Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-03-24
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How Lord Kelvin Was In
teryieWed Without
Knowing 1t
By Holland.

city The meeting had been arranged
by George Westinghouse, whose guest
for several days, az Pittsburgh, Lord
Kelvin had beenand as whose guest, IN
Mr.. Westinghouse private car, the
world-famous man of science had
been taken from Pittsburgh to New
York
Lord Kelvin was to sail on the day
following for his home in Scotland,
He had spent several weeks In the
United States in a visit partly OF
pleasure, but chiefly for the purpose
of inspecting the great electrical
plant and the allied manufacturing
Industries at Niagara Falls and also
the great industrial plants OF Pitts
Dureh.
Lord Kelvin had never met, except
ing IN an incidental way, any news
paper men nor had he ever talked at
any length to those whom he had met
He maintained personal and social re.
lations with several Of the leading
newspaper proprietOrs of Great Bril-
tain lie had heard vaguely OF the
American interview. and he probably
entertained the objection which char
acterizes almost all men of science
20 talking ofihand for publication
With newspaper men.
! inferred from something that Mr..
Westinghouse said when he told me-
that he had made an appointment for
me with Lord Kelvin that there was
at first little difficulty about OBJ
tanning Lord Kelvin's consent What
ever il was j. was overcome
you find us said Lord Kelvin,
as he very courteausly received me
in the parlor OF the apartment in one
OF the leading hotels in which he was
lodged. Somewhat mixed up. We
sail early tomorrow morning for
homo. In the course of the evening
expect calls from some OF those
who are near of kin and others who
are intimate personal friends
He was exceedingly kind. Great as
was his intellect and certain as
was OF permanent fame because of his
achievement as a man of science. he
was simple in his manner. unaffected
and utterly without self-oonscious-
ness. I took what he said. as he
held my hand. as a hint that II he
were 70 talk to me for publication
II would be well TO proceed at once
to that business
said to him that at a gathering
Of men Of science at Niagara at the
time of the initial work for the es
Enlistment of the great power plant
I had heard several gentlemen say
that they wished that Lord Kelvin
could have been with them.
81 should have been glad to have
been there. I was. in fact, melted
but it was not convenient at that
time for me to leave home" he said
| then said that on a later Visit 10
! Niagara ! had been shown the great
manufacturing plant in which the
/ newly discovered artificial mineral
called carborundum was manufac'
turcd through the utilization of cleo
trio heat
THAT was one of the industries
said Lord Kelvin. (which I visite'
that greatly Impressed me All, tina
is a wonderful demonstration OF th'
wonders that can be done with cleo
tricityi"
saw instantly that the great sci
enlist had forgotten that he was talk
ing 10 newspaper man.. sale
nothing. With great enthusiasm ant
with singular lucidty Of explanation
he described. not so much to me al
TO Lady Kelvin. who sat by his sid'
many of the things which he ha'
seen at Niagara mentioned to Lore
Kelvin that ! had been greatly i'm
pressed by the demonstration made &
mo personally by Mr. Westinghouse
Of the perfection of the apparatus in
vented by him for utilizing gas 70
the production of power energy.
saw that Lord Kelvin was inter
csted, SO, With some detail [. narrai
ed TO him the manner in which MI
Westinghouse studied the gauges am
tested the methods by which water
cooling apparatus was applied 70 tn
gas engine and told him how Ease
mated ] was not so much with IN
marvellous operations of this appari
tus as with the intense ahsorptio
and enthusiasm with which this grci
American inventor watched the inovI
mcnts of the machine Lord Kclvi
was intensely interested. He DESERT
cd his own experiences at Pittsburg
He spoke with the enthusiasm of
great man Of science of the rclatiC
OF acotolenc gas to modern industr
He told me that he had been muC
Interested in watching the operate
of an electric motor with which G.
perimcnts were being made in q
great yard OF the Westinghouse con
pany
So for an hour or more this m;
of genius narrated 10 me his eNpe
fence. not thinking for q moment th
, he was talking To newspaper ma
AT last J rose TO so, and then, a
parently, il suddenly occurred to hi
that the appointment he had mat
With me was for the purpose of Ell
ing me material for newspaper a
ticle He said:
I'VE have been so long occupi
with our social chat that we have h;
no chance 10 talk about the matte
= 70 which Mr. Westinghouse referre
, IL you have no note book. here a
pencil and paper
81 thanked Lord Kelvin and to
him that I would not trespass al
longer upon his time saw that
{ felt when I went away as though
had deprived me of the opportuui
j of talking with him about his eXpe
fences. realized that if had TAX
> out a note book he would az on
, have remembered that I was a new
I paper man.
He was good enough some wee
later TO acknowledge both his 81
prise and his pleasure at what I h
written. He never dreamed until
y saw the article that he had been sa
ing in all that conversation precise
> what | had wanted 10 hear
e Copyright 1913, by Z. J. Edward
e All rights reserved.)
Tomorfbw Mr.. Edward will t
How Senatorial Heavyweight V