Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-10-16
THOMAS A. EDISON PROPOSES
MAKING LITTLE SHIPS MOST
DEADLY.
SAYS IT WOULD be SIMPLE
TO so EQUIP VESSELS
Would Be Enabled TO Remain Under
Water Entire Month - Suggestion
SETS Naval Expert. at Work-Edison
TO Have No Hand in Perfcctins
PIans-More Power For Craft.

New York. Oct. 16.-Thon.as A. Edi
son, Secretary Josephus Daniels, of the
navy. and Rear Admiral Frank j..
Fletcher, COMMUNICATIVE chief of the
Atlantic fleet, foregathered in the hold
of the submarine CA recently in the
New York navy yard and discussed /.
| method by which the little under the
water vessels can be equipped with
OF an apparatus for extracting oxygen
from the water that will permit them
to stay under for an indefinite period
without endangering the lives of the
crew. no matter what accident might
happen to the operating machinery.
1t was not an official meeting. 1t
was pleasure trip for Secretary Dan
iels and his wife-the first, he said,
they have had in the year and half
they have been in Washington. For
Edison, who was accompanied by Mrs.
Edison, it was a trip of initiation into
the mysteries of warships and their
ways, for he had never been aboard
one before. And for Admiral Fletcher
and Commandment Usher Of the navy
yard it was a day of entertaining dis
tinguished visitors.
Real ellis For Submarine.
Altho there was nothing official
about the conference, which may result
in making the submarines Of the
United States the most deadly and eff
ficient in the world, the navy men got
the word Of Edison that it was one OF
the most simple things In the world to
give submarines gills just as good as
those Of any deep sea fish. Later. at a
tea in Commandant Usher's house, he
told reporter about it.
YES" he said, 1T can be done in
half an hours work. We discussed it
down there in the submarine. AS soon
as they want to do 1t they can stay
down month"
Are you working on any improve
ments along this line or on any other
inventions for warships" he was
asked.
mo" he replied. 81 can't get in
terested in inventions for war. I am
opposed to war;
An officer OF the navy. however, who
told Of the work Edison had accom-
"He saw fish moving about under
the water extracting the ozone from
it with their gills." he said. land ar
gued that a man ought 20 have some
thing of the same sort for himself, so
that in case a submarine went down
and couldn't get up he could pump in
salt water, extract the ozone and then
pump it out again. thus keeping up
the supply of oxygen indefinitely until
rescue came
More Power For Craft.
The breathing apparatus for sub
marines was not the only improve
ment to them Edison discussed with
the men of the navy. They are en-
gagged in testing new storage bat
terry of his invention which. il 1t
proves successful. will add greatly to
the efficiency of the ca and her
myriad sisters.
give out chlorine when salt water gets
into them, which is a source Of great
danger to the crew. Edison's new bat
terry, which was devised by hun for
peaceful uses, but has been snapped up
for the navy, is free from this objec-
ton. 1t is wet storage battery OF
those in use.
AS yet it has not been adapted to
use in ships, but in the testing room
of the administrative building at the
navy yard they have rugged up big
cradle rocked INCREASINGLY. day and
night, in imitation OF the motion OF
ship. One of the new Edison bat
teries is attached to this for the pur-
pose Of trying the effect the rolling
of ship might have on it and wheth-
err salt water stopping into its con-
tents will have any bad effect.
Edison was taken to the testing
room and shown the apparatus. He
looked at it for some time. Then he
made a suggestion.
Key it up-make 1t roll farther
and faster" he said. Give it hard
er test
Worth Proved by Tests.
They can't feaze it." he said after
ward to a reporter. i've tried all
these tests and the battery Is all
right