Ayrton, William Edward

—Born 1847, died 1908. An English physicist and electrical engineer. Beginning his work in the government telegraph service in India, he afterwards studied under Lord Kelvin, returning to India in 1868 to continue telegraphic work. At this time he invented the method of locating a fault in a cable by taking measurements from one end of it only. In 1872, under Lord Kelvin, he superintended the construction of the G. W. telegraph cable. The next year he went to Japan to teach physics and telegraphy, and after that a ociated with Prof. Perry. He carried on electrical work that greatly benefited the science of electrical engineering, especially in designing electrical measuring instruments.