TEN GREATEST INVENTIONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 7, 8 January 1914, Page 4

TEN GREATEST INVENTIONS.

I 1 The Seieutiiic American offered prizes (for the three best essays on the ten (greatest patentable inventions of xhe least twenty-live years. No two eomjptitors selected the same set of inven--1 dons. In fact, only one invention, (that of wireless telegraphy, was eonceded unanimously to belong to the' Jgruip of the ten greatest. The vote on aeroplanes was almost unanimous, j Tut beyond that there was no nnanim(ity Tin l -conditions of the contest ! stated that greatness would be mea-J

sured in terms of practical success and genera! usefulness to mankind; the competitors were Imucc.i to machines, devices, and diseove •es c.'.mmercially introduced in the last tnonly-five years, and sj>. ".d «m----phasis .viis laid on the laid that if c invention* irn’sl ho patent-,! ie. a I though not necessarily patented. Iho following twelve inventions secured tin' highest number, of votes, the number printed alter each representing a percentage of the votes given :—tireless telegraphy, 5)7 ; aeroplane, . •». X-ray machine, 7-1 ; automobile, tB; motion ] ictores, (id; i e nforced concrete. 37 ; phonograph, 37 ; inenn !e:--ceut electric lamp, 30 ; steam turEn ' 34; electric ear. 34; calculating line t-ii'i.i', 33; internal comhustion engine 33.