The Teenaged Inventors of North Seattle

Wilhelm and Wilden Niedergesaess, the young sons of Robert Niedergesaess, manager of the brickyard on the North Seattle waterfront, have invented a novel electric boat. The boys are only 15 and 13 years of age, yet they have displayed remarkable ingenuity. Their electric propulsion system utilizes two wires suspended from poles, similar to electric streetcars, but with the trolleys running on top. A system of automatic reels on the boat keeps the power wires taut as the craft maneuvers. The armature provides roughly one-half horsepower, allowing the boat to carry a one-ton load at three and a half miles per hour. Their father, who is knowledgeable in boat building and electricity, believes this technology could be applied to ferries across narrow, shallow streams. Beyond the boat, the boys operate a workshop near the brickyard featuring circular saws, lathes, and a forge—much of it powered by a water wheel fed by a spring-fed pond they constructed themselves. They have even electrified their family home, using a dynamo that lights their residence at night, and built a windmill to saw firewood. The younger boy, in particular, has mastered the mechanics of electricity to the point of lighting the fireplace by pressing a button.