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Volume 1 New York Story Chapter 12 Thomas Edison

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    Update time: 2012-06-06

    Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) is the greatest inventor and entrepreneur of our time. He holds numerous important invention patents. He was awarded the title of "The Wizard of Menlo Park" by the world media. He is  He was the first inventor in the world to use the principles of mass production and his industrial research laboratories to produce inventions.

    Edison had more than 2,000 inventions in his lifetime, including the phonograph, movie camera, and tungsten light bulb, which had a great impact on the world.  Most of the countless companies he founded were eventually merged into General Electric Company. The headquarters of General Electric is now located on Fifth Street in Manhattan, New York.

    Edison had just celebrated his 70th birthday, but he was still in good spirits. That night he happened to be working on a key military project in the General Electric laboratory with his engineers. In fact, if it weren't for the General Electric laboratory, he wouldn't have been able to do this.  project, Edison would not have stayed in New York so long.

    After marrying his second wife, Mina Miller, in 1886, Edison spent most of his time at "Grandmont," a large estate in Orange Valley, New Jersey, where his personal experiments were still indispensable.  room.

    What caused Edison and the assistants in the General Electric Company laboratory to rack their brains was the mechanical device on the torpedo. The invention of the steam torpedo in 1904 made torpedoes the most powerful ship weapon second only to artillery after entering World War I.

    The problem that Edison and General Electric Company have to solve is the misfire problem of the military's trigger torpedoes. The trigger torpedo hits the target, which activates the fuze installed on the front tentacle of the torpedo. When the force of the impact is too great, it often causes the firing pin and  The guide rail is deformed and the primer cannot be fired smoothly, resulting in a dumb bomb.

    Edison, who had been sleeping and forgetting food and sleep in the laboratory with the engineers for almost a week, had a lot more white hair on his head, but he was still at a loss to make a breakthrough.

    The concierge in the hall down below called. There was a young man who wanted to see Mr. Thomas Edison and said he had something important!

    The person who answered the phone was Charles Edison, who had been staying with his father in the laboratory for a week. Charles was the second son of Edison and his second wife. At this time, this boy had just graduated from college.  Also interned in a laboratory at General Electric Company.

    This guy¡¯s temper is as fiery as his father¡¯s. The young man who was driven crazy by the continuous experiment for a week couldn¡¯t help shouting at the telephone pickup that his father had improved and invented,

    "Assholes! Haven't I already taken care of you, no matter when you are on or off work! No one is allowed to disturb Mr. Edison when he is in the laboratory! Is your old William on duty tonight? Don't you want to continue working at General Electric?!  Send him away quickly. If you have anything to do, come back after work tomorrow!"

    Although the young man has a bad temper, he still handles things in a very orderly manner. After the death of Edison in his previous life, it was this Charles who took over the General Electric Company among the six children. This man also ran for governor in the future and was considered the most accomplished among Edison's many children.  One, but as he was only in his twenties at this time, he naturally had not yet reached that level of cultivation.

    Edison didn't even hear the call that Charles answered. This one of the greatest inventors in human history was basically deaf to external things when he was thinking. Of course, his long-term near-deaf hearing also affected his concentration.  objective existence.

    Charles dropped the phone and turned around before walking a few steps when the phone rang persistently again. The young man who looked exactly like his father burst out in anger, rushed over, grabbed the receiver and shouted:

    "William, are you crazy? Aren't you afraid of packing up and going home tomorrow?"

    A strange young man¡¯s voice came from the receiver,

    "I don't care who you are, if I don't see Mr. Edison tonight, it won't be old William the concierge who will be fired tomorrow, but you, the gentleman! I have something important to talk to Mr. Edison! I must see him tonight  himself!"

    The English on the receiver was fluent and proficient, and the tone was full of confidence and arrogance. Charles was so angry that he instinctively wanted to throw the phone down, but the young man's voice came from the receiver again,

    "Mr. Charles, I advise you not to throw down the phone. I know that Mr. Edison and his assistants are worried about the torpedo problem. I have a prescription for him!"

    "How do you know about torpedoes? Don't think that knowing what my father is researching can bluff people. There are so many people who know about torpedoes! Everyone can brag!"

    Charles is obviously a bit bluffing. Since the other party came to him at this time, he probably didn't come here randomly. It's just that Charles doesn't want to be overwhelmed by the other party's momentum. After all, he is also an Edison graduate with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering!

    The young man in the receiver is obviously a little impatientAnnoying, "If you don't believe it, my invention of the torpedo mechanism is different for everyone!" The other party hung up the phone with a snap!

    Charles is holding a microphone and can¡¯t come to his senses. Does this guy even know about the mechanical device?  At this time, Edison finally noticed something strange here, and came over with a tired look on his face and asked,

    "Who is looking for me? Why did the cat bite your tongue, Charles?"

    Charles stammered, "Father, a strange young man came to the concierge and said that he wanted to talk to you personally about the invention of the torpedo mechanism. His tone was shockingly loud. He dropped the phone before I even said no!"  "

    ah?  Edison, who was helpless about the torpedo mechanism, was shocked when he heard this. He rushed over, grabbed the phone and shook the handle, "Switchboard! Get the concierge, hurry up!"

    The call was quickly connected, and Edison asked repeatedly, "I am Thomas Edison, who is on duty at the concierge? Stop the young man who called just now!"

    There was a burst of hearty laughter on the phone, and a young man said in proficient English,

    "Dear Mr. Edison, don't worry, I'm still here. I, Wang Geng, just suddenly thought of an invention related to torpedo machinery, and I took the liberty to come to you at night. Is it convenient for you to see me?"

    "Wang Geng? Chinese? It's convenient. I'll ask Charles to come down and pick you up! You don't want to go anywhere! Uh-huh! That's it!" Edison hung up the phone, turned around and said to his son with a suspicious look on his face,

    "This young man is actually Chinese. No matter what, Charles, hurry up and invite him up. It's too messy here. Just go to the conference room on the third floor! I'll wait for you in the conference room. By the way, rent out the gate for him.  The fare for the car is paid first!¡±

    "Taxi fare? Wang Geng?" Charles naturally obeyed his father's orders and hurriedly left the laboratory while thinking to himself, why does this name sound so familiar!  Seems like I've seen it in the newspaper?

    Edison washed his hands, and while instructing the laboratory assistants to continue the experiment, he took off his white coat and put on his coat, and came to the conference room on the third floor.

    Soon, Charles led a Chinese young man in a windbreaker and hat and walked in.

    "Hello, you must be the respected great inventor Mr. Edison. My name is Wang Geng, a Chinese international student. I am currently in my third grade at West Point Military Academy and will graduate this summer!" The tall and handsome Chinese young man took off his hat and extended his hand in a friendly manner.  !

    The 70-year-old Edison in front of him has been one of Wang Geng's idols since he was a child. No matter what his knowledge and character are, his contribution to mankind is enough to offset all moral flaws. What Wang Geng remembers most is that in his previous life, Edison promised that if  If Nikola Tesla could complete the work of improving the DC generator, Edison would reward him with $50,000.

    And when Tesla almost redesigned and completed the DC generator a year later, Edison actually denied the credit and said it was American humor.  That was in 1919 in the previous life, which means that this story has not happened yet. Wang Geng does not want Tesla¡¯s tragedy to happen to him.

    So Wang Geng¡¯s plan tonight is to avoid rabbits and hawks. Asking Edison to pay the fare for him just now was just a trivial matter.

    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Wang Geng. You look so young. I haven't met many Chinese young people. Most of them are very smart, but they are rare who speak English as well as you. Charles is no older than you.  How old are you, but you look as rough as a high school student?" Edison gave up his seat and glared at his boy.

    "Coffee or tea?" Edison asked with a smile, "I spend all my time in the laboratory, so there are few people pouring here in the conference room! Do you smoke?" The old man opened the cigarette can on the coffee table and gave it to the Chinese young man.  ,

    "Aha, thank you, tea or coffee doesn't matter. If you stay up late, you must have this!" Wang Geng's eyes lit up, and without any courtesy, he smoked a cigarette directly from the Camel cigarette can in Edison's hand.  Come out and say with a smile.

    Here, Charles also came to his senses at this moment, and hurriedly struck matches and lit cigarettes for his father and the Chinese guests.

    "Charles, please bring us two cups of coffee!" Edison looked at the Chinese young man who was taking a long puff of cigarette in front of him, and waved his hand and ordered.

    Charles nodded, gently closed the door and went out. When there were guests present, and in front of his 70-year-old majestic father, the Edison children were still very well-behaved and did not dare to act arrogantly.

    "So, Mr. Wang Geng, you said you want to talk to me about the invention of the torpedo mechanism?" Edison looked at Wang Geng impatiently and said.
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