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EDISON, THOMAS A.

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EDISON, THOMAS A.
(1847 - 1931) American inventor of the electric light, phonograph, typewriter, and microphone, to name a few. Considered perhaps the greatest inventor of the century. Fine content A.L.S. "T. A. Edison", 1p. 4to., Jan. 12, 1918 in pencil to Navy Capt. G. E. Burd who was assigned to submarine engineering at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Edison discusses his hydrogen detector which he hoped to see used on the Navy's submarines, in part: "…I enclose you the whole thing. What I cannot understand is the necessity of indicators & alarms, when Hydrogen in a submarine takes a long time to approach the danger point, the personnel could test at intervals & record in log. Thermometers are reliable but automatic thermometers are not. The little instrument is an instrument of precision, excessively simple…Officers of British Navy have tested it & government has ordered sample sent to London…" Hydrogen, an explosive gas generated by the submarine's batteries, had to be monitored carefully to avoid a disaster. Pinholes at top, some wear at margins, overall very good.