Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-15

Tesla's Ne1C Lamp. Section Snoring Brhton.
with which Mr.. Tesla was watched
throughout, as he adjusted his apparatus
quiyering with Gghtning-like discharges,
and now lighted vacuum tube by grasping
1t in his hand, now brought to incandes-
cence the flament of an ordinary lamp at
tached BY a single wire, then rendering the
air in the interior of large ring luminous
with fame, or sending streams of light
from wires stretched over the audience,
ancsncst faaeinating of all, after electrify-
ing the whole space of air between his table
and an iron plate above him, waving a
luminous tube in his hand totally uncon-
nected to any wire whatever.
America Is just Learning the Truth.
The full text of this lecture has just been
received in this country, and the wonders
that it unfolds are simply amazing. One
cannot help the reflection while reading it
that, had Tesla lived hundred years ago,
when the distinction between science and
necromacy was not so well appreciated as it
is to-day, the warmth with which his views
have been received would be of a more ma
terial form than that exhibited by his Lon
don audiences. He speaks with the utmost
confidence of the near approach of the time
when lamps and motors will be run not only
with one wire, but with no wire at all and
at now incredible distances; there will
eventually be no need to transmit power, as
there is an inexhaustible store of it, the
ability to utilize which will have been
developed at every point of the universe.
He maintains that we have as yet but
very slight conception Of the possibilities
of artificial light production; he believes
that at least 20 times the efficiency of our
present incandescent lamp can be obtained,
ard he calmly looks forward to obtaining
light effects without the use of any vessel
whatsoever, with air at ordinary pressure.
To him the distribution of 100, 900 volts to
any distance within thousand miles is ''an
easy matter" He speaks of a system in
which the metal pipes are the insulators
and the gas in them The conductors, and de-
scribes a cable with which telephoning
across the Atlantic may become possible, if
more advanced modes of transmitting in
telligence shall not have rendered it un-
necessary.
His Talk Sounds Extravagant.
He speaks in the most matter of fact way
of employing currents of frequency of
several millions per second, and takes 100,-
600 volts through his body without mani
this modern necromancer knows Just what
he is about and has the strong faith in his
opinions which compels success This is
shown by his reply to a London electrician
who asked how he came to dare to take such
enormous currents through his body, con-
sidering that 1,5OO to 1000 volts are re-
garded as more than sufficient for the pur-
poses of the e1ecutioner. He said it was
the result of a long debate in his mind.
0ol lott chn ra1 %lax
such currents should not be dangerous to
life any more than the vibrations of light
are dangerous The self-induction and
frequency of alienation should be too great
for any current to pass, and for a current to
be dangerous certain quantity must pass.
He referred, as an illustration, to a thin
diaphragm in a water pipe. With to and
fro piston strokes of considerable amplitude
the diaphragm will be ruptured at once
With reduced strokes of the same total
energy the diaphragm will be less liable to
rupture. Thus, said Tesla, it is with vibra-
tory current, and he stretched forth his
hand to the electrodes. Even fortified with
this seductive logic the man who can thus
plunge into dark and unknown depths un-
certain whether he will return, must be
possessed of qualities which the world is
apt to rate at a higher value than mere |
scientific faith.
Product Of Local Importance.
Such brilliant record of invention as |
Tesla's lecture appeals alike to the scientist |
and the layman, but it has special interest |
TO the readers of THE DISPATCH, from the |
fact that 1t draws attention to the value of a
new product, the development of which !
promises to be of great local importance.
One characteristic form of the lamps with
which Mr.. Tesla illustrated his remarks
was bulb inclosing a button of carbon rest
ing on the end Of a wire or flament. The
wire was screened by being surrounded by
tube of aluminium, which forces the
radiation to follow it to the but
ton and not stream off sideways. When
the single conductor, which this lamp
contained, was connected to one terminal !