Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-27
LIGHT MINUS HEAT.
THE DISCOVERIES NIKoLA TESLA IS
 GIVING THE WORLD.
Electric Currents That Produce varlesAted Streams of Mysterious Light and Fall to Heat the Wires That Carry These Won. derful Currcnts.

Electric Currents That Produce variegAted
 Streams of Mysterious Light and Fall to
 Heat the Wires That Carry These Won.
 derfuI Currents.
 Almost from the time that the yibra- tory theory of light was accepted scien- fife men have looked forward to the day when it would be possible to produce light without heat. For it is an unfor- innate fact that so far every effort to produce light has been accompanied by m enormous waste of energy due to the production of useless heat. The simplest way of producing light is by means of the combustion of some compound of carbon. It does not matter whether the carbon is solid, as in a candle, or fluid, as in q lamp, or in n gas, as in ordinary Illuminating gas, the process is the same.
 Tho union of the carbon of the sub stance with the oxygen of the air pro- duces the rapid vibration that the eye recognizes as light. Carbon, though the element usually employed, is not neces- sary factor, for magnesium, potassium, iron-indeed almost any of the clements will take its place. Neither is oxygen necessary part in the production of light. Chlorine will produce an even moro brilliant light with certain sub stances. It is evident, therefore, that the rate of vibration and not the element employed is the principal factor in pro- ducing light.
 Unfortunately all methods of produc- ing light by means of chemical combina- tions (such as the union of the carbon of the candle with the oxygen of the air) are accompanied by n very large pro duction of heat waves, which in the mR- jority of cases are utterly useless, if not absolutely troublesome. The old simile of n musician desiring to produce a cer- tain high note being compelled to press down all the keys of his instrument is an apt one. The lower notes are not merely useless. but they are positively annoying.
 Singularly enough, the first solution of the problem that was attempted success fully was by the aid of heat. A very small amount of light waves arc required for recognition by the wonderfully de- veloped special sense which man pos sesses. Itis intensity, not quantity, that is wanted, to use a technical term. Con- sequently if very small particle is heat cd to incandcscence the light which it throws out bears far greater ratio to the amount of heat required than itdoes if n large mass is similarly heated.
 This is one of the radical bases of the utility of the incandescent electric light. An extremely small filament is heated to incandescence through the resistance which it offers to tho flow of an electric current. It generates heat, it is true, but the amount of heat thus produced is directly proportional to the mass of the carbon, which is very small. Tho light produced, however, is amply sufficient for all ordinary purposes.
 This solution, however, is highly un- satisfactory to scientists. however useful it is to the public at large. Light apart from heat altogether was wanted. The firefly, the phosphoresccnt sea animal cules and even the exhausted tubes of Geissler furnished the hope that there was yet somo method of reaching the high note without pressing down the whole keyboard.
 Recently an extraordinary genius has appeared in this country who seems upon the verge of discovering, if not to have actually discovered, method by which this might be done. Nikola Tesla, a man of independent fortune and most brilliant mind, who was for time con- nected with Edison, has dared to experi- ment with rapidly alternating electric currents. The result has surprised the widest dreams of the theorizers. He has succeeded in producinglight of com paratively high intensity without the production of heat and apparently di- rectly by the use of electricity. The halls of tho Royal society of London and of the Franklin institute of Philadelphia have been illuminated by means of the light radiated from bare copper wires ill the open air carrying these so called Tesla currents.
 The wires were not hot. but they radi- ated from their surface light and sent from one to another bands and stream CTS of the mysterious light which we sec in the aurora borealis. The effect must be seen to be thoroughly appreciated, but when it is stated that the expert menter without difficulty succeeded in radiating light not only from an ex. hausted glass tube held in his hand, but also from his thumb, his nose and other features, the enthusiasm which swept over his audiences in London and in Philadelphia may be appreciated.
 As yet no useful application has been found for these wonderful new develop ments in electrical science. but they should be welcomed as Q hamburger of further progress. Sun.