The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-26
Honors Given to
Great Inventor
BY HOLLAND

| New York, March 25.-(Special I'm
the latter part Of December, 1915, Elihu
| Thompson received the Fritz medal
which is esteemed one of the highest
distinctions that can be awarded any
man of science. The medal symbol
lied Mr. Thompsons achievements
which are not only represented by over
500 patents, a large number OF which
"embody principles so wide in their
application that they might almost be
classed as physical laws. but also his
master discovery of electric welding,
one of the great inventions of the last
Maclaurin of the assachusetts Insti-
tue of Technology referred to Mr.
1 Thompson's achievements when pre-
senting the medal to him.
| 1t may be the "so-called master dis
covery OF the electric welding, one Of
the great inventions of the last gen
Grafton" will speedily be so utilized as
| greatly to speed up the production Of
ocean going steamships. For announce
ment has come from Washington that
already the government is preparing
Thoroughly to experiment with electric
welding apparatus for the purpose of
discovering whether it may not prove
| to be one solvent needed whereby the
government can secure large number
of ocean going vessels within short
time. The special modification OF ap-
paratus which 1t is understood is to
be used for the purpose of experiment
| tai tests as to the efficiency OF electric
process for welding parts OF steamer
heretofore brought together by the riv-
citing process. is reported to reflect
| the inventive genius of one of them
employees of the Erie Railroad COM
pany. Whether that be true or not
the fundamental principle in electric
| by Elihu Thompson about rs years ago.
1t was at the time when the larger
use of the dynamo, itself wonder
working invention of a generation ago,
| was making practicable the utilization
of electricity for many industrial pur-
poses, that Mr.. Thompson, after pa
tient research and long continued APP
plication to laboratory work. brought
forth the new electric welding appa-
ratus. 4.
II the work accomplished by the con-
tractors who have been building cer-
tain sections Of the new subway Of
New York city is to be accepted as
excellent proof of the efficiency of the
electric welding process. then there
should be no reason for doubling tho
capacity of that process swiftly, eco
lnomically and thoroughly to fabricate
iocean- going steamships. This process
speedily repaired the German steam
ships that had been interned at New
York.
4 In the old days the blacksmith ac-
icomplished Welding by heating tho
metal in the forge and then by pres
sure exerted by hammer blows bring-
ing the elementary part into perfect
fusion so that the iron or steel thus
became identical In all its parts. After
Mr.. Thompson discovered the process
whereby electricity could be used for
welding the parts Of maleable iron,
steel. copper and. today. aluminium
men Of capital became interested In
| the discovery. A company was organ
i lied at Lynn. Mass. which at the time
was the home OF Mr. Thompson. Most
OF tho capital was furnished by men
who were engaged In the manufacture
Of shoes. The corporation was known
! as the Thompson Houston company.
which was one Of the first. to UNDER
take the development Of electricity for
industrial pnrposeSs was : Lynn COR