Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-12-19
Puzzle Of Static Electricity Has Been Solved by r. A. Weagant
Invention in Use by Allied Governments During the War Will
Be Given to the World When Peace Is Finally Con-
cIuded-Great Saving of Time and Money

eliminate static; or, (2) to improve
the wireless note by method of appara-
tus, or both, so far beyond the art as
to constitute invention. The first has
not been done. lie who shall accom-
plish that need have no fear of the
fate of his invention"
So the radio operators kept on
searching for that principle which Mr..
Weagant has at last found. We have
his word for it, and the word of Ed
ward ]. Nally, vice president and gem
eral manager of the Marconi company,
and the fact that the perfected wire
less has been used by the government
during the war, although not yet Off
cially announced.
1t has made the bridging of the
North Atlantic by wireless, always the
hardest route for aerial messages, ac-
cording to Mr.. Weagant, easy. 1t has
eliminated long distances, the most inn
portant goal radio engineers have
striven for.
Before the war we were limited to
six or seven hours communication a
day across the Atlantic and across the
six thousand mile stretch from San
Francisco to Japan" said Mr.. Wea-
CANT. Nov we can use the wireless
continuously. Before the war it would
have been impossible to get all the
news which the German wireless
tried to scatter over the world. Now
we can get it all. am not privileged
to say to what extent our discovery
has figured in the war, but can say
in general way that almost every
thing the Germans sent out bearing on
the question of peace was received.
Will Save Money.
"a considerable saving of money
will be effected In some sending sta
lions the power needed is cut in half.
Instead Of steel masts 400 feet high,
as some are, and cost $4,000 apiece.
la mast the height of telephone pole
is enough for receiving"
The inventor said that the trouble
with most of the radio experts who
had been experimenting with 'static"
was that they had given up too soon.
Many of them came to the conclusion
that the solution of the problem was
impossible. They regarded static as
a thing cratic, incalculable way
ward, willful, law unto itself.
The turning point came when the
Marconi engineer decided that static
was natural law, rational and follow
ing definite system, that only needed
to be understood to be conquered. That
was in 1908. Since that time Mr.. Wea-
CANT has devoted the better part of his
energies to ascertaining just what the
properties Of this law WERE The pre-
liminary work was done largely at ex-
pertinent stations in New Jersey and
Miami, Florida. In 1916 government
assistance was enlisted and the ex,
periments took on a far more definite
character. By the time this country
was ready to enter the war the work
had reached practical completion and
patent application claims had been al
lowed by the United States patent of
fee. From that time forward the prob
lem has been one largely of perfection
OF detall.
Gall did was to set out to discover
the new law of nature and make ii
work for man, and that's all have
DONE" said this modest inventor. 81
set up all sorts of hypothesis and con-
structe6 all sorts of apparatus, and
when one theory wouldn't work tried
another. 1t was like failing in 999
ways and finding what you are after
on the thousandth attempt
OF course the question came up
again as to just what the inventor had
found out, what the new law Of ma
ture was. And what millions of lay.
men and few thousand scientists
who were taking the attitude of the
Missourian, wanted to be shown. 1t
was stated that some of them had pub.
licly doubted the solving of the 'stat.
ic" puzzle. The inventor smiled and
shrugged his shoulders.
THAT'S quite natural" he said. at
sounds big to make the announcement