The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-26

better things and was disposed 10 reeom- mend that the young man should take up literature as a vocation.
 Of sudden something happened. al- most accidentally, which changed the pur- pose of young MT. Hammond. For many years friendship intimate and cordial professional as well as personal. has beer maintained between Thomas A. Edison and John Hays Hammond. ST. It oc- cured to MT. Hammond at time when he was to make brief visit to Edison that it might be of interest to his son if he were to meet Edison and talk with him and also go over the Edison plant at West Orange. N. ]. The young man went with his father to Edisons home and had been in Edison's company only a few moments when a conversation was begun which was of absorbing interest to both. It was continued for the greater part of the day. Edison seemed to take especial fancy to the young man, while on the other hand, the visitor was com pletely absorbed in the many things which Edison said to him and in the expiana- ton Edison made of the great opportuni- ties which the mastery of the mysteries of nature still opens to young men. There were the opportunities for research and there were also the peculiar opportuni- ties offered by the commercial utilization of discoveries which research had made possible Edison explained that while al his work many things had occurred to him and while his notebooks contained many hints of what could be accomplished in the field of pure research, nevertheless he had not been diverted from the policy he laid down earlier in his career of utilizing science to commercial prac- ticability and advantage. The wonders of his laboratory and shops were revealed to the young man and he had the peculiar privilege of having these revealed by Edi- son himself. That is a somewhat rare privilege, but those who have enjoyed it have never failed to be persuaded that chief among the wonders of the Edison institution is Edison himself. He has a marvellous gift for simple, lucid and yet highly attractive exposition
 A Change of Purpose
 That visit to Edison opened up a new vista to young Hammond, and he de- cided to devote himself to science with the especial purpose of utilizing what he learned for material and practical ends In this respect Mir. Hammond resembles Peter Cooper Hewitt, who has perfected one invention following discovery made by him of the availability of certain use of mercury for creating a powerful and widely diffusible light. Mir Hewitt .s the son of a rich man and the grandson of another, Peter Cooper, who in his day was esteemed not merely for his business ability, but also for his scientific attain ments. It was largely due to Peter Cooper that the project for laying a cable under the Atlantic was at last successfully worked out. The grandson, who possesses great wealth, devoted himself to research established a highly perfected laboratory in the great tower of Madison Square Garden and worked patiently and enthusi astically for some years, receiving at last a warm tribute from Lord Kelvin becaust he had not only invented or perfected a new and valuable apparatus, but hao also discovered the scientific principle which made the invention possible. MT Cooper is now at work upon another proposition which. If perfected, is likely partially to revolutionize the use of power energy.
 With wealth at his command and witt many inducements to enter upon the com fortable life of writer who is not com pelled to write for livelihood, Mir Ham mond abandoned that purpose and began experiment and study at his father: place at Pigeon Cove, near Gloucester Mass. He set up a laboratory and his researches and experiments were made with the intent to discover whether th' Hertzian waves, which are the basis oi wireless telegraphing, could be utilized for controlling the motions of submarine or torpedo boats. Having at last satis fled himself that he was able to worl the problem out he called at the nav, department at Washington, not relying upon any special introduction and no at all upon the prestige of his father name. He was told that if within { year he had so perfected his plan as t' make a demonstration possible then ; test would be made of the invention b, representatives of the navy.
 Many persons who have visited Glouces ter and have seen the tall towers upoI which a wireless plant is installed upoT the bluff which faces Gloucester har bor have surmised that this was a par of the Marconi plant. It is, however a part of the plant built by young Ham mond, and so thoroughly built that i is capable of developing what is called wireless activity with great energy. Rep resentatives of the navy department. ; year later visited the plant, tested th' apparatus and are reported to have foun, that MT. Hammond can from the shor' and by means of wireless energy direc the motions of . submarine or torpedo boat a long distance out at sea. Th tests were reported to have been severe but none of them failed.
 MT. Hammond has. it Is understood also made tests to show whether or no it would be possible to utilize the energ. which is discharged by great scarchlight of the kind which have been placed a Gloucester harbor. He is almost per suaded that this energy can also be utii ized It was not known, however unti the recent announcement that he had beei experimenting upon a project which hal occurred to him for making projectil which within few seconds after its dis charge from a siege gun would be con verted into a flaming meteor-.ike mas of white-hot steel.