was electrician for the Atlantic cable
when the abortive attempt was made to
lay 1t IN 1898 and again in 1S61-66. He
also acted as electrician for the French
| line in 1869. for the Brazilian and River
Plate in 1873, the West Indian in 1875 and
the Commercial in 1879 After his early
| work on the cables he BECAME acknowl-
edged as England'S greatest electrician,
and for long time every important cleo
trical proposition that came up was re-
ferred to him for an opinion. He was the
designer of one of the earliest practical
alternating current dynamos and when
there vas first talk of utilizing the0Hater
power of Niagara for the development of
electrical energy it was Sir William
Thomson who was made chairman of the
advisory board that took the matter under
consideration.
-Iarine Telegraphy.
The laying of the ocean cable was not
his only work in connection with this
form of enterprise. He devoted much
time to the invention of devices for i'm
proving marine biography and first
showed how it was possible to overcome
a sluggishness in transmission which was
so great as almost to obliterate signals.
He invented important device for re-
cording cable messages, called the siphon
recorder" and one of his inventions was
a telegraph key for use in connection
with this sort of work. Many instru-
ments for measuring the strength of cleo
trical currents were also his inventions
1t was over a quarter of century ago
that Lord Kelvin invented a method of
mounting the mariners compass so as to
improve the effectiveness of this instru-
ment greatly. A machine for computing
the time of high tides was also devised
by him. as well as a contrlvance for
measuring great sea depths.
In 1896 his fiftieth anniversary as a pro-
fessor of the University of Glasgow was
celebrated with a jubilee. At that time
Sir William Thomson. as he then was,
in reply to congratulations from the cable
companies replied that they had beaten
Ariel by half a minute.
At the Smithsonian Institution it was
said that the death of Lord Kelvin re-
moved one of the greatest contemporary
figures of science. He had been in cor
respondence with it's chief officers on
scientific matters for years. and d num-
Der of papers by him have been published
in the Smithsonian reports.
Lord Kelvin was particularly interested
in the work of the astrophysical obServa-
tory of the institution in measuring the
amount of heat given off by the sun. In
a letter to the late Secretary Langley he
wrote:
The results alreadS obtained by your
own Investigations on the solar spectrum
are recognized throughout the scientific
world as being of supreme Importance,
and any nation of Europe may well envy
the United States of America the credit
of having given to the world such ad
mira BILE additions to natural knowledge
We all now have astrophyslcai observa-
tories in which much good work has been
done in various branches of this large
new development of astronomy. but in the
special and very important province of
measuring the heating power of the sun
through the enormous range of wave
lengths included in your observations
your work is unique"