Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 48.djvu/213

Rh efforts. One singular example of lack of dignity in the paper under discussion is an attack on Lord Kelvin, describing a line of action of his as hitherto unknown among professional men, in which he attempts to take the edge off that statement by mentioning that distinguished man as his most esteemed and oldest scientific friend.

A remarkable thing is that Prof. Forbes admits that there are exceptions to his somewhat sweeping condemnation of this country, for, after making the uncompromising generalization about the average American, he says that it is not necessary to meet the specimen except in hotels and trains, and thereafter follows a list of no less than fifteen names in one paragraph of fashionable friends of his who were, of course, delightful, the bearing of which on the title matter of the paper is obscure. At the beginning of his article also he makes disparaging reference to our experts, and, at the end, "wishes to bear tribute to the kindly friendship which I almost universally experienced at the hands of American engineers." We have one fine sentiment to record: "An Englishman in America should always try to retain his Englishness." This should apply to any one who is proud of his country; but, unfortunately, the reasons the professor urges for holding that aim in view constitute only another fling at Americans.

Turning now to such portions of the paper as do actually bear upon the Niagara work, we have, as above mentioned, the professor 's remarkable claim to originality in the matter of the revolving fields. Again, in describing the steps leading to his choice of apparatus, he says: "I soon realized the fact that not only could the latter (alternating) current be more easily obtained at high pressures, but that it could more easily, and without moving machinery, be transformed to any required pressure at any spot when it was wanted." This statement, it is to be regretted, is nothing short of dishonest. Forbes is here speaking of the year 1890, at which date the fact that he refers to as having worked out for himself was literally the A B C of electrical work, and part of the common knowledge of thousands of "line" laborers throughout the world.

With regard to the two points so far mentioned the distinguished engineer has not sought to belittle the work of others, but only to magnify his own; he has not, however, confined himself to this more moderate course, and we find him stating that "the highest scientific authority in America had taken up the same position as Lord Kelvin," referring to the latter's alleged strenuous opposition to the use of the alternating current. The eminent authority referred to would seem to be Prof. Rowland, of Baltimore, This gentleman, who ought to know what it was he