Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18

OF UOTp6QO6S ny SuULIldt
Water-penetrating projectiles and tur-
bine- headed projectiles, observation Of
periscopes by a silhoutte process reduc-
ton OF the rolling of ships at sea,
induction balance for submarine detec-
ton, stability of submerged submarines,
a method of "blinding" submarines and
periscopes.
What was regarded as one Of the
most important of the protective inven-
lions was Edison's device for quickly
changing the course Of ship out OF
the path of torpedo. With his listen
ing device aboard vessel 1t was pos
5ible to hear a torpedo as far away as
5000 yards. In test, ship 1926 feet
long, loaded with 1900 tons Of coal,
was turned at right angles to her pre-
vious course with an advance Of only
200 feet
After the war Mr.. Edison resumed
the direction of his personal affairs
and continued improving and perfect
ing many technical processes and
mechanisms. Upon the completion OF
these he turned his attention to the
production of rubber in the United
States.
Hearing Became Defective.
Manv wears ago Mr.. Edison's hear
ing became defective and in later years
it was said that so far as noise was
concerned Broadway to him was as
quiet as a village street. The defect,
rather than being a handicap to the
inventor, was said to have been oless-
ing in that it sheltered him from use
less irritations and annoyances. He
once said it was nothing to worry, aoout,
that within 100 years everybody Wouio
be deaf because of our increasingly
noisy civilization"
Mr. Edison was an indefatigabie
worker, a fact that was the basis OF
several stories regarding the small
amount of sleep in which he INDUCED.
However, he was known to have put
in long hours at his laboratory, hours
that were interrupted at times only
when Mrs. Edison drove in an tlectIlc
runabout and its successor automopiies
to the laboratory and insisted that ne
take a recess for a drive. Usually
there were arguments about the useless
loss of time, but usually Mrs. EDISON
had her way.
The inventor insisted that most peo-
pie ate too much and slept 100 much
When he reached his sixty-fifth birth
day anniversary he figured that at enat
time he had lived lis years. lnat Is,
he explained, working as other men
do have done enough TO make me
liz wears old And I nope to keep on
for 81 wears more, which. figuring al
the average mans labor per day, Woulo
make me 1855 years old. Then ! may
learn to play bridge with the iaoles,
In the later years Of his life' Mr. Eur
sons birthday anniversaries were leeVS
nized all over the world ana were VI.
occasions for congratulatory nlessasI %
from rulers and prominent persons IN
manv countries And on those days ne
usually had a message for the world
delivered in the course OF interviews
with newspaper men.
Durinp one of these interviews ne
was asked. if he thought it FAIR ques-
tion. what vas his income from IN
candescent larps, monographs; movlng
pictures. telephones, storage oatUeIleS
and other products OF his inventions
which had been patented and CONNER
cialized.
why. Id tell you in a minute II
knew exactly myself" he replied. but
/ don't. The only way for me to get
rich is to die 1 make whole lot ot
money, but 1 save only what would be
the salary of railroad president
Money always had habit of getting
away from me because I am always ex-
per.menting and that costs heap.
Knowing his weakness for money, ne
said that when he SOLO 10 LIle WSSSiI
Union the inventions he had contr1ved
for that company, it paid him 100000
but he declined to take 1t in lump
sum. Remarking that that was lot
of money at that time. he said: Il
knew I was a goner If took all that
money at once So I made the agree
ment read that was to get 1t IN IT
installments They lasted over II years
and 1 kept feeding EN- into the MILL
The total product of that mill was
prodigious. BY 1928 when he received
the Congressional Gold Medal, Mr..
Edison had taken out 1928 patents and
the monetary value of the industries
either based wholly upon his inventions
or materially aided by his discoveries
was estimated officially at the Midas
like total of $15,599, 100000.
This indicated that the inventor had
been instrumental in adding an average
of S30000,000 year or more to the
Nations wealth over a period Of more
than half a century, the list OF enter
prises in which he could claim a part
ranging from the telegraph, to which
he devoted his earliest attention. down
to the moving pictures and radio.
Value Of His Inventions.
The National Congress made this ON
cial summary of the worth of the in
ventor to the Nation: