Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, June 24, 1914, Page 8

. control the lights of a theater. A " Frenchman’s In- vention, - Perfected in the United States, Is Startling England—It Travels on an Electric Wave Cushion at the - Rate of Three Hun- 5 dred Miles an Hour. %8 Inventor and His Workshop — Practical Tests to Be Made Near London. * Spectal Correspon@ence LONDON, England, June._ ONSIEUR EMILE BACHELET, with his new ‘levitated raflroad, has as- tounded the sclen- tific, military and political world of Bngland. The high priests of sclence, the lords of. the ad- miralty, —members of the house of peers and of com- mons have in turn visited the workshop where this tenth wonder of the world is on exhibition, and they are amazed at his “fiying train.” They have mar- veled, too, how the United States, the motherland of the ingenious, has let this uncanny product of the scientific imagi- nation leave its shores. The levitated railroad is declared the Jatest word In transportation. A train traveling 300 miles an hour! That rate should satisfy the most rabid of speed maniacs; from New York to Chicago in about three hours! Your busingss man could take an early train, do a good day's work in the Windy city and get home in time for dinner with his family in New York. Congressmen from Manhattan would be able to commute over to Washington on train that would take about three- quartérs of an hour to make the trip. In England the principal difficuity will be keeping the trains from running off the island when they are once started. » * = In the opinion of many, M. Bachelet seems to have solved the problem of the next great step in transportation. A visit to his workshop at Saffron Hill, one of the oldest districts of London, has con- vinced even the skeptical that we are arrived at the period of the twentleth century which corresponds to the period of the nineteenth when the locomotive displaced the coach horse. His inyention overcomes that bugbear of the Milroad engineer—friction. The “flying train” does not travel on wheels, but on air. Not that it has any analogy to an aeroplane or an airship. Although, to the unscientific eye, the train seems to be resting on air, there is in fact an electric wave cushion between the levi- tators and the track, and this- supports the car in space. And while so supported it is dragged forward by another electri- cal current in much the same fashion as "SR fo aetive at o el o _arrive at a c - ik R, Soness mprenen, miracle to float forty pounds of steel, the Weight of the present model car, in the air—follow the inventor through’ his se- ries of illuminating demonstrations. While watching the experiments that give an insight into- the basic ' idea of the “flying train” you cannot.get rid of the impression that you are assisting at a private_exhibition of extraordinary conjuring. ~The whole performance is “magic” of a kind that exceeds the most astounding feats of Hermann, t’t The top floor of an old warchouse Is curtained off in green baize in a setting that is peculiarly suited to the manifesta tion of a mystery. When you pass the curtain your eve is first caught by what looks like the model of a section of the elevaled railway of New York. But on the tracks, instead of the ordinary en- gine and line of “cars, there rests what might be the aluminum frame of the model of a submarine. At one end of the room a girl, of ty; ‘cal American prettiness, sits before an electrical switchboard, such as is used to Do: center of the room is a series’ otv:a'cg(h:l posts about three feet high, surmountea by black steel cylinders eight inches in digmeter and five inches deep, Beyond these are the-dials of scales and weighing machines that remind one of a high-class butcher shop. Over beside the switchboard is a set of bells like those used by the Swiss bellringers in a vaude. ville fl.(:t.‘ Of these, more later. The ““wizard” of the revolutionary prin- ciple of locomotion. has about his per- sonality nothing of the occult or obscure, About fifty-five years old, stockily built, with gray hair and mustache, and gray- blue eves, mild, yet penetrating, he is the type of hundreds of other expafriatéd Frenchmen to be seen any day in_those e cafes in the French qu N iivtis ontie quarter of New As we enter he is testing 'th. of the electric current ta.ype?i !ft:;gn‘n:. local wire and passed through the trans- forming box, a black square contrivance packed with copper spools and magnets, and alive with sparks. In this secret box the magnetic electirc wave is caught and divided and changed into a ocurrent of repuision. * = * = The. current is now switched into one of the cylinder surmounted posts in the center of the room. On the top of the ®pool rests a disk of aluminum, elght inches across and an inch thick. Sud- denly, s though moved by some Invisi- ble agency, the disk begins to dance on the top, of the cylinder. Now it is raised clear and remains suspended in the air. Now it drops back with a metallic clat- ter as the current is shut off. This test reveals the principle - of the -levitated Bvery one is familitr with magnetic at- traction. Reverse that principle and you mw the lifting of the alumihum It is what might be called mag- Detic Tepulsion. This s 2 paradox. ot terms but it describes the force employ- the repellant current is turn- ed into the Bpools, try as you like you press the aluminum. plate down it What feels like a cushion of compressed air seems to resist’ your effort. It been discovered by M. Bachelet certain metals are repelled by it. Not that the inventor makes for having found out & new principle, but of applying an old one. For g# H 4 £ § current magnet has SR Mt At Maxim ToviNG been known In scientific circles for a number of years. This has proved to be a serious nulsance to electrical manufac- tures in all kinds of work. But_the credit of turning this phenom- enon to account rests with M. Bachelet. After exhaustive experiments with vari- ous metals he found that aluminum as pure as possible was the best for levi- tating purposes. * * * Curiously enough, the current has an entirely different effect on stéel. This metal is immediately magnetized and con- sequently attracted by the repulsion wave. To show this the inventor lays a steel disk on the spool, turns on the cur- rent and the pitce of metal cannot be pried- from its base. But place a slip of copper or aluminym between the steel and the spool and the attraction is over- come and the heavier metal is raised in air above the non-magnetized d.sk. To show that the current will in no way injure and that any number of Volts of it.can pass through the body without destroying life a bowl of goldfish covered with a copper 11d is used for the next ex- periment. Placed on the spool, the lid is lifted by the unseen force which per- meates the glass of the bowl and the water, where the fish swim about appar- ently unconscious of their electrified state. It ‘must not be supposed that when you see these circles of heavy metal floating in the air the attraction of gravity is overcome. M. Bachelet makes no such clalm. Nn fact, he takes pains to demon- strate by another experiment that the weight of an object lifted by the current is always constant. Two weighing ma- chines, already referred to, are used to show this. In each scale tray a wWeight of six pounds is placed, which registers on, the dial of the separate machines. The scale trays are placed one below the other. The mystic stream is turned into the weight in the lower scale tray and it lifts the ‘weight above it clear of the weigh- ing machine, so that the dial instead of marking six pounds indicates zero. The dial of the other weighing machine now registers twelve pounds, proving that the drag of the upper piece of metal, sus- pended in the air, has not been dissipated, but only transferred to the repelling me- dium. All of which is very illuminating. As the concluding one of these prelimi- nary_experiments the musical bells are brought into play. Beneath each bell—all of them are tuned to different keys—is an open- glass tube holding a ring of alumi- | num. The tubes rest on repulsion spools controlled from the switchboard and al- low the free passage of air. Touching buttons on the board, the current drives the disks up in the glass tube until they strike’ the bells. With a skillful touch the .girl at the switchboard gave a few bars from “You Made Me Love You.” These prefatory amusements are glven to make one familiar with the principle upon which the “flying, train” is operated. By. the time your attention is directed to the trainway—it is not a railway, for there are no rails—you are no longer sur- prised at seeing the laws of physics ap- parently defied. * * * The _‘““track” of the line; " which runs along the side of the room, consists of a series of spools, the current gvlinders of the preliminary experiments. The ‘“car’” used -is-a steel tube weighing .forty pounds, fastened to an .aluminum bed plate. And it is on this aluminum bed plate that the repulsive force, turned through the —spools. 'immediately ‘acts, lifting, the car clear of the track-about an inch and holding it there. Try as you will, you cannot force the steel tube back on the track. Now that the. train is suspended and a copper ring would float | free fromi all retarding influences, the pulling current is applied. ~This ac- complished by the aid of electro magnet solonoids or arches which span the track at necessary intervals. The steel super- structure. of the car responds to this mag- netic drag and is pulled toward the arches. As the car passes each arch it is auto- matically de-energized and the train comes under the influence of the next pre- ceding one. Thus it is dragged onward from one magnet to another, the speed being in proportion to the number and force of these. The spools or cylinders in the roadway which 1ift the vehicle into the air come into “automatic action through the me- @ium-of a live wire that travels with the car. Thus the train carries its magnetic field with it. ©One can test experimentally the fm- mense difference which is made by the lifting of the car in the air and destroy- ing - friction and its retarding influences. ‘With no current in the spools”it requires considerable effort to move the forty- pound tube along the roadway. When it is lifted clear of contact a mere touch of thé finger will send it on its aerial way. * - % The demonstration of the model in acy tion is truly marvelous. The heavy tube is placed on the track at one end and you stand expectently. M. Bachelet turns on the switch and the car suddenly rises into the air. For 2 second it remains So. Then another switch is closed and like a flash the train has literally flown from end to end of the roadway. It needs only this ocular proof to convince doubting TOoPRESS Down CARWIICH s SUSPENDED [N AIR._2 ones that the extravagant claims fof speed are in no wise exaggerated. And such is the model. Of course, the idea is still in the stage of trial and a number of 'questions will have to be solved before the practicability of the device will remain unquestioned. The first to be asked is that of cost, both ef con- struction and operation. A machine may work perfectly, yet may be so expensive that it cannof compete, from the eco- nomical point of view, with other ma- chines which perhaps may look inferior foechanically. ‘Or, on the other hand, it may achieve a result which is unattain- able by other means and which it may be therefore worth while to pay for at a high rate. Granting that levitated system enormous speed the installation of the would be expensive, the attained would justify its construction, say its adherents. But M. Bachelet has proved by experiment his plan of transportation can be put into operation at a reasonable cost. In the matter of operating outlay the cost to carry five pounds weight one hour would be one cent. Here is a basis worth figur- ing on. It is the present plan of the inventor to construct a full-sized “flving train” on a track laid out at some place convenient to London. His first line will be for express and mail only. Already he has designed a car suitable for the latter service. * * * Meanwhile the dusty warehouse down in the Italian quarter of London is the mecca of the great men of the city. En- gineers, electriclans, scientists, airmen, financlers, all troop into the demonstrat- ing room to see the wonderful model in operation. They come in a constant stream down the dingy street and climb the narrow stairway to the fhagic parlor. They all examine it closely, but with typi- cal reserve they venture no opinion. It is only when an expert like Sir Hiram Maxim enters the curtained experi- ment room that one hears phrases of en- Tue Moozi IN AcrIioN thusiastic praise. This venerable disciple of sclence came in a skeptical mood, but as the mystery of the plan was unfolded to him his vivid imagination saw in its of completed perfection the application this revolutionary principle of con: ance. He danced about the model like a delighted child sincerest congratulation Winston Churchill, who And he had nothing but to offer. holds in the English cabinet the position co: ing to Secretary of the Navy, other distinguished visitor. he was deeply interested; but h to venture an opinion as to the bility of the car. Beyond doubt ! rrespond- was an- e refused practica- On ‘the Job, by Heck! Representative Charles G. Edwards of Georgia tells a couple of stories about promi- nent southerners in Washington which afforded derable merriment around the House' cloakrooms, and hi te deal con- ve furnished ma- for of 1 a good chaffins. Repr tative F. Lever o Carolina is the butt of one of Mr. Lever is the champion defender of the farmer. He thinks, moves and has his being with one purpose in view. that of conserving the interests of the farmer. The other day he was on the verge of voting for one battleship when a colleague came forward with the inno- cent observation that two battleships would be a great boon to the farmer. Lever paid immediate attention, accord- ing to Mr. Edwards, who had been warned in advance and w sitting expectantly vo! nearby. “How will two battleships help the farmer?’ demanded Mr. Lever instantly. “Why, the farmers.will have to supply guncotton for ‘em,” replied his colleague. “Don’t you know the Navy Department already has a bunch of applications from farmers n your district to supply gun- cotton for the government's battleships if the Department of Agriculture will send them some, guncotton seed?” They left Mr. Lever wondering whether the reflection was intended for him or his constituents. Being a serious-minded man, he isn’t anv too happy over either construction. Natural. Whatever uncer- tainties mankind may feel as to the views and opinions of = York on reNg clence. art or all, the dark his politics, He's 2 Roosey to- forever t. not with but with capitals all to the bar on the a capital R alone, the way through final T. Neither does he hide his views in secret under a bushel, nor bury them in & nap- kin, nor, yet again, whisper them to the midnight reeds, like Midas' courtier of old. " He tells folks about it; no mat- ter what the subject of converse or controversy, he tells folks. And he loves to tell folks, too. “Here's a letter I've just gotten from a fellow to whom I sent a copy of my speech on the tarlff,” he remarked, with a broad smile. ‘Just listen.” And he read thus: ~‘‘Dear Sir: I've just read your speech on the tariff. It's mighty well you label- ed it “Tariff Speech.” T counted 'em up Representative { andler of New | there’s no ex- | use for its being| about | | What Better, Indeed? The effort to change the date of the presidential in- auguration from the 4th of March to | a more seasonable| day bobs up i House of Repr iveg_from -t time. “ During present hearing upon matter befo mittee was for 2 day on or ne the ith of March. It happened a terrific blizzard struck the capital that others bers, witnesses, reporters and : a gathered the blast rattied fercely the casements and the swirling snow | and sleet drifted high against the win- dow panes. When pearing on account of the weather Rep- resentative Henry of Texas, who is an seized the opportunity. Witnesses!” he excl cally. ‘Witnesses! There are our wit- nesses!” and pointed out through the windows. “‘Hear them testify! Boreas, the north wind, and snow and , sleet and driving storm -and - biting " cold! They are testifying to their presence here at this season—to their combined attendance upon the inauguration icere- monies of President Taft. What better and you mentioned Roosevelt eighty- eight times and the tariff twicel' " witnesses does this commitfee ask than these?” ardent advocate for a change of date, | Creoles. ole customs and traditios An Old-Timer. Albert Est Louisi: a Creole, the opinions old unde! regi one a hat may up-to-date by the 1 left, howe vid traditic proud of our ¥r |to g0 . | New Oricans. very morning. As the committee MeM- |, roja¢ive wio was a native and resident | like myself. | 1 took with of Now, ew Orleans—a Creole, although he was well years, he was as much a stranger and exhibited as much povel Interest in that some remark was| quarter of the city as thoush made about certain witnesses not ap- ibeen fresh from a foreign land. He knew New Orleans well; but it was | Orleans of old, the New Orleans of the There are many Creoles who have lived all their lives there lained, dramati-|age who have never been north of Canal street, the main thoroughfare. But, whatever may be the fat are far from dying out, if Col. be taken as a type. Representativ says that manners of proud people of the change within the| adoption of s of the opinal of himself | and these have marked e last, there | wide- be called Ameri Creoles. ver, blooc ench n car along in| he had the New into old e of Cre- certainly they Estopinal He has ten lving sons, all grown and, every one a mag- nificent specimen of young manhood. He, himself, endowed with an alertness of mind and activity of body rarely found beyond the morning of life, might well pass as his own son. Wins ENGLISH SLCRITARY e NAVY WATCHING DEIMONSTRATION TON CHURCHILL, g Also from the admiralty came Sir Henry Jackson, K. C. B.. chief of the war staff. He js the great English expert on elec- tricity and a recognized authority on its uses. In company with other officers he spent an hour and a half examining every feature of the model. » - * And so it happens that this new marvel of transportation finds its first apprecia- tion in Europe. Already the question of time saved in transatlantic malls is under consideration. With this new system in- stalled, the last post for New York from London would close forty-five minutes before the steamer sails. not the day previous, as is the case now. This would be an immense saving to business men. Agaln, looking at the proposition from a strictly European point of view, a mail from Paris to St. Petersburg that takes only ten hours would be a tremendous step forward for commerce. All that has been written about the time saved in mail service applies equally to the forwarding of express. Passenger transportation will be the last perfection of the levitated system. Innumerable experiments will have to be carried out before‘the inventor wishes to take the risk of sending human freight through the alr at lightning speed. This new railroad could be erected along the right of way of ‘existing rallroads. While it is a radical change from present systems, yet it is not 8o extreme an alteration as actual fiylng. it ig-idie to prophesy. Every invemtor expects discouragements. He knows be- forehand that, despite boasted craving for the new. nothing tikes hold with people as a whole so sloWly as an original idea that i revoluti in_principle. And it was a disap) t of this kind that ve. thi , mystic-eyed, ex- patriated Frenchman from- America, the land of his adoption, to.Engiand's shores. In that country he has found appreciation instead of neglect. There is he hailed as a genius Who has discovered a funda- mental idea which will be of enormous service to mankind. Children’s Beach Clothes. WI'H-I beach aprons of linen, made and stamped at 25 cents, and rompers of fancy rep or linen, neatly made and stamped for 50 cents, the busiest of mothers can have the children comfort- ably and smartly dressed. A mneatly made suit of white linen or fancy rep for beach and general summer wear has short trousers and a long blouse ont and long sleeves and dec- nd blouse. ron is made of matural col- viite fancy rep of lawn. It is ening in the back, where there very short sleeves, and 1t It siips on over the the child unineum- hort sleeves and front are ed In colors, using cross or iple embroldery im two or three s Fancy reps and linens are used to make rompers that are shaped with the upper aist_part and romper trousers with fancy cotton_belt. ece frocks and middy sul of various fabrics, and ezn be worn a fancy cotton belt, gne of patent 3 Stitened band, Of.the goods. work is especially guick when the em- bellishing is done in three or four shades. of cross stitch, and 1t I’ durable. » 2