Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-07-15
A Genius Spoiled
[Original.l


Menlo Park is mere travelling UNI
brella member. Charlie took all the
honOrs in the scientific courses at col
lege, then put in year at electrical
engineering. The reason why he stud
led it only a year was because before
he had completed that brief period he
knew more than all the professors COM
bined. They admitted he was genius,
but feared it would prove to be uncon-
trolled genius.
Charlie had said TO me that making
electricity or storing ii, which is the
same thing, was a good deal like COM
bining hydrogen and oxygen to pro-
duce water. why, there's more cleo
tricity than there is ocean," he said
I'm going to devote myself to invent
ing a method of gathering it as one
would fill a reservoir with water" So
I was not surprised when he came to
me one day and said he'd done the
trick.
Charlie was evidence that money
doesn't always interfere with the scin-
VI oSAiit@o. liz w hS NhC coAi VI
a multimillionaire. Why he considered
a ship the best place in which to dem
Onstrate his invention | didn't then
know, but one day he wrote me that
he had altered his yacht for the pur-
pose and wished me to sail with him
on cruise, during which | would see
some wonderful sights.
I boarded the Electra on the % of
July. There was only small portion
of the yacht that could be utilized by
the owner. guests and crew. the rest
being taken up by huge receptacles for
electricity. Charlie and l were the
only two persons aboard except the
crew, for Charlie said he didn't propose
that his secret should get out. We had
been classmates at college, so he knew
me well and had no fear that | would
rise to an understanding of his process.
1 knew enough, however, to find out
that it was by decomposition of both
air and water.
Charlie had girl, who was at her
fathers country seat on Narragansett
bay. She was a beautiful creature and
adored Charlie. She was very timid
about his experiments, constantly in
dread, after he had been blown up sew.
eral times. that he would fall a victim
to the cause of science He proposed
to sail from New York, make trip out
on the ocean and when his reservoirs
were filled enter the bay and anchor be-
fore his fiancee's home. We would then
go ashore and be entertained there.
The weather was fine. and we had
pleasant and successful trip, though it
was bit lonely for me, since Charlie
was constantly watching and tinkering
with his machinery. He told me thac
everything was working well. He filed
his tanks. emptied them and repeated
the process a dozen times. | asked him
if they would surely hold the electricity
for a sufficient time, and he said that
he had coated them with nonconduct-
or that would render it impossible for
any of the subtle fluid to escape. He
was wrong about this. as you will see.
One morning we entered Narragan-
sett bay and proceeded up to where
Charles girl lived. The tanks had
been filled the night before, and there
was no evidence that any electricity
was escaping. They espied us from the
house, and as we dropped the anchor
we saw boat putting out for us. 1t
contained party, among whom was
Charles girl. I was standing near
Charlie when 1t pulled up to the gang
way. Charlie took off his hat and lift
ed 1t high above his head. I noticed
look Of surprise on the faces of those
in the boat, and one little miss of fif-
teen giggled. CHANGING at Charlie. l
saw every hair on his head standing
straight upward.
1t occurred to me right of that the
electricity was escaping. didn't dare
raise my hat for fear of presenting the
same ridiculous appearance, so smiled
and threw kisses from the tips of my
fingers I also threw sparks. Just
then the yachts mascot, a cat. went
by, every hair standing straight out
and emitting particles of flame. Some
Of the party had come aboard; but. see
ing the cat and fearing that the yacht
would take fire, they tumbled back
again into the boat
Charlie looked puzzled. l asked him
what he was going to do, and he said
he'd like to be out at sea. where our
condition wouldn't be likely to attract
attention. Then he ordered the anchor
raised AS soon as this was done he
pulled a bell, and the yacht began to
move.
BY this time 1t was evident that
something was radically wrong. Char
lie ran below and, coming back very
much excited, said that the coating to
all the tanks was being eaten away
and scaling off. His hair and beard
indeed his nose, his eyes, his finger
tips-were streaming with electricity.
Not only this, but electric flame was
shooting out Of the masts, the smoke
stack-indeed everything on the yacht.
There was no harm in 1t, but it was
evident that the people in the boat and
those on shore thought the yacht was
burning. We heard fire bell ashore
ring and hook and ladder company
rush down to the landing. We heard
a shrek and saw Charles girl fall into
Il G n. IT, l.~ 100