Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-07
HOME ELECTRICAL
DEVICES POPULAR
American Housewives In.
crease Efficiency by Install
ing Modern Equipment.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW ORLEANS, February 7.-While
many branches of industry were feeling
the effects of a marked depression in
1880, the American housewife, through
sacrifices, was making the year a pros
porous one for manufacturers Of home
electrical appliances. according to Ger
ard SWope, president of the General
Electric Co, who is in New Orleans
for brief visit while en- route from the
Pacific Coast to New York City.
Despite the depression last year"
Mr.. Swope pointed out, "the sale of
home electrical appliances increased 10
per cent over that of 1929. The almost
miraculous turn of this era toward cleo
trical appliances Is of outstanding in
, terest to all branches of industry; and
the sacrifices which our housewives
have made to obtain home comfort with
the latest Improvements are marvellous"
Equipment Purchases.
The American housewife, Mr. Swope
continued, doubtless was affected by the
depression, but she did not permit
hard times" to prevent her from i'm
proving the home through installation
of modern equipment.
Predicting that great changes will be
electricity, Mr.. Swope quoted the Oh
servation of DR.. w. r. Whitney. re-
search director of the General Electric
| Co., that I'VE are kindergarten children
playing with mystery"
Without profits, the company'S presi-
dent pointed out, there can be no
progress in electricity, and his organi-
zation's research department is spend
| ing hundreds Of millions of dollars in
research because it has the financial
margin to justify it in taking
chance
| Pointing out that the economies of
increased efficiency in Industrial life are
vital to progress, he recalled that power
units today are one-third more efficient
than they were seven years ago.
These past 13 years We have been
| experimenting to make vapor OF mer-
| curry that will turn a turbine, and we
have succeeded" Mr.. Swope disclosed.
For exactly one year we have been run
ming one turbine by the use of vaporized
mercury and have run another turbine
| by the use of the steam that vapori1ed
the mercury and have condensed both
vaporized mercury and steam back to
mercury and water to be used over
again. The turbine utilizing the vapor-
lied mercury. Mr.. Swope explained, is
one of 10000 kilowatts and $4,000
| horsepower.
Il
Giant Turbine Started.
I'VE are starting to build a 10000
| kilowatt turbine driven by vaporized
mercury for our own use at Science
tady," he continued. 1T will be some
| two years before it is finished, and we
will have spent millions of dollars on it.
But we know that it will produce power
| one-quarter more efficiently than any
known power-producing unit in the
world today
Are we, in effect, in the stage-coach
era of electrical progress today, as
compared with 1892" he was asked.
Nothing stands STILL" was his reply,
land there is no reason / can see why
we should ever assume that the miracu-
lous progress in electricity these past
| few years has reached any ultimate
| goal. Every years research and expert
ence widenS our knowledge and shows
US tantalizing new miracles just beyond
the touch of our flngertips. OF course,
there will be progress and improve
ment."
Education, according to Mr. Swope,
Is finding devoted brother In the cleo
tricali industry. The pure science Of
| physics is being turned into immense
value along experimental lines and this,
J he declared, is boon both to the in
| duStry and the cause of collegiate
training in the sciences.
(Coryright, 1881, by North American News
paper Alliance)