San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-26
DIR. CHARLES P. STEINMETZ,
FAMED ELECTRICAL WIZARD,
DIES OF HEART FAILURE
Physical Breakdown, Due to Recent Trip to Pacific
Coast, Proves Fatal to Great Engineer and
Observation-Disclosures at Breakfast Table.

Shdries IToleuS Sbslnmetz- electrlCai
wizard, died at his home here today Of
physical breakdown due to a trip
to the Pacific coast, from which he
recently returned.
The attending physician said breaf.
fast was being served the patient when
suddenly his heart seemed to give way
and he died Immediately.
The American career of Charles p.
Steinmetz, AM. Ph.D.. chief consult
ing engineer Of the General Electric
Works. Schenectady, n. Y. had its
beginning in New York in 1889 where,
penniless and able TO speak but very
little English, he arrived from Zu-
rich. Switzerland. He was accompa-
MED by a young American who had
been his fellow student at the Zurich
Polytechnicium.
One side of Steinmetz's face was
badly swollen as the result of trif-
ling illness aboard ship and the i'm
migration authorities at Ellis Island
refused at first TO allow him to en-
ter the country. He was sent to the
UtH. anu WAS OliN
leased By the eloquence and persua-
sion of his American companion. A
few years later he became natu-
rallied citizen.
A Great Mathematician.
At the time of his death DIR. Stein
metz was regarded not only as one
of the foremost authorities on cleo
trical engineering. but one Of the
greatest mathematicians in the world.
Strangely enough. one of his greatest
difficulties as a child was in learning
the multiplication table.
Born in the city of Breslau, Ger
many on April o. 1855, and educated
at its famous university, young Stein
metz early became interested in So
cialism Z time when vigorous steps
were being taken against il by the
government. An isssie OF z socialist
publicefiog srsper.icl antSsas editors
interested and in which Steinnetz had
several articles, was confIscated. the
pdblicatio nsuspended and the cditt RS
arrested and Imprisoned. Stcinmetz
fled from GERMANY aud found refuge
with friend n Clergyman, near the
Austrian border. From there be went
to Zurich.
Writings Attract Attention.
Two weeks after landing in Amer
lea, Steinmctz obtained employment in
the manufacturing establishment of
Rudolph Eickemeyer at Yonkers, n.
Y. as a craftsman. At that time
the company was making a few cleo
trio motors and generators and had
Just taken IN work on the problems
OF the electric street ear. jointly with
Stephen ID. Fielc. All the designs
for the experiments with the electric
cars passd through his hands. Quar-
tiers for a laboratory were obtained
and he began TO specialize on mag
netic testing.
His writings On electrical subjects
began TO attract attention, his discus
sion of the law OF hysteresis elieiting
much interest on the part of electro
cal engineers.
In 1892 the General Electric Com
pany bought the electrical manufacture
ing bushes. of the Eickemeyer COM
pany except the making of motors for
elevators. Which the Otis company took
over to its own plant, and Steinmetz
went TO the Lynn (Mass.l works of
the General Electric Company. In
January, 1893 he was transferred to
the Schenectady works. and las since
that time made Schenectady his home.
In 1912, he was appointed president
of the board of education of Sche-
nectady. and in 1915 was elected pres.
ident of the common council of that
city on the Socialist ticket.
He never married.
Produced Indoor Thunderstorm.
raoant faat xr-bial, attroCfaI at-
tention to the work of the electrical
wizard was the production of an
artificial indoor thunderstorm, in
Guiding bolt of lightning. The
thunderstorm which DIR. Steinmetz
both produced and controlled had all
the characteristics of its natural
brother except the thunder clouds.
At demonstration of the Stein
metz lightning generator" in the
laboratory of the General Electric
company in March. 1923. the familiar
forked tongues flashed through the
air with n deafening crash. splinter
ing a large block Of wood. hurting
the fragments % feet and ripping
a miniature tree from tip to base.
The bolt carried the energy of
I 600. 600 horsepower, about one five
hundredths Of the energy of natural
lightning bolt. and lasted for one
hundred thousandth part OF n sec
ond.
ain our lightning generator Or.
Steinlnetz explained, "we get dis
charge of 10000 amperes at over 1O0,--
600 volts. lasting for one hundred
thousandths part of second. This
gives us the explosive. tearing and
shatterinr effect of real lightning, so
chat a niece of small tree exposed
to the discharge is mechanically torn
TO pieces. \ piece of wire struck
by the flash vanished in dust.
Interested In Socialism.
"The difference between lightning
energy and ordinary electric current
is similar TO that between n pound
of dynamite and pint of gasoline.
The pint of gasoline contains more
energy and can do more work but II
gives off its energy slowly while tie
dynamite gives off its energy explo-
sively all Mt once at an enormous late
of power
DIR. Steinmetz took keen personal
interest in socialism and in the work
abroad of Socialistic economists. Last
year he was n candidate on the Social
list marty ticket for the office OF state
engineer and surveyor and. although
defeated. ran well ahead of the other
candidates on his ticket. During the