Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21
SIR H1RArTMAxIM TMING
10 Press Down CARWH1cH
Is SUSPENDED IN ARR

used by the Swiss belringers in a vaude-
vile act. OF these. more later.
The wizard" of the revolutionary prin-
cipe of locomotion. has about his per-
sonality nothing of the occult or obscure
About fifty-fve years old, stockily built
with gray hair and mustache, and gray
blue eyes, mild. yet penetrating. he is the
type of hundreds of other expatriated
Frenchmen to be seen any day in those
little cafes in the French quarter of New
York city.
AS we enter he is testing the strength
of the electric current tapped from a
local wire and passed through the trans
forming box, black square continuance
packed with copper spools and magnets.
and alive with sparks. In this secret
box the magnetic electric wave is
caught and divided and changed into a
current of repulsion.
The current is now switched into one
of the cylinder surmounted posts in the
center of the room. On the top Of the
spool rests a disk of aluminium, eight
inches across and an inch thick Sud-
denly, as though moved by some invisi-
BILE agency. the disk begins to dance on
the top of the cylinder. Now it is raised
clear and remains suspended in the air.
Now it drops back with a metallic clat-
ter as the current is shut off. This test
reveals the principle of the levitated
train.
Every one is familtr with magnetic at
traction. Reverse that principle and you
understand the lifting of the aluminium
disk. 1t is what might be called mag
netic repulsion. This is paradox of
terms but it describes the force employ
ed. When the repellant current is turn
\ yv,f,N Ia fryr Hly1
cannot press the aluminium plate down
upon it. What feels like a cushion Of
compressed air seems to resist your
every effort.
1t has been discovered by NJ. Bachelet
that only certain metals are repealed by
his current. Not that the inventor makes
claim for having found out q new
principle. but of applying an old one. For
the fact that copper, ring would hoat
over an alternating current magnet has
been known In scientific circles for
number of years. This has proved to be
a serious nuisance to electrical manufac-
lures in all kinds of work.
But the credit Of turning this phenom-
enon to account rests with NJ. Bachelet.
After exhaustive experiments with vari-
Gus metals he found that aluminium as
pure as possible was the best for levi
tating purposes.
cur1ously enough. the current has an
entirely different effect on steel. This
metal Is Immediately nagnetized and con-
sequently attracted by the repulsion
wave To show this the inventor lays a
steel disk on the spool. turns on the cur
rent and the pitce of metal cannot be
pried from its base. But place slip Of
copper or aluminium between the steel
and the spool and the attraction is over
come and the heavier metal is raised in
air above the non-magnetized DISK.
To show that the current will in no
way injure and that any number of volts
of it can pass through the body without
destroying life bowl of goldfish covered
with copper lid is used for the next ex-
pertinent. Placed on the spool. the lid is
lifted by the unseen force which per-
meates the glass of the bowl and the