SECRET OF INVENTION.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17786, 10 August 1929, Page 14 (Supplement)

SECRET OF INVENTION.

SCIENTIST’S WONDER BATTERY. ELECTRIFICATION OF. RAILWAYS' Much excited speculation has been aroused in the Irish Free State since Mr P. J. McGilligan, the Minister for Industry and Commerce, wheedled £SOOO out of the Bail last February for a mysterious invention which he declared would revolutionise a certain important industry, but refused to disclose its purpose or character. The secret is now out. The invention proved to be a marvellous storage battery which can be charged and re-charged 'in a fraction of the time required to charge and recharge existing batteries. • Its storage capacity is equal to driving a railway train for GO miles, and if and when it emerges triumphant from the laboratory, where it is still undergoing investigation, it is likely to eliminate both coal and petrol from the world’s transport systems.

The purpose to which Mr McGilligan intends first to apply it is the electrification of the Southern Ireland main railway lines. Within the next few weeks, after it has passed a laboratory test before experts, it is to be tried out under actual operating conditions by the Great Southern Railway at their own expense. Even at this early .stage an estimate of the cost of electrifying the main line running between Dublin and Cork has been prepared, the figures, of course, being based on the laboratory experiments. If this line were electrified by an overhead line or third rail, it would cost £1,000,000; on the best estimate of cost that can be made at this stage, and multiplying it by two, the new battery would enable the line to be electrified for less than £BO,OOO. It would also enable the railway journey from Dublin to Cork to be accomplished in two hours, instead of four and a half hours as at present, with only two stops for re-charging. A company has been formed to launch the battery on the market with a capital of £IOOO, the Free State Government acquiring 51 per cent of the shares and a majority of the directorate.

The young inventor is Mr James Drumm, M.Sc. of the University College, Dublin, where, behind the locked doors of his laboratory, he has laboured on the perfecting of his battery. A native of Dundrum, Co., Down, Mr Drumm has a distinguished record in scientific research, and under the world-famous Dr. Knecht carried out valuable research work in natural dyestuffs at Manchester some years ago, while acting as analytical chemist to the Continuous Reaction Company of Manchester.