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K.
The
aily Nebraskan
VOL. 1, NO. 91.
LINCOLN, NKB., FRIDAY, FKBRUARY 14, 1902.
V.
D
w
h
THE ELECTRICAL EXHIBIT
Display by the Electrical Department
Last Night Armory Filled
With Wonderful and Beau
tiful Creations.
If tho old alumni of tho electrical
engineering department could have
seen tho search light flashing down
Eleventh Btreet last night, many a
pleasant recollection of former char
ter dpy exhibits would have como to
his mind. The brilliantly lighted
gymnasium appeared just as in for
mer years except for the west exten
sion, and as before, quickly attract
ed tho visitors as they reached the
campus.
During a selection from the unlver
sity cadet band, tho .Tablochkopf
candles "commenced firing," and thus
opened the exhibit. Then various
pyrotechnics were displayed In the
shapo of rainbows and pin wheels,
with changing colors. Two wheels of
incandescent lamps were revolved In
such a way as to make the lamps ap
pear to strike each other and rebound
An electric sign made up of ragged
lightning under a pressure of 30,000
volts Indicated tho popularity of
"Bennie."
Tho evolution of the electric lamp
was shown by samples of the early,
crude contrivances, various brands of
modern Incandescent lamps, and flu
Mly tho Nernst lamp, which has
reached tho highest degree of perfec
tlln among lighting apparatus.
A klnetoscope displaying a skele
ton alternately removing and replac
ing his skull, and committing various
o'her hair-raising antics furnishe I
great amusement.
WireleHH telegraphy was explained and
messages sent through the brick wall
between the chapel and the armory
In order that the visitors might
have a more tangible remembrance of
the exhibit E. E. pins were plated
and distributed to the crowd.
mon who preceded him. Marconi, a
youth of twenty-two, would never
havo succeeded In sending a single
wireless mossago. But before taking
up tho Marconi system, let mo refer
to some early experiments In wireless
telegraphy involving other principles.
Early In tho days of tho first or
dinary telegraph, Samuel F. B. Morse
telegraphed across tho Susquehanna
river at a point whero tho stream was
about a mile wide. This was accom
plished by sinking In tho river two
largo metallic plates upon tho same
side of the river, one down the bank
below tho other a distance equal to
tho distance across or somewhat
greater. These plates were connected
BION J. ARNOLD
One of the Foremost Electrical Engi
neers in America Formerly
Student and Lecturer In the
University.
To bo a successful engineer not
only requires groat preparation, but
also natural inventivo and construc
tive genius. Then ono must possobs
that force of character that impresses
othors with tho possibility of tho ulti
mate success of his projects, and be
tenacious enough to carry through
plans' that may moot with opposition
from others who aro unable to boo the
WIRELESS TRLKwllAPIIY AND
HERTZ WAVES.
The history of electrical engineer
ing is largely the history of tho phys
ical laboratory. Beautiful things
como to light under tho hand of the
physicist. They grow and dovelopo
like children, but ero they havo
reached maturity they aro seized up
on by tho electrical engineer, to bo
trained and strengthened and set to
hard labor until their full measure of
strength has been acquired. Tho ma
tured device is like a strong man,
wonderful to behold, doing Its dally
share of tho world's work, but It has
lost much of tho delicacy and beauty
of Its early days. I have to Bpeak to
you today of such an evolution. But,
unlike most of the applications of
science, fully as much of tho credit
for the development of tho Marconi
system of telegraphy Is duo to the
mathematical department of science
as to the physical. Without the keen
est and most powerful mathematical
tools, In the hands of such an one as
Clerk Maxwell, the principles upon
which tho Marconi system depend
would probably not havo been discov
ered at all. Were it not for the won
derful labors of the older and wiser
I
BION J. ARNOLD.
together by a wlro In which was in
serted a powerful battery along with
a regular telegraphic key. On the
other sido of tho river were two ex
actly similar plates, conected In the
same way, but Including In the circuit
only a telegraphic sounder. With
this arrangement signals were easily
sent across tho river. Tho system
devised by Professor Morse was the
prototype of a number which have
Blnce been rediscovered and success
fully applied.
With tho advent of the telephone re
ceiver a new and powerful Instrument
was placed in tho hands of tho eleov
triclan. The telephono receiver Is
most delicate and will register wi
an audible click tue passage of a cur
rent too small to be noted by any save
the best of galvanometers. Another
and well known system of wireless
telegraphy employs tho telephone re
ceiver. Consider for a,- moment such
( Continued on page j. )
ultimate results of correct solutions of
engineering problems. That Blon J.
Arnold possesses all those nocossary
qualifications which go to make a suc
cessful engineer has been demonstrat
ed by his career, and though still a
young man, he stands at tho head of
his profession, and his ability Is gen
erally recognized throughout the engi
neering world. It has been his most
striking characteristic to keep In ad
vance of his profession, and In doing
this he has frequently encountered
strenuous opposition which, upon the
successful demonstration of his the
ories, has been turned Into well-merited
praise, and his Ideas havo become
commonly accepted practice.
Mr. Arnold was born near Grand
Rapids, Michigan, August 14, 1861,
and is a son of Joseph Arnold and
Geraldine Reynolds Arnold. His
father moved to Ashland, Nebraska,
with his family In 1864, and It was In
the public schools of Ashland that
young Arnold secured his early educa-
FIVE CENTS
tlon. Tho Arnold family Ib of Welsh
descent, the first members having sot
tlod In America In tho Colonial period.
On his mother's side Mr. Arnold comes
from Scotch ancestry. Aftor passing
through tho public schools, In 1879,
Mr. Arnold entered tho civil engineer
ing course at tho University of Ne
braska. Ho remained horo but ono
year, going to Hillsdalo College, Mich
igan, whero ho completed tho scien
tific courso and rocolved tho degree of
B.S. In 1884, taking the prlzo for a six
years' courso In mathematics, and
three years later was given tho de
gree of M.S. In 1889 tho samo Insti
tution conferred upon him tho hon
orary degree of B.Ph. for engineering
work performed subsequent to his
graduation. At about this tlmo Mr.
Arnold completed a post-graduate
Course In electrical engineering at Cor
nell University.
While only a boy at school Mr. Ar
nold was always building something,
and when twelvo years of ago ho had
built any number of small steam en
gines, motors, and the like, and at
fourteen had made a bicycle, tho first
one built In tho state of Nebraska, ho
having been guided entirely by an ad
vertising cut of a high-wheeled ma
chine published In a Juvenile paper.
At eighteen he had constructed a
small, working railroad locomotive,
complete In all details, which Is still
preserved. In all his work ho had
built his machinery complete from tho
raw materials with the aid of the
crude tools available In a new coun
try where skilled mechanics and good
tools were unknown. In this connec
tion It may be well to state that the
boy's home during his early childhood
was located In a wild country, wl '
three Indian reservations within a few
miles and no railroads, machine shops
or other Inducements to Inspire me
chanical genius. His tenacity of pur
pone, however, eventually overcame
the difficulties of his surroundings,
and at nineteen years of age he left
his western home to Beek Instruction
In the Enst, where he could be In con
tact with engineering works and the
men who made them, but without a
friend or even an acquaintance In his
chosen field. While at school he spent
his vacations running traction en
gines on western farms, bo as to gain
a practical knowledge of the handling
of machinery. While at college, dur
ing vacations ho traveled as an engine
expert for engine companies, and one
summer was engaged with a civil en
gineering party. His first employment
aftor graduation was as general agent
and expert for an engine company, be
ing so engaged for two years, from
1884 to 1886. He then went with the
Edward P. Allls Company, of Milwau
kee, as a draughtsman, but resigned
this position to accept the post of
chief designer with the Iowa Iron
Works of Dubuque, where he designed
much heavy machinery and many large
steam engines. He left there to go
with the Chicago Great Western Rail
road, where he became mechanical en
gineer, prior tn. this promotion haying
been employed by the company as a
civil engineer. It was this year, 1888,
that Mr. Arnold decided to specialize
In electrical engineering, and re
signed his position In order to take a
post graduate course at Cornell tin"
versity. Upon the completion of his
course he engaged with Thomson-
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