Viewing page 68 of 141

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

locomotive, and they gave both themselves and us an awful scare when they flashed the thing over. It was as though a charge of dynamite had gone off, and the smoke and flames blew out across the floor for ten feet away from the machine. We were working outside the TDC room but I happened to be looking toward the open door when the thing happened, and saw the head end of the cloud of fire and smoke that rolled away from the outfit. I sure felt sorry for poor Faus who had charge of the test. He did it himself, changing a voltmeter lead from one scale to another on the instrument while the power was on and the generator running, happening to short circuit the power lines of the machine as he did it. He burned his arm but the worst of it was the shock; all three of the boys were going around pretty wild—eyed for about an hour afterward. You probably don't know what a flashover is, except that you've gathered it causes an awful disturbance. It is merely the jumping of an electric arc from one brushholder of the machine to the other across a gap of maybe a foot as was this case, which short circuits the machine, putting a terrific strain on it. You'd have to see and [[underscore]]hear[[/underscore]] one to really appreciate it. The report is like a cannon going off and the intense heat of the arc usually damages the machine, melting copper commutatot bars, terminals, etc. It isn't as dangerous as it sounds though, and the usual extent of the injury to anyone is a strain on the eyes if the person happened to be watching the machine when it happened, necessitating black glasses for a few days. What a technical discussion! I must stop it....... Yesterday I took two pictures of "Mrs. Kloss's little girl" so I can send you one and prove my contention about her resemblance to you. Probably, for that reason, there wont be the slightest similarity between the photo and Annabelle.

[[underlined]]To Willie, May 26, 1926[[/underlined]]: We were sitting under some little trees on the top of a high bluff directly above the beach and through a thin screen of new leaves, could see the blue water stretching away to the horizon. There was a little breeze, just enough to cause a succession of diminutive waves to tumble over themselves up along the pebbled shore. There is no sound that I love more than that of water on a beach or any waves breaking anywhere -- wonderful! The big grain and ore boats were passing almost continually in the distance, and occasionally a big white gull would soar across our picture, completing it perfectly.

[[underlined]]To Willie, May 30—31, 1926[[/underlined]]: Played 18 holes of golf Saturday in a blazing sun and then played some tennis in the afternoon in a still more blazing sun, resulting in a lovely burn, and now it's turning brown. Saturday evening, Burns and I and Mott-Smith went out to Waldameer Park, a miniature Coney out on the lake, and rode the roller coasters and chutes to our heart's content, besides enjoying watching the crowd. Mott-Smith is a new addition to our test crowd and is also a new member of our

Transcription Notes:
changed are to arc.