The Portland daily press., 1895-03-23

deavor TO accommodate you, my friend, if
you will come with me into the laboruto CRY
Be prepared, though, for a surprise or two.''
Mr.. Tesla then ushered me into a room
some 25 feet square, lighted on one side
by two broad windows, partially covered by
heavy black curtains. Directly opposite
was an open door leading into the machine
room, which seemed to lie fairly alive with
grimy figures fitting to and fro. The whole
scene, to my unaccustomed eyes. suggested
yeritable magican's den. The laboratory
was literally filed with curious mechani-
cal appliances of every description. Wires
innumerable, from the smallest size 10
cables three-G uarteTs of an inch thick, ran
along the wallis ceiling and even the floor.
In the center was what appeared to be "a
large circular table covered with thick
strips of black woolen cloth: snake-like
cables running up unde1neat til were connec-
ted at the other end with an adjacent dy :
namo. thereby esta ablisbing possible CEN
ter of eleotro-dynamic vibration. Between
the table and the windows two large brown
ish globes, Is inches in diameter, depended
from the ceiling by cords. These balls
were composed of brass coated with two
inches of wax to render them lnon-injurious
and served the purpose Of spreading the
eleetrostatic field.
So much for my surroundings as
glanced about in some bewildemnent after
hearing Mr.. Tesla say that ne mad sur
prise in store for me. Promptly suiting the
action to the word he called in several en-
ployes from the workshop and issued
succession of hurried o,ders (which / fol-
lowed but vaguely. Presently. however,
the doors were shut and the curtains close
ly drawn until every ohink so1 crevice for
the admission of light was concealed and
the laboratory bathed in absolutely impen-
etrable gloom. l awaited developments
with intense interest. The next minute
exquisitely beautiful luminouss signs and
devices of mystic origin began to fash
about me with startling frequency. Some
times they seemed iridescent, while again
dazzling white light prevailed.
''Take hold,' said a voice, and l felt
sort of handle thrust into my hand. Then
l was gently led forward and told to wave
it. ON complying, l spelled the word
Welcome flaming before my eyes. I'm
fortunately, / was totally unable at the
time to appreciate the kindly sentiment
implied.
A hand approached mine ere | had quite
recovered, and felt the tips of my fingers
lightly brushed. Fancy my dire dismay
VIXEN Immediately experienced an acute
tingling sensation. accompanied by brief
pyrotechnic display that was surprising, to
say the least. When the daylight as we'll as
my equa nimity was in measure restored,
/ learned some thing of the meaning OF
these wondrous experiments. which may be
said to fore shadow in way the electric
light of the future. What impressed me
most of all, perhaps, was the simple but
cheerful fact that I remained unscathed
while electrical bombardments were taking
place on every side. Curiously enough. the
polyphase currents of high freq uency and
the high potential, of say 100000 volts, have.
as Mr.. Tesla has demonstrated repeatedly
on he platform, no harmful effect what
ever on the human body, although like
energy exerted in indirect currents would
prove instantaneously fatal.
Over IL years ago Mr.. Tesla made this
striking observation in ono of his lectures:
"The ideal way of lighting a hall or room
would, however. be 10 produce such a con-