The Washington herald., 1915-05-12
HISTORY BUILDERS.
When Lord Kelvin Was Moved to
Tears. .
Written EXPRESSLY for Tie Washington Herald.
BY DIR. f. j. EDWARDS.

Written EXPRESSLY for Tie Washington Herald
By DIR. f. J. EDWARDS.
II have occasionally seen business
man who was very successful stand in
contemplation of a painting and seem to
be completely transported, just exactly
as l have seen persons carried away or
out of themselves when listening to
beautiful music. But j have never seen
any one so completely absorbed. SO thor
oughly under the domination of magma
ton. as was Lord Kelvin upon several
occasions when l was with him when he
had opportunity to inspect or look at
some new demonstration of an unrecog-
niZed law of science"
This statement was made to me by the
late George Westinghouse. few weeks
after Lord Kelvin had visited Mr.. West
inghouse at Pittsburgh and had spent a
day or two in an inspection Of Mr.. West
inghouse's industries in that city.
II remember enc occasion when this
characteristic of Lord Kelvin was re-
vealed in a most impressive manner.
continued Mr.. Westinghouse. Il had
been with him to the laboratories of DR..
Peter Cooper Hewitt. which are estab-
lishcd in the upper stories of the lofty
tower which surmounts Madison Square
Garden, New York City. DR.. Hewitt had
made some remarkable discoveries and
had utilized. after patient labor. the re-
suits of some Of his Investigations by
perfecting an original method of procur-
ing economically and by the utilization
of electricity a new form of lighting.
I'VE were shown some OF the appar-
atus which DR. Hewitt had constructed
for the purpose of perfecring his lighting
has n
win displayed intense interest. He was
absolutely forgetful of himself. l pre-
sumo that he had not for the time being
the slightest idea of where he WAS and
did not know or care to know that he
was really far aloft in what at the time
was one of the highest towers Of New
York City.
There was one apparatus which DR..
Hewitt had perfected which gave DEM
onstration Of a most peculiar action OF
electricity and mercury. There appeared
to dance around an intensely luminous
globule. isolated. so far as its form and
its brightness were concerned. from the
surface Of the mercury. DR.. Hewitt, in
pointing to it, said that 1t seemed to
suggest q law Of which the men OF SCI
ence did not have the slightest concep-
ton. 1t was almost weird like, q sort OF
will-o'-the-wisp appearance.
1T commanded the most intense study
from Lord Kelvin. 1t was fS him some
thing new. Wonderful as WIZ his infor-
nation in various fields OF s.ience. and
especially DECENTRALIZATION you know i
was he who made the ocean cable COM
mercially pracucahle--neverthel here
was something which Law outside any
department Of science with which he
was familiar. At last, after q long in
spection. he came to himself. and as he
looked UP at DR.. Hewitt and at myself
he could not restrain his emotions The
tears flowed freely down his cheeks. and
Il was with that uncontrolled demonstra-
ton that he made Il evident to US how
wonderfully this mystery Of science had
impressed him."
Copyright isl5. ~ Z J. Edwards. An rishs re-
Oued-)
Tomorrow DIR. Edwards will tell Of
An Elusive Chicago Subway"