EDISON’S NEW IDEA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1440, 24 December 1886, Page 2

EDISON’S NEW IDEA.

In a recent interview with a oorr-’spon-dent of the Philadelphia Times, Thomas Edison, the electrician, referred as follow* to an Idea which he has been for some time considering ;—“As soon as 1 can find time to Florida, I am going to make some experiment with earth-currents. I can not d > it here In New Jersey, because there la too much mineral in the soil. In Florida it is all sand There are currents of electricity passing ail the time (brought the earth ; their directions, however, are unknown. I propose to arrange eight currents, radiating in as many directions from a central point. I will place a man at each ourcuit to teat the power of the currents. It is well known that if an earth-current crosses a wire at right angles there is but little if any appreciable effect upon it. The greater power is felt where the wire and currents run in parelled directions. In Boston 1 have ran a wire fix hoars with the Aurora Borealis without a battery. If I had had a rod at that time tanning from New Yorkjto Boston, I would have had electric power enough on it to ran all the machinery in Boston.” ‘‘After yoa understand that earth’s currents, what then ?” " Well, a knowledge of them may revolutionise the meteorological bureau system, and make it possible to forecast the weather exactly. I have an idea that it may do something still greater, but I do not care to talk about It at present. Telegraphic wires sooner or later will be a thing of the past, 1 believe. They are expensive and cumbersome ; and why use them if you can make an instrument that will be sensitive to the natural earth-currents.