The New York herald., 1921-01-23
DR.. Coblentz Explains Invention
For Measuring Heat From Stars

were carried on at the Lick Observatory at
Mount Hamilton, California, fitted with
Crossley reflector. The reflector, is situated
at an altitude of about 1000 feet.
What Is the value of your invention to
scence?" Dr. Coblentz was asked He re-
piled that the discovery is too new for
science to estimate it's Importance.
DIR. S. w. Stratton, director of the Bureau
of Standards expressed the belief that the
principles of DIR. Coblentzs discovery will
become of great Importance in the CONNER
cial world, in industries where the measure
ment of high temperatures is factor. He
suggested for instance, that in glass fac
tories in blast furnaces. in steel plants and
similar places where high temperatures must
be carefully observed and measured to pro-
duce the best results, the use of the 'ther-
mocouple'' may become of tremendous i'm
portance.
In some of the intermediate developments
which led to the final discovery of the ther-
mocouple by Dr. Coblentz there was num-
Der of devices which proved of vast practi-
cal use in the war.
Before the invention of the thermocoupe
DIR. Coblentz developed the ''thermopile.'
This Device in appearance not unlike the
thermocouple, also reacts to the waves OF
heat or, they refer to IL In the labora-
tory, to radiant" heat as distinct from "re-
f1ected" heat.
the hands of a man in the trenches on one
side of mo Mans Land" in the vicinity of
the enemy's lines it would record the pres
ence of hidden foe even on the darkest
night. The heat from the foes body would
register on the thermopie, which also would
act as a compass by the same electric reac-
ton. and thus the foe could be detected. The
thermopie, 1t may be said is a small affair
that one could slip into the vest pocket. and
A. t-td m n1a Otrp
current, the remainder of the detection of
the presence of an enemy being completed
by simple apparatus.
It was of equal value in detecting tac
presence of submarines or of battles~rs
likewise of airplanes at night, locating them
with far greater accuracy than could be
done by the sound waves.
BY another principle which is applied in
the use of the thermocouple one is enabled
to signal In the dark over long distances,
using the Morse code in much the same
manner as IL is used In sunlight by the
heliograph.
Going back for a moment to the rank DR..
Coblentz takes among scientists, DIR. STRAIT
ton says of him that there are but three,
or possibly four, other men in the world who
know as much about his subject, astro-
physics Most of his research work has
been performed during the years he has
been working in the Bureau of Standards
beginning in 1905
The Modest Discoverer
Is a Bachelor From Ohio
DIR. Coblentz is Al years old, bachelor,
was born In Ohio in 1873 and began life on
a farm. He always manifested deep inter-
est in mechanics. electricity and similar
subjects in their simpler forms. 1t was not
until 1896. however, that he undertook to
obtain a college education and as he says
of himself. 'I began rather late and so was
slow in arriving
That he has arrived" and will remain at
the top Is manifest His scientific interest
and devotion to the work in his laboratory
have several times prevented him from ac-
cepting f1attering commercial offers com
manding much better remuneration than is
afforded by the mesgre Government salary.