[Tesla's proposed =
arrangement of balloon stations
for transmitting electricity without =
wires.]=20
NOT to stagger on being shown through the = laboratory=20 of Nikola Tesla requires the possession of an uncommonly sturdy mind. = No person=20 can escape a feeling of giddiness when permitted to pass into this=20 miracle-factory and contemplate for a moment the amazing feats which = this=20 young man can accomplish by the mere turning of a hand.=20
Fancy yourself seated in a large, well- lighted room, with mountains = of=20 curious-looking machinery on all sides. A tall, thin young man walks up = to you,=20 and by merely snapping his fingers creates instantaneously a ball of = leaping=20 red flame, and holds it calmly in his hands. As you gaze you are = surprised to=20 see it does not burn his fingers. He lets it fall upon his clothing, on = his=20 hair, into your lap, and, finally, puts the ball of flame into a wooden = box.=20 You are amazed to see that nowhere does the flame leave the slightest = trace,=20 and you rub your eyes to make sure you are not asleep.=20
The odd flame having been extinguished as miraculously as it = appeared, the=20 tall, thin young man next signals to his assistants to close up all the = windows. When this has been done the room is as dark as a cave. A = moment later=20 you hear the young man say in the laboured accentuation of the = foreigner: "=20 Now, my friends, I will make for you some daylight." Quick as a flash = the whole=20 laboratory is filled with a strange light as beautiful as that of the = moon, but=20 as strong as that of old Sol. As you glance up at the closed shutters = on each=20 window, you see that each of them is as tight as a vice, and that no = rays are=20 coming through them. Cast your eyes wherever you will you can see no = trace of=20 the source of the odd light.=20
Scarcely have you begun to marvel when the light goes out by a touch = on a=20 button by the young man's hand. The room is in darkness again until the = same=20 laboured accentuation causes the reopening of all the shutters. Some = animal is=20 now brought out from a cage, it is tied to a platform, an electric = current is=20 applied to its body and in a second the animal is dead. The tall young = man=20 calls your attention to the fact that the indicator registers only one = thousand=20 volts, and the dead animal being removed, he jumps upon the platform = himself,=20 and his assistants apply the same current to the dismay of the = spectators.=20
You feel a creeping sensation course up your back, and you see the = indicator=20 slowly mounting up to nine hundred, and then one thousand volts, and = you=20 involuntarily close your eyes, expecting the young man to fall dead = before you=20 the very next minute. But he does not budge. Quickly the indicator goes = up, up,=20 up, until presently it shows that ten thousand volts, then two million = volts of=20 electricity are pouring through the frame of the tall young man, who = does not=20 move a muscle.=20
[Nikola Tesla = holding in=20 his hands balls of flame.]=20
At a sign, the current is stopped, the room is again made dark as = night, and=20 presently the visitor sees the sharply-defined black silhouette of the = young=20 man, with a beautiful halo of electricity in the background, formed by = myriads=20 of tongues of electric flame which are darting out from every quarter = of the=20 tall, thin frame. The place is lighted once more, and as the young man = comes up=20 to you and shakes your hand, you twist it about in the same fashion as = you have=20 seen people do who hold the handles of a strong electric battery. The = young=20 man is literally a human electric " live wire."=20
To tell of these and a thousand other wonders that Tesla does in a = trice=20 gives only a faint conception of their effect on the visitor. To really = appreciate them one must see, hear, and feel them in the flesh. It is a = scientific treat of a lifetime, but it is a treat that few can enjoy, = for the=20 laboratory of Tesla is securely locked against everyone not provided = with an=20 introduction from a personal friend of the audacious wizard.=20
"Oh, pshaw! these are only a few play- things," Nikola Tesla replies = when=20 the visitor puts into words the astonishment he has experienced; " none = of=20 these amount to anything--they are of no value to the great world of = science.=20 But come over here and I will show you something that will make a big=20 revolution in every business and home as soon as I am able to get the = thing=20 into working form," and then he leads the way through a forest of = queer-looking=20 discs and mysterious coils of copper and steel, until the party reaches = a=20 raised wall of masonry, on which reposes a long cylinder of glass = filled with=20 water, and surrounded by a circle of large mirrors. The roof over this=20 apparatus is of glass, and as the sun pours its rays through this, the = rays=20 strike the mirrors and are reflected again towards the glass cylinder,=20 magnifying glasses intensifying the heat of the rays before they = strike the=20 cylinder.=20
"This is the experimental model of the apparatus with which I hope = some day=20 to so harness the rays of the sun that that heavenly body will operate = every=20 machine in our factories, propel every train and carriage in our = streets, and=20 do all the cooking in our homes, as well as furnish all the light that = man may=20 need by night as well as by day. It will, in short, replace all wood = and coal=20 as a producer of motive power and heat and electric lighting=20
The plan of Nikola Tesla to harness the rays of the sun to do man's = bidding=20 is probably the boldest engineering feat that he or anyone else has = ever=20 attempted. Though the idea is so great, its principle is so simple that = a=20 schoolboy can readily comprehend it. It consists of concentrating the = heat of=20 the sun on one spot (the glass cylinder) by the series of complicated = mirrors=20 and magnifying glasses until the resulting heat is something terrific.=20
This manufactured heat is directed upon the cylinder filled with = water. This=20 water is chemically prepared so that in a short time the water has = evaporated=20 into steam and has passed from the cylinder through a pipe and into = another=20 chamber, In the latter place this sun-made steam is made to operate a=20 steam-engine of ordinary construction, the horse-power of which will be = determined by the size of the apparatus by which the sun generates = steam in=20 that spot. This steam-engine is used to generate electricity. And this=20 electricity can be either used at once or else stored up in storage = batteries=20 to be used on days when there is no sunlight.=20
It will be seen that the object of this plan of Tesla is. to do away = with=20 coal, wood, or other fuel, in the manufacture of steam. The remainder = of his=20 invention calls for the use of this sun-made steam-pressure, as = steam-pressure=20 made from coal is at present in use, throughout the world. The = advantage of=20 this Tesla invention is that the cost of manufacturing steam to = generate=20 electricity, which would propel say one hundred tram cars, would be = infinitely=20 smaller than the cost of the coal required to produce the power to do = the same=20 work. The cost of manufacturing the electricity to operate these one = hundred=20 tram cars by the Tesla plan, when once the sun station has been = completed,=20 would only be a sufficient amount to pay the salaries of a few = engineers in=20 charge of the sun-station.=20
"In this way electricity will be so cheapened," says Mr. Tesla, " = that it=20 will be possible for the poorest factory-owner to use it as a power at = a=20 smaller cost than steam. Electricity will in this way supplant steam as = a=20 motive power on all railways and -- in the shape of storage batteries = -- on all=20 water vessels. And the humblest citizen will profit by the new system = of=20 producing electricity; for he can have it in his home to do all his = cooking and=20 lighting and heating. and it will be even cheaper for him than coal, = wood, or=20 petroleum."=20
It is, of course, not the intention of Mr. Tesla that one sun-station = will=20 provide all the electricity for the whole world. His scheme is that in = every=20 city and town the local authorities shall build one or more of these=20 sun-stations by public taxation for the use of the whole population, = just as=20 these cities now have waterworks and gas plants. Each factory and home = will=20 then get its supply of electricity from the nearest sun-station by = ordinary=20 electric wires.=20
Any person can appreciate the big boon that Tesla will confer on = humanity by=20 the early completion of this master task. Among other things it will = solve a=20 question that has been occupying the minds of scientific men for a long = time,=20 viz: As the supply of coal in the earth will be exhausted in about: = thousand=20 years, what are we going to do for fuel? " It was when Tesla first = thought=20 about the question that he turned his mind to the invention of some = form of=20 making power that would not depend upon coal. The plan to harness the = sun's=20 rays is the result.=20
Quite independent of his scheme to harness old Sol, but yet capable = of=20 cooperation with it, is Tesla's invention to transmit electrical power = without=20 the use of wires, This consists of a means of generating electricity in = one=20 spot, where it can be done with little cost, and transmitting the = electricity=20 to some other spot where it is impossible to generate electricity = except at a=20 big outlay of money.=20
Of course, it is now possible to transmit electrical power from one = place to=20 another by the use of electrical cables, but the cost of these = transmitting=20 cables is nearly as great as would be the cost of generating the = electricity=20 itself in the locality to which it is desired to transmit it. By the = use of=20 Tesla's invention, the atmosphere takes the place of the electrical = cables in=20 the transmission of the power, and as the use of the atmosphere would = be free,=20 the cost of the transmission ofelectricity from one city to another = would be=20 merely nominal.=20
To make the atmosphere take the part of the costly cables, Tesla's = plan is=20 to erect large power stations at every spot where a great waterfall = like=20 Niagara, for instance, makes the cost of generating electricity only = trifling=20 when the apparatus has once been constructed.=20
Above each of the stations Tesla wants to build a high tower, over = which=20 will be suspended a large balloon. As the electricity is generated in = the=20 station below it is conveyed by cables to the tower, and thence to the = balloon,=20 where the electricity is set free into the atmosphere. As the = atmosphere at=20 this height is much rarefied, and as Tesla has demonstrated rarefied = atmosphere=20 to be a good conductor of electricity, the electricity which is thus = set free=20 will be carried on by the atmosphere to any indefinite distance.=20
The second part of the Tesla plan for transmitting electrical power = without=20 wires calls for the erection of receiving stations wherever desired. = These will=20 act as sort of receivers and storage houses for the electricity set = free into=20 the atmosphcre at the generating station miles away. Over each of the = receiving=20 stations will be put up a tower and a balloon, which will be equipped = with the=20 apparatus necessary to absorb the free electricity in the atmosphere = and send=20 it to the receiving station below, from which it can be sent out on = wires to=20 light the surrounding country and drive all the machinery of that = particular=20 district.=20
It will be observed that in this scheme Tesla depends on getting his=20 electricity through the agency of the waterfalls, while in the = previous scheme=20 he depends upon the agency of the sun for the same purpose. but the = inventor is=20 far from believing that the two schemes will conflict. He believes that = when=20 both inventions come into popular use they will work together for the = common=20 good of man. "The agency of waterfalls to generate electricity could be = used=20 when that agency is most convenient in view of natural conditions," = says Tesla,=20 " and the agency of the sun could be used in all other cases. But my = scheme of=20 transmitting electrical energy without wires can be applied with = equally good=20 results to both systems."=20
Of all the great inventions which Tesla has well on the way towards = that=20 point where they can be given to the world for every-day use, his = wireless=20 telegraphy invention is the furthest advanced, All that is necessary = now is the=20 formation of a company to put up the public station. The principle of = this=20 invention is almost too well known now to bear extended explanation. = Briefly=20 described, it consists of constructing an apparatus to stir up the = electric=20 currents in the earth in such a way that their disturbance will be felt = on a=20 second apparatus fitted up in a different part of the world. Different=20 disturbances of the electric currents produce correspondingly = different=20 impressions on the second apparatus --the receiver--and in this way an=20 intelligible code is readily arranged.=20
For the benefit of non-scientific people the great inventor has = described=20 for me his wire-less telegraphy invention in the following words:=20
"Imagine you have on a table before you an immense rubber bag snugly = filled=20 with water. I take a rubber tube with a piston-rod in it and insert the = tube=20 into the rubber bag. When I press on the piston-rod I compress the = water in the=20 bag so that it expands the bag.=20
"When I withdraw the piston," continued Tesla, " the bag will shrink = just so=20 much as there is water drawn up into my tube; and now if I put a second = tube=20 with a piston-rod into the bag at the other end, at every pressure of = the first=20 piston-rod the effect will be felt and measured in the second tube. Now = if a=20 certain action of one piston-rod indicates a certain word or a certain=20 sentence, if you watch the other piston-rod carefully you may easily = read it.=20 This is exactly what takes place in wireless telegraphy," concluded = Tesla; "=20 let the rubber bag stand for the earth, the water for the electric = currents in=20 the earth, and the two tubes and piston-rods for a sending oscillator = and=20 receiving oscillator. One sort of disturbance by one oscillator means = a=20 certain sentence, and when this particular disturbance is recorded on = the=20 second oscillator the operator there knows exactly how to interpret = it."=20
The "oscillators " to which the inventor refers are huge discs on = which are=20 insulated hundreds of coils of copper wire whose ends connect with the = centre=20 of the disc, where there is a huge round copper ball. They are really = the only=20 apparatus required for wireless telegraphy. To operate them Tesla = simply turns=20 the transmitting oscillator face downwards, and turns on a current = which causes=20 immense tongues of visible electric flashes to leap from the ball into = the=20 ground. The receiving oscillator has a delicate contrivance which = throbs with=20 each disturbance of the earth's electric currents and records them on a = specially contrived apparatus.=20
Not the least fascinating of Tesla's numerous inventions is one to = which he=20 has given the name of " visual telegraphy." With this apparatus one = person has=20 only to look into the receiver of an ordinary telephone in one city, = and, while=20 talking to a friend a thousand miles away, he can watch the expression = on the=20 other's face, criticise the cut of his new suit of clothing, or advise = him what=20 to do for that tired look about the eyes. In this invention the = experimental=20 apparatus has proved thoroughly successful. The principle of this = invention is=20 that just as much as sound-waves make an impression on the immediate=20 atmosphere, so do light waves make their impression.=20
[Nikola Tesla's = wireless=20 telegraphy apparatus.]=20
"Now, as sound waves of the human voice are transmitted miles and = miles by=20 the present telephone after their impression is made on the telephone=20 transmitter," says Mr. Tesla, " just so my experiments have = demonstrated that=20 the light waves of the human body can be transmitted by a different = sort of=20 telephone miles and miles away. All we need is the invention of a new=20 transmitter. As the impressions of light waves are so many times more = delicate=20 than the impressions of sound waves, it follows that to transmit the = impression=20 of the human face, for instance, we require a transmitter many times = more=20 delicate. Now, selenium being an extremely sensitive substance, I have = utilised=20 this material in the construction of the transmitter which I have just=20 described, and I have found it to be perfectly satisfactory."=20
To make our homes, our offices, and the streets at midnight as light = as day,=20 is another of the great tasks which Mr. Tesla set out for himself many = years=20 ago. His hope was to invent a new kind of electric light which would = have the=20 strong, steady glow of sunlight.=20
That Tesla has succeeded in his dream to make artificial daylight = there can=20 be no doubt. To every visitor of his laboratory he shows numerous balls = of=20 glass of different sizes which look like miniature suns. The glass = balls are=20 perfectly empty, there are no wires in them, nor are there any wires on = the=20 outside of them. They do not burn the fingers when they are touched. = The light=20 does not hurt the eyes as sunlight and ordinary electric light do.=20
By the time this article is published, a number of the leading New = York and=20 Chicago photographers will have their studios supplied with the new = artificial=20 daylight.=20
"The reason I have chosen to introduce the new daylight to the = photographers=20 first," says the inventor, " is that I believe them to be the severest = critics,=20 and most hard to please in the matter of light. If it succeeds with = them, a new=20 light will succeed everywhere."=20
Not the least ingenious of Tesla's great schemes is his invention to=20 fertilise impoverished land by electricity. When Tesla has a company = formed to=20 put this invention on the market it will no longer be necessary for the = farmer=20 to spend half his year's receipts in purchasing fertilisers. He has = only to buy=20 an electric fertiliscr of his own, which he can secure for a trifle at = the=20 nearest town.=20
Dumping a few loads of loose earth into the fertiliser, it comes out = at the=20 other end, ready to be spread over the surface of the impoverished = ground,=20 where it will insure for the Eollowing season the luxurious crop of the = virgin=20 soil.=20
The explanation which Mr. Tesla gives of just why so simple a piece = of work=20 should be productive of such wonderful results is not difficult to = comprehend.=20 " Everyone knows," says he, " that the constituent of a fertiliser = which makes=20 the ground productive is its nitrogen. Everybody knows also that = nitrogen forms=20 four-fifths of the volume of the atmosphere above that piece of = unfertile land.=20 This being the case it occurred to me: 'Where is the sense in the = farmer buying=20 expensive nitrogen when he has it free of cost at his own door? All the = agriculturist needs is some method by which he can separate some of = this=20 nitrogen from the atmosphere above the ground and place it on the = surface.' And=20 it was to discover this means that I set to work."=20
As far as the non-technical eye can perceive, the working model of = the=20 electric fertiliser consists of nothing but an upright copper cylinder = with a=20 removable top, with a spiral coil of wire running throughout the length = of the=20 cylinder. Through the bottom of the cylinder are two wires, which = connect with=20 a specially constructed dynamo. A quantity of loose earth, treated by a = secret=20 chemical preparation in liquid form, is shovelled into the cylinder, an = electric current is passed through the confined atmosphere; the oxygen = and=20 hydrogen are thus expelled, and the nitrogen which remains is absorbed = into the=20 loose earth. There is thus produced as strong a fertiliser for a = nominal price=20 at home as it is possible to purchase at a large cost miles and miles = away.=20
Mention is made in this paper of only those inventions of Mr. Tesla = which=20 have passed beyond the experimental stage. But there are hundreds of = other=20 promised wonders in the yet incipient stage of development in the great = inventor's miracle-factory. As I have heard one of his admirers express = it, an=20 enumeration of these " sounds like the dream of a half-intoxicated = god."=20 Signalling to other planets, raising of certain of the dead by = electricity,=20 ending all wars by a terrible machine -- these are a few suggestions = selected=20 at random.=20
Nikola Tesla is a young man yet, and on this account many of his = promises=20 have been looked upon by older scientists as but fanciful dreams of a = youthful=20 mind. He has scarcely ever made any invention whichthe scientific world = has=20 accepted as possible on the first public announcement. But sooner or = later the=20 scientific wiseacres have been compelled to admit that Tesla has proven = their=20 theories to be wrong.=20
How these conservative scientists sneered at Tesla's "Utopian = audacity" when=20 he first suggested that man should harness the great Niagara Falls! But = they=20 humbled their pride sufficiently to be present when the enterprise was = formally=20 completed. Again, when he announced the invention of the "Tesla coil" = they set=20 him down as "pipe-dreamer." But a few of the brightest of them set to = work=20 seriously on the "coil" with the result that one of them -- Rontgen --=20 discovered his famous X-Rays. No one who is privileged to know Tesla=20 personally, to have heard him explain his plans, and to have been shown = through=20 his unique workshop, has the slightest doubt that every one of his = promises=20 will be fulfilled in an equally successful way.=20