Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-06-18
W hat Next In Science.

An event unique in the annals of Amer
lean history took place at the White House
the other day. when President Taft, in the
presence of distinguished assemblage,
paid nations tribute to the achievements
of native genius. 1t was triumphant day
for the Wright brothers--Wilber and Or
ville--who, in their conquest of the air.
have accomplished the seeming impossible
and have given to science its browning
glory.
1t was only few years ago that the
late Lord Kelvin, the acknowledged dean
of modern science, declared, on visit to
this country, that the mastery of the air
for practical purposes, either by aero
plane or dirigible balloon, was an impossi
| bility. At that time the Wrights were
making their early experiments in Ohio,
and Count Zeppelin, unhonored and look
upon as a visionary, was perfecting his
great dirigible on the shores of Lake Con
stance And then, suddenly. the great
mutation. Within year the world has
come to know that aerial navigation no
longer is dream. 1t never may enter in
to sharp competition with the railroads and
steamship lines, but war, pleasure. sport
and exploration doubtless will receive
new impetus at no very distant day Then,
too. it has established new industries. En-
| CINE builders are seeking to evolve new
designs of motors for aeroplanes, maya
zines devoted to aerial fight have sprung
up in this country and in Europe. and even
firm for the equipment and repair of air
ships has been established. Meteorologists,
too, are beginning to study the air from
the aeronaut's viewpoint, with the purpose
of mapping atmospheric currents for the
guidance of the navigator of the ether
1t is plainly evident that the day of the
airship is at hand. But when the naviga-
ton of the air shall have been perfected
to what greater object shall science bend
its energies? From self preservation it must
evolve something new from natures forces
1t must either progress or retrograde. This
is one of the inviolable. immutable laws of
nature Nothing can stand still-neither
man nor his works
There are two great forces about us still
unfettered, still untrammeled, whose incom-
prehensible energies are scattered broad
cast over the earth, contributing but the
merest trifie to applied power. These forces
are the sun and the tides--p0werful agents.
sufficient to drive all of the wheels of in
dustry and commerce in the world were
they but directed in the ways Of man.
But while science has been making the
dreams of Daedaus a reality, it has not
lost sight of the burning mirrors of Ar
chimedes. Many years ago John Ericsson
showed how solar engines might be built.
Later French inventor made an engine,
which. operated by the suns rays. devel-
oped a few horsepower; but perhaps the
greatest of such appliances is in South Pas
adena, Cal. where it is employed for irri-
eating purposes. The apparatus resembles
a huge dish. 33 1-2 feet in diameter. and
is composed of 1888 small mirrors, which
concentrate the suns rays at common
focus. Still the utilization Of the sun has
not become practicable for general pur-
poses. 1t has been estimated that the so
lar energy covering space 100 feet square
represents 33 horsepower. acting continu-
ously On square mile. therefore. is de-
veloped nearly 100000 horsepower. and
train of cars catches enough sunlight to
drive its wheels. This power but awaits
the master hand of control, and the man
who can WELD it may have fame and
wealth without the asking.
Another vast power that is beyond our
control is represented by the tides. Twice
day the waters Of the sea swell upward
around the globe. drawn by the action Of
the sun and moon. aided by the rotation Of
the earth on its axis. The power required
to lift this great weight Of water is almost
incalculable, and yet. so far as the indus
try of the world is concerned, ii is wasted
energy. True, there have been many en-
gines built to harness the tides, some with
a measure Of success, but the world still
waits for the inventor who can show il
how to apply this wasted power to trade in
general.
We have the airship. Now let us antici
pate greater things WashisgtOH Post