The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1893-04-01


secret of how this may ultimately be ac-
complished some Of the experiments ex-
hibited at his public lectures would seem
to demonstrate.
Tesla produces a distinct and powerful
glow without the aid of wires or globes
and with apparatus remarkable chiefly
for its simplicity. This consists of two
highly charged disks, between which the
light appears without a connecting fla
ment of any kind. In an incandescent
lamp hung on a single wire, but not con-
nected with it, he produces red light
almost binding in its brilliancy, which
becomes a powerful white on increasing
the frequency of alternations in the cur
rent. Concerning his theory of the pos
sibility of transmission without wires
Mr.. Tesla says: II have already proved
the contrary of what Everybody believed.
have proved that it is not necessary to
have two wires to establish an electrical
current. In my machine I have but one
wire. utilize the air as the other. But
as now get a return through the air I
believe that I can also transmit through
the earth, thus doing away with even the
one wire. The earth is a great insulated
globe filled with electricity, Or the capa-
bility of electrical vibration The only
problem is to awaken this electricity. to
shake this immense earth SO as to set this
mighty world force swinging or wag-
ging. OF course it will take a great
force to start this motion, but there is
no doubt we can get it. Electricians
thought 10000 volts was a wonderful
pressure. | have already stirred up hun
dreds of thousands and the limit is far
Off. Instead of 800 vibrations I have al
ready secured 100000 a second Give
me the machine, and Twill make a spark
half a mile long. Now, at Niagara, for
instance, which is destined to be mar
velons center of electrical force for Amer
lea, enough force can be secured to sup
ply all the needs Of the human race twice
over. By shaking the entire earth with
the mighty power to be obtained there
this earth electricity could be started.
With this earth force in vibration the
next problem would be to build ma
chimes able to catch and respond to the
earth motion. There would have to be
a synchronism between the electrical
swinging of the earth and the machine.
For example, hold q glass to my mouth
and speak. The glass is shattered. My
voice to do this must have the same
resonance as the glass. Such l conceive
to be the secret Of all lnature-resonance
Then, setting this machine at any point
in the world, the message transmitted
through the earth can be received and
read at Paris, at Hong kony--alyvhe
Distance no longer exists. l am con-
vinced that I today can send a message
to a ship at sea, and that those on board
can understand it. II cannot, I am
willing to lay my head on the guillotine.
Mr. Tesla has also discovered means
Of Harvesting electricity so that it shall
serve mankind without injl1ing him.
10 demonstrate this he allows a current
of 200, 900 volts to pass through his body
and illuminate bulb containing sui
phate of calcium which he holds in his
hand. The bulb glows with a light so
intense as to fill the room with bright
ness and to disclose the great electrician
holding it aloft, unharned and smiling.
Then he assures the spectators that s'this
is nothing"
Nikola Tesla is only about 35 years
old. He is Montenegrin by birth, but
was educated i'll Hungary and now re-
sides in New York. Inheriting an eager
inventive genius from his mother and
fortune from his father, he has given his
whole energy to the science of electric
ity as a labor of love. He has no COM
mercial connections whatsoever, and his
lectures are given purely to stir up inter
est in his loved study. When only about
81 years old, he came to America and
worked under Edison at Menlo Park. In
the discovery of the harnlessness and
free transmission of electricity he has
eclipsed every thinker in the world.