The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-03-08
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
WIZARD TEsLA's wONDRoUs Ex-
E1ERIMENYS.
The Servian Electrician Able to Fur
Tjsh Light With nut Using Wires
Quick Hardening Of Stce1-Light of
Years as a Measurements
India Rubber.


Quick Hardening Of stcel-Ltght of
Years as n Mensurcment-Artlic
India Rubber.
It Is not an extravagant statement |
to say that never before in the history
of the world has there been a scientific |
discovery about which centered such |
magnificent dreams as are being built |
up on certain recently discovered cleo
trical principles. Among these the
foremost place, according to the Spring
field Republican,, must be given to the
astounding discoveries of the young
Servian genius, Nikola Tesla. which are
SO novel and SO extraordinary that
the most imaginative of inventors are
unable to foresee what form their de-
velopment will take. Just as expert
menters were beginning to think that
they knew all that could be learned
about electricity, and that further i'm
provement must be in the line of more
perfect mechanical application, Mr..
Tesla shows us the electric fluid under
conditions in which it differs from Or
binary electricity as much as light diff
<orS from heat. A current OF 1000
volts will kill a man in the twinkling
Of an eye, but this modern wizard
lets currents pour through his hands
With a potential of 100000 volts, vi
brudng Il million times a Second and
showering from him in dazzling
streams of light For some time after
clothing emit streams AMI halOs Of
splintered light.
The widest dream of the inventor
could not have forseen that while cur
rents OF low frequ alcy are deadly,
these are harmless. Mr.. Tesla says
that he will soon be able to wrap him.
self in a complete sheet of electric fire
that will keep man warm at the
north pole without harming him. Mel
Their Merlin nor Michael Scott nor any
Of the wizards of old ever wrought a
more potent miracle. even in fancy.
! The meaning Of this is too far beyond
us to be realized at present We can
no more grasp it's significance. than
Franklin could discern the electric mo-
] tor in his captured thunderbolt. Equal
~ astounding and with more visible
usefulness is Mr.. Tesla's discov cry that
! currents Of such enormous potential
! and frequency can be transmitted with
. out the use of wires. A room can be
! filled with electricity from copper
plates in ceiling and floor. so that cleo
; trio lamps will burn without any con-
! Meeting wire as soon as they are
brought in. In the same way intelli-
gence and power may be transmitted
without circuit, doing away with the
necessity for trOlleys, storage batteries
and subways. When it is considered
that such startling changes as this are
already theoretically possible, it Will
be seen that in the inventions upon
which we so complacently congratu-
late ourselves we have only timidly
padded along the shore OF the great
sea yet to be explored.
Electric Cana1boat Propulsion.
Joseph Sachs, in recent paper, gives
C. critical ..nalysis Of the various meth
otls by which it is sought to solve the
problem of an efficient and economical
electric canalboat system. The method
which was tried on the Erie Canal,
gear Rochester, during the latter part
Of 1898, consists in placing an electric
me tor upon the canalboat. This mo-
! nor, which revOlvas screw propeller
at the stern receives it's current from
overhead wires through flexible coll
tact arrangement. III fact, the motor
il merely substituted for the steam en-
CINE, ard instead of burning coal di-
rectly in the boiler on the boat the pow
ed is generated in large central stations
along the line Of the canal. Although
there can be no doubt as to the sue
ccssful mechanical operation OF such Il
combination. MI. Sachs points out that
there are other feasible and more de-
sirable methods Of operating canal
boats cleo rically. TO begin with, the
Eric Canal must be deepened, as its
present depth of feet barely permits
of the maintenance of speed of two
and half miles, Il perfectly Inadequate
rate of travel. When that is done a
series of experiments can be undertake
en- from which will doubtless be evolv-
ed a general system Of electric canal
boat propulsion. Such system must
possess the following qualifications: 1t
must not :njure the canal structure;
the chance of breakdown Of the propell-
ing machinery must be reduced to a
minimum; it must admit Of the con-
inuance Ct the present methods of pro-
pulsion; its structure must possess the
maximum strength and durability; the
smallest possible quantity of machinery
should be used, and the source Of cur
rent supply should be constant. MI.
Sachs believes that the ideal system
will be found in the use of an electric
locomotive, which will run on light,
strong structure erected on the bank.
The boat in the canal should be con-
nected with the motor by a tow line,
and the motor should be started, stop
peed and regulated from the boat
This plan has many points Of superior
ity over the trolley system already pro-
posed. It's independence enables it to
be applied to any boat; it reduces the
chances Of stalling to a minimum; 1t
does not injure the canal structure; ii
does not interfere with the present
methods; it obviates the necessity OF
machinery on the boat and it is cheaper
than the trolley method by Is per cen,
taking into the consideration cost OF
plant interest, coal, maintenance, Ia
Dor, etc. To operate 600 boats con
; stantly on the Erie Canal 600 going
each way,) at three miles an hour in