Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1919-01-03
Puzzle of Static Electricity Has Been Solved by r. 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


new law of nature"
Without hearing the rest of mod
est inventors assertions think what
that means. That is tremendous
declaration. 1t is epochal. Not since
the day of Sir Isaac Newton. who was
credited with the discovery of the law
of gravitation, has q real law of ma
ture been added to the worlds col
lection of marvellous scientific phe-
nomena. One may expectantly look
for the eighth wonder of the world.
Newton may have been modest
man. Perhaps all great inventors are
modest men. The fact that most of
them have been unfortunate in being
lily rewarded for their laborS might
indicate bashful nature. No one,
who has seen and talked with Roy A..
Weagant, chief engineer of the Mar
conf Wireless Telegraph company, will
dispute the fact that he is modest. He
is the young man who, after ten years
Of scientific research into wireless
phenomena, has solved the puzzle Of
static electricity and by means of a
new law Of nature has eliminated that
bothersome element from the atmoS-
phere so that wireless has become a
perfect means of communication for
extremely long distances. His inven-
ton has already been in use by the
allied governments during the war and
ne is ready and anxious to disclose the
new law Of nature" to the world as
soon as certain restrictions are re-
moved by the conclusion Of peace.
"A Simple Matter"
ut is a simple matter when once
you find the governing law" said Mr..
Weagant TO a reporter. radio ex-
perts have looked for it for years and
some of them have claimed to have
discovered it, but they were either
takers or had made honest mistakes
In scientific judgment. I have got it.
That fact can be easily demonstrated
and Will be at the proper time If I
should describe the details of the an
paratus 1t would be simple matter
for radio engineers to recognize the
new law. We feel constrained not to
divulge the secret generally until
peace has been concluded"
Mr.. Weagant said he was positive
the Germans had not made the discov-
cry themselves or had any knowledge
or his discovery. He declared that on
ly few days ago he was listening
to wireless messages being sent to
Germany and that the German opera
tor requested the sender to repeat the
messages and use more power. That
would not have happened if the Ger
mans had known how to utilize the
new method, the inventor said.
Static" has been the hoodoo Of
wireless telegraphy ever since Mar
conf convinced q doubtful world of
the actuality Of the new method Of
communication. Little buzzings and
big Gatherings along the air currents,
particularly on moist days, have per-
sistently interrupted the clear flow Of
the wireless messages and made their
reception practically impossible. The
Inventor described the sound in the
instruments as similar to that made bv
some one throwing handful of peb-
bles against glass window. On cold.
snappy days the adverse atmospheric
condition has not been so bad. But
the trouble was always the worst from
June to October.
Prophetic Decision.
Mr.. Weagant recalled a decision in
the United States district court on
January Z, 1916, in which Judge julius
Mayer made prophetic announce
ment in regard to the solving of the
static problem. 1t was in the case of
Kintner VS.. the Atlantic Communica-
ton company ct al, where the issue
involved the invention Of q new trans
mitter for wireless apparatus. Refer
ring back to the estate of the art" of
wireless communication on July 1.
1907, date figuring in the case, Judge
Mayer said:
ION that date there were Just two
possibilities: (D To annul, exclude,
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