Obituary

Mr. William Joshua Phelps died on September 3, at the Grace Hospital, Detroit, of inflammation of the brain, having undergone a mastoid operation on August 28. Mr. Phelps was born in Elmwood, Ill., Nov. 19, 1867. He was a graduate of Knox College, Galesburg, Ill., with degrees of A.B., and A.M. His first work was in connection with the mines of the Elmwood Coal Company, Elmwood, Ill. This involved making maps of all underground work to comply with a new law; installing an electrical pump and generating plant, on account of the unfavorable dip of the vein, the survey for the bore hole being made under rather difficult conditions, which at that period involved some original work. Later, he was retained by the city of Asheville, N. C., to examine and report on the street lighting system. In February, 1897, he began working on the incandescent electric lamps which have since become known under the trade name “Hylo.” This work was recognized by a silver medal in 1900, from Paris, and by a report of the Franklin Institute in 1903. The commerical turn-down electric lamp is now regarded as a permanent and useful appliance in electric lighting. This arrangement so common now as to be standard, involved a great deal of study and experiment by Mr. Phelps before it became practicable; indeed it was due to his persistent experiment and causing of experiments by manufacturers at his expense that made possible the low candle-power filament of long life and good efficiency. Mr. Phelps was also the inventor of the Phelps motorless flasher, which has proven to be of great use in the electrical advertising field. He also did considerable useful work in thermopiles, thermostats, and resistance metals. Mr. Phelps was elected an Associate of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, March 25, 1896.