The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-08

copper would be. In caustic soda, also in
the battery in liquid form, zinc is held in
solution, and when it is desired to charge
the battery by mechanical continuance q
current Of chemical electricity is estab-
lished. The effect of this is to take the
zinc Immediately out of solution, and it is
attracted at once to the steel plates, which
1t heavily encrusts. The amount of stor-
age is determined by the amount of zinc
thus used. Thus the battery is charged
ana Is placed aboard street car or wher-
ever else it is desired to use it. When it
Is desired to start the car, mechanically q
reactionary current, so to speak, is estab-
llshed through the chemical properties of
the copper mat which causes the zinc to
leave the steel plates, go again into solu-
ton and this creates an electric current
which furnishes the power for running
the street car. Many experiments, some
OF them severe ones, seem to indicate
that nothing but collision or pick-ax
could destroy this battery The full
force of the current was applied in
stantiy, and there was no effect
whatever upon the battery, although
powerful electric force was thus generated.
Were the full force to be applied to the
old storage batteries instantly, it would
have caused buckling, and thereby de-
",
is very light. and aside from it's safety,
meaning by that its slight liability to acct
dent, it was claimed for it that it was
cheaper to make and cheaper to operate
than any battery yet used.
This battery has been used on one street
car line in Chester, Pa, experimentally,
and If the reports of the managers of that
line are to be believed, with entire salts
faction. 1t was taken from the car a few
he for nroiy hy1o, btYf
is quite likely to be lifted again to all
the cars running on that street
railway. If the predictions are cor
rect and the impressions of electricians
who have no pecuniary interest in this
motor are justified, it is quite likely within
year that it will revolutionize the use of
electric power as applied to street railways
and some other purposes. Mr.. Carly docs
not hesitate to say that il this battery
Is what it seems to be, within five years
the majority of street cars in the
United States will be equipped with it.
AT all events its development is one of the
things which the intellectual giants who
are engaged in the commercial and scien-
tiiic development of electricity are now
most earnestly discussing.
Another development of electricity
which is occasioning vast discussion are
the experiments of Nicola Tesla. Some
months ago Tesla conducted a series of
experiments before the American Insti-
tute of American engineers at Columbia
college in New York city. His expert
ments were SO fascinating and astonishing
that the society remained nearly all night.
Tesla is Montenegrin, still a young
man, who has lived a number of years in
this country and has become an enthusi-
astic student of electricity. Taking as
a basis some experiments made in
Berlin, Tesla still further developed them
until he was able to show these electrical
engineers some remarkable experiments.
His discoveries did not, outside the
electric world, attract much public at
tention until last fall, when he went
to England and repeated them before
some of the leading scientists of that coun-
try. These men were so amazed that Tesla
became really scientific sensation and an
elaborate account of his experiments was
prepared for one of the reviews, which at
tracted wide attention. both in Europe
and America.
American Society OF Electrical Engineers
that scientists all over Europe have been
urging Tesla to repeat his experiments,
and he is now upon the Continent actually
amazing the scientific electricians with
an exhibition of his discovery, for it is
that. Tesla has. by means of an electric
current whose waves are extraordinarily
rapid and which are believed to be nearly
identical with light waves, been able to
carry this current without any artificial
conductor from one point to another. For
instance, he will stand between two plates.
one on each side OF room, which are con-
nected by a wire, not with one another,
but with the battery which supplies these
peculiar electric waves. No connection
exists between the plates. When the cur
rent is turned on he, holding an incandes-
lap haf ic
of the current between the plates through
the medium of the atmosphere or ether in
the room, because the lamp Immediately
becomes lighted, just as brilliantly as
though it was connected by wire with
battery. Tesla has diversified these ex-
periments by having a wand which is
illuminated as he thrusts it within the
reach of this current. and in other most
beautiful and almost spectacular ways he
makes evident that an electric cur
rent whose waves are of peculiar form
and velocity may be conveyed through
natural media. Another remarkable de-
veIopment is that this current is made to
pass through wood or. stone or brick ex-
actly as light passes through window
pane, and without the slightest effect
upon these distractions.
These discoveries have not yet been put
to commercial use, but the men OF intel
lect who are giving their time and capital
to electrical development are of the Opin-
ion that Tesla's discoveries are likely to be
within the next few years so commercially
developed that they will practically revo-
lutionize some forms of electrical applica-
ton. Some Of the electricians are in
ciined to think that the first commercial
utilization of this discovery will be
for vessels at sea. Edison has in
mind a plan for electrical commune
cation, not fully developed yet, but which
would require the use of water as the me-
dunn of conduct. If Tesla's plan can be
developed, and there is no doubt that he
himself is at work upon the problem, it
may be possible for two vessels fitted with
the proper mechanical appliances to COM
municate by code of signals with each
other, although they may not be in
sight. If the idea is carried out success
fully, this would prove of extraordinary
value whenever there was heavy fog at
sea. for one of Tesla's experiments has
shown that this current will pass as
easily through fog or mist as it would
over q wire The experiments are caus-
ing the greatest scientific activity upon the
continent of Europe, and the opinion of
New York electricians is that We may
hear of the commercial application of
Tesla's discoveries first from this side of
the water L. J. EDWARDS.
SPRING SONG.