Honolulu Republican, Volume IV, Number 492, 9 January 1902 — JOSEF HOFMAN SAYS THAT MUSIC MAY MAKE MEN MAD [ARTICLE]

JOSEF HOFMAN SAYS THAT MUSIC MAY MAKE MEN MAD

IF IT ?? TRI E as th® po-t aT.rms. that "th* undrvout astronomer is nitii it is equally convincing :n V..< mind cf Jo«®f H'imian. th® r-nowaed young plan -t. that the trail who spends his days and nights in the region of sweet -ounds." without saving grace of bodily recreations and mental relaxation* from such a constant strain, will sooner or la:* r become mentally unbalanced. The list of musbiaas who have gone to th® madhouse is such a* to appal any youthful aspirant to honors in composition or the art of th* virtuoso In fact, not on® of th* great musli ians can be said »o b® wholly and at ail tim* s fr®e from any taint cf insanity. Music and madness se®tn closely al lied. Being a language of the pass : an ‘-motional vema<uiar. taking; up * he thread of thought into the higher region* when mere words have grown inadequate, constant pursuit of this mysticism has driven thousands to the asylum. And. now that th® stress of competition for the w-'rld’s honors and applause was nev- • r s' great, the danger of succumbing to some malady of th® kind is great'-r than ever. But Josef Hofmann is a man first and a musician afterward Wonderful as a performer, technically perfect, and with a keen appreciation of the spiritual .-gnifleance. he is yet enough of the earthv to appreedate also that there is something in music h<-side-s counterpoint and harmony; that good red blood and a sound digestion are just as essential to high artistic achle vt m®nt a s a mastery of thorough hass. and that the anaemic school of music is on the wane. Relaxation in An Automobile. With this natural desire to vary the musical grind with things muscular and recreative, Mr. Hofmann takes to athletics His latest love is the automobile, and while on his present tour through the i'nited States his first command upon entering a • Sty is that an electric automobile he p!act‘d at his disposal for a run at«sut now and th®n at pleasure between long and tedious hours of practice and the more tedious recital. Not only das Mi. Hofmann become an expert chauffeur, but he has also invented two variations of motive power whh'h threat®n to revolutionize the art of automobile making. Patents have been issued in for- • Ign countries on these valuable inventions and the p anist's first enterprise upon arriving here in America. a short time* ago. was to place I;is application with the Patent Office at Washington. Mr. Hofmann's attorney.- arc of the opinion that he has made* Improvements on present modes that will s rve to make auto-1 mobtling safer and swifter than ever j before. in commenting upon his inventions and liis love f. r the sport. Mr. Hofmann grows enthusiastic. "All mv musical friends take to sport of som® i kind or cither, with on® or two exicptiotis. 1 tnay sav, particularly those of the vounger school," he said. "You know that '1 de Res-zke makes horses his special study and delight when tu t at work in grand opera, and has indeed made quit * as much moneyin Europe running a stable as lie has achieved in music. "Mr. Gerardy. mv friend of 'cello fame is an all around athlete, particularly partial to the electric tricycle. He had one recently built of eight horse power, capable of Terrifi. speed, and holds prizes in contests of this order. ' M Paderewski is fond of sport, but his penchant tak-*s a milder form. He is very clever at billiards. P'Albelt is partial to the bicycle and has taken some long journeys on the Con tinent with congenial companr Rosenthal takes to Indian clubs, dumb bells and that sort of exercise, while l.evinne Is an all around gymnast and has taken prizes in athletic tournaments. You perceive that 1 am by no means alone in my predilection for things sportsmanly to alternate my musical work Gasolene and Steam Combined. “Naturally, when one is so enthus.astlc about a sport he sets his Inventive talent to work in the manner of possible improvement. While he is improving himself he feels it more e>r less incumbent upon him to improve the sport itself so far as he may "I discovered that whereas gasolene was the most available power for automobiles, it is also the most dangerous, and that, while electricity ■s least dangerous, it is not so speedy, nor has it the enduring powers of the gasolene or steam motors. "My invention combines gasolene and steam in a peculiar way. While gasolene is used, it is not a primary power. It is used to generate a high steam power, which steam is itself the motive power of the vehicle. Again, in the ordinary steam boiler the heat surrounds the coils of pipe containing the water, whereas in my invention the h«at passes through the coils by an inner tube the heat thus working from the centre outward. "Gasolene exploded through these inner tubes creates a tremendous heat, and the water which surrounds them, confined in th*-ir outer pipes, generates a terrific steam pressure instantly recuperative and even Thus, w th a single charging of gasolene an” occasional stops for water on the route ! can mak® the tear from Paris to Berlin without the usual inconvenience of hunting un establishments where this fuel is »• Id. "It Is my Intention to have several of these autos built as soon as possible. after completing mv patents in various countries, thns bringing my theories to a practical test. Every expert in me<hantc« to whom 1 have shown the plans, however, has pre t

de t- d g-- ? t things for tr. - : mprove-rr.t-nt on th- old system, b :b .n point c: -peed and saf -ty. f -haii manufacture on the Continent. and if ail goes well -ball on•doobtediy -.-ndertake some *sterprishere in America, as this is the coming home 0 t the automobile. Your eyejing movement has been of great benefit in the matter of good roads—- - metbir.g that is very lacking on the Continent, e*. *pt within a few miles of the principal centres. 1 took a bicycle journey from Berlin to Gosten recently, a spin of some three hundred and sixty k;los. and did it in record time, but the roads toward the Rus-ian frontier were unspeakably bad. for there i- little Incentive to keep the highways in proper condition there. ' Here, however. 1 note with great satisfaction that from place to place throughout the country there are excellent roads, even across the conti-bv-nt. and that there is gr»-at pride displayed in keeping them in fine repair. All this will do much to make automoblling in America a sound and practical sport." Mr. Hofmann's Inventions. This detail-d description of Mr. Hofmann s inventions is furnished by one of his attorneys; ' Mr. Hofmann's motor for automobiles and other uses relates to that > lass of motors, net as yet common, in which an expansive motive fluid i- produced for use in the motor of the st*-am engine type by means of the combustion of an explosive mixture and the combination of the hot gas* s of such combustion with water, which is thereby converted into aqueous vapor. "The important feature of Mr Hofmann'*- intention lies in th* fa- 1 thc.t h* constructs the appara':‘ so that the whole heat and force of the produets of combustion will be utilized in th* ir primary function ■ ! combining with the water to produce the expansive fluid in the form of aqueous \apor to be used in the motor. "The explosive action takes places very much as in an ordinary gas engine. hut the force of the ‘xplcsion is not expended in actuating a piston, as is the case in a gas engine. Such exph stve action is used for another purpose—namely, to i arry the gases oi combustion *to combine w;th *he water to form the aqueous vapors, which are then used in the motor. "The hot gas**s of combustion exchance heat with the less hot water, and the )att**r is converted into steam, which, mixed with tlfe cooled gases, furnishe- an expansive motive fluid very suitable to operate motors of the steam engine type for automobile or othei uses. "Mr. Hofmann's invention embodies a valualil* idea in that it insures a more direct and complete utilization of the fuel than with the use of the inefficb nt steam boiler. On th-- oth er hand, his invention gives to an automobile the smooth running qualities >f a steam engine instead of the jerkv and noisy action of a gas engine. Achievement' in Chemistry. "Mr. Hofmann, besides being versed in mechanics, has devoted much study t > th*- subjects of chemistry and electricity. and he has made practical inventions in those lines. On" of these inventions, which he has patented in thi* i'nited States and in different countries of the world, relates to a process of regrn* rating the lead peroxide el* tredes of accumulator batteries. "One of th** methods of r generating or recharging, chemically, >uch ele< trod* s heretofore attempted to be used, ha-- been by the employment of the hypoclorites such as chloride of lime. That was disadvantageous, be-au.-f during the oxidation of the electrode a deposit was formed, which had a bad effect increasing the internal resistance • f the battery, so that the electromotive force would rapid ly diminish. "Mr Hofmann ha< overcome those difficulties, rnd has demonstrated that the a-cumulator el etiodes an be regenerated by chemical means and in a practk ally feasible wav by the use of free hvpochlorous acid ic - lation. instead of th** troublesome hypochlorites This invention may se* m sim pie, but th*’ -implest inventions are generally the most important and valuable."