Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-14
THE AGE OF INVENTION
Wonderful Progress Which
Has Been Made by the
Geniuses of This Country

This is the startling title OF an ar
ticle by Frederick Uphnm Adams in
Appleton's Magazine, in the course of
which he says:
a careful study of the history of
mechanical progress convinces me
that the inventive age attained the
prime OF It's splendid career in the
yers inclusive OF 1876 and 1896. and
that in that wonderful period the
world witnessed the conception and
practical development of Il larger
number of valuable devices than any
preceding era. also that it is decid-
eddy improbable that any future gem
Grafton will approach its record. Be
fore our optimistic friends scott at
this rather dismal prediction ! Will
ask them to name some really great
invention or discovery which has been
announced since 1896. He may name
scores OF little devices. but if he will
look into the facts he will likely find
| that all OF them are based on the SUI
perb series of fundamental inventions
nd discoveries which marked 1866
Suppose that those years were
stricken out of mechanical and scien-
4
world he denied? The telephone.
electric lights both arc and incand.
cent; gas lights of high intensity and
! economy. electric railroads. wireless
teiegraphy. duplex and multiple tele-
sraphy. the typewriter, electric heat
ing, all the innumeraile forms OF
| electric bells and signaling, automo-
| pies. bicycles, motor cycles. motor
boats. typesetting machines the pho
nosraph. high speed elevators. scien-
! tihc cold storage and refrigeration,
steel buildings which have revolution
'zed our cities--the list is far from
complete but those who are not.
properly impressed with this list may
reflect that 1S7G-96 also added such
lesser inventions and systems as ca
nie railroads (now discardcd). cam
eras and all sorts of PHOTOGRAPHIC
material suitable for popular use. nj:
brakes, safety couplings. safety r-
zors. smoke consumers, pneumatic
tubes. electric photography, moving
picture machines. the wonders of
modern dentistry. and the bewldering
hssortments of breakfast foods.
All these and many more were
crowded into the twenty-year period
nave In mind, and again ask those
VINO think we are keeping UP the pace
then set to name few inventions.
winch deserve TO be classed with thu
tnirty which have been enumerated
would 1t be advisable TO discard the
telephone or electric lights for MI
mat mas been added to invention since
1886! How many of the recent in
Ventions would it take to offset tho
eiectric railway systems of the United
states? Since when was there Great
ed an industry of the extent OF the
automobile? When has there l,aen
ueVised two inventions which have
gwen 80 much pleasure and created
SO much annoyance as the phono-
srHph and the automatic piano? What
inventor in the last ten years has
uone as much for the business man
as did the perfection of the tyne
writer? Who has contributed IN Tho
newspaper owner or publisher an In
vention as valuable as the typeset.
ting machine? What would bnnneu
10 the world tomorrow If It's storage
batteries lost their efficiency? When
NH some inventor do as much for
BUSINESS architecture as did the ge-
nus VINO designed building with
saeei frame and multiplied the practi
cal height ana efficiency of n struc-
ture by six or eight?
IL WIN be urged that the principles
=, such inventions as the telephone
electric light. typewriter. and other
making devices were known in
ADVANCE of 1876. Admitted. but what |
'of IL? We now know the principle
OF extracting heat and power direct |
~ from coal without combustion and
me consequent waste. but this fact
WIN not detract from the credit of the
man who solves the problem--if II
ever is solved. None of the things
have enumerated were in practical
operation in 1876.