THE DEAF CAROLINIAN
PUBLISHED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, MORGANTON, N. C.
VOL. XXXI. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1925 NO. 4
Charles Proteus Steinmetz, the Little
Wizard of Electricity
By MRS. GEORGE DONEHOWER, IN KIND WORDS
In October, 1923, America lost one of
the most gifted and useful of her adopted
citizens, Charles Proteus Steinmetz, who
has been affectionately called “the little
wizard of electricity.” It was apparently
a matter of chance that his services were
rendered to America rather than to Ger¬
many, but thoughtful people see the hand
of Providence in the events that brought
him to this country, where his great dis¬
coveries were used for the betterment of
men rather than for their destruction.
Charles Steinmetz was born in 1865, the
son of a poorly paid railroad employe
living in Breslau, Germany. Crippled
and deformed from his birth, in full man¬
hood Charles measured only four feet,
with an enormous head between his frail
and narrow shoulders. Yet in this tiny
body dwelt a brilliant mind and an indo¬
mitable spirit.
Although his resources were meager,
the elder Steinmetz determined that his
gifted son should have a fine education.
By rigid economy he managed to send him
to the Breslau University. Here he
studied medicine and political economy
for awhile, but finally the true bent of his
genius asserted itself, and he concentrated
on mathematics, chemistry and electricity.
Germany was at this time under stern
and autocratic rule. The boy’s sympathy
was always with the common people, the
oppressed and downtrodden. The one
party in Germany which dared to rebel
against the existing order of things was
the Socialist Party, and a socialist Stein¬
metz became. The club which he joined
soon fell under the displeasure of the gov¬
ernment. Steinmetz and a number of other
members were arrested, and then re¬
leased, but one member, a medical stu¬
dent, was held for trial. As the accused
in such cases were not allowed to see
counsel or communicate with their
friends, their chances for acquittal were
but small. Steinmetz put his knowledge
of chemistry to work in an ingenious
effort to save his friend. He asked the
government officials to allow the prisoner
to have the necessary books to finish his
thesis, as well as writing materials, blot¬
ting paper, and a few toilet necessities,
including toothpaste. Permission was
somewhat grudgingly giv.en, and every
article sent to the cell was rigidly inspect¬
ed by the government agent. At the trial
the medical student made such a telling de¬
fense that he was acquitted. After the trial
it was learned that the blank pages of the
books which were sent him were covered
with invisible writing containing sug¬
gestions for his defense, and that by
means of the chemicals concealed in the
toothpaste and blotting paper he was able
to develop the writing and profit by its
suggestion. As Steinmetz had made the
invisible ink and planned the whole affair,
he became a marked man, but he managed
to escape to Switzerland, where he re¬
mained a year, and in 1889 made his way
to the United States.
A stranger in a strange land, he was
glad to obtain employment at $12 a week
with an electrical firm in Yonkers, N. Y.
His loneliness may be imagined when it
is recorded that the kindness of an ac¬
quaintance who invited him to his house to
supper one evening was never forgotten
by him. In the days of his prosperity he
showered benefits on this friend, adopt¬
ing one of his sons, and extending a help¬
ing hand to other members of the family.
Steinmetz’s genius along scientific and
inventive lines soon made itself manifest.
When the firm for which he worked con¬
solidated with the General Electric Com¬
pany, he was transferred to their head¬
quarters at Schenectady, where he became
consulting engineer at a salary which was
increased until it reached the sum of
$100,000 a year. He took the professor¬
ship of electrical engineering at Union
College, where his brilliant teaching and
the clearness of his explanations brought
flocks of students, so that the college is
now considered one of the best for this
study.
In spite of these exacting duties Stein¬
metz found time to lecture and to write
numerous magazine articles on his chosen
theme. As president of the American In¬
stitute of Electrical Engineering he was
usually called to close the discussion, and
to put before the members in a few clear-
cut phrases the gist of the arguments and
the general results of the meeting.
There are many practical inventions to
be placed to his credit. The motors which
light our cars, operate our elevators and
light our streets were invented or perfect¬
ed by Steinmetz. The Steinmetz Law of
Magnetism is an invaluable aid to the en¬
gineer in his calculations.
His greatest service to mankind, how¬
ever, the result of long and arduous study,
is the method by which the forces of river
and waterfall have been controlled and
converted into electrical power and safely
conducted over long distances. The Stein¬
metz method made it possible to abandon
the numerous small generating plants,
that were formerly used, and to furnish
electrical power from great central sta¬
tions by supply lines. Much has already
been done in this direction, and the new
generation will doubtless see developments
which will make our present facilities
look like child’s pay.
Schenectady was very proud of her dis¬
tinguished citizen, and his beautiful home
with its extensive hothouses and great lab¬
oratory is among the show places of the
city. That a poor deformed youth, coming
to a strange land without money or
friends, should be able to achieve such suc¬
cess is a convincing proof of the power of
genius.
His death is a shock to many who be¬
lieve he was on the eve of still greater dis¬
coveries. It was his dream that mechanical
power could be so perfected that men
would need to labor but four or five hours
a day with the rest of their time open for
recreation and improvements. In all his
work he was inspired by this desire to be
of help to his fellows, and America has
reasons to be proud of her adopted son,
Charles Proteus Steinmetz
Stop Your Car To Let Children
Cross the Street
Listen, Mr. Motorist! Have you ever
had this experience? You came to a cor¬
ner and noticed a child, or maybe two or
three children, on the sidewalk about
ready to cross the street. Have you ever
thought of the thoughts that might be
turbulently disturbing the little one’s
mind?
He has been told to be careful in cross¬
ing the street, and has been warned of all
the dire mishaps that might occur to him.
He has been told also that he must get to
school on time. The child stands on the
corner and when he sees an opening, gets
ready to dash across. Then your car
looms up like some gigantic ogre barring
his pathway. The child darts back to the
curbing, almost ready to cry with vexa¬
tion and disappointment and no doubt with
his heart pounding rapidly.
Now is your chance to prove that you
are human ! Step on the brake, throw the
clutch out and put the gear in neutral ;
then wave to the child to pass across.
Immediately afterward you will have a
remarkable feeling of satisfaction that
will more than repay you for the few mo¬
ments that you may have lost. There is
something about a child’s smile that can¬
not be measured in terms of this world’s
goods. — Hygeia.
