The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-26
SCRANTON TRIBuNE-MoNDAY MORNING.

vlsed and brought into use the epoch
marking motor for multiphase alternat-
ing currents. thus dispensing both with
commutatOr and brushes.
Tesla was engaged about this time
contemperaneouslyw with Professor Fer
raris. an independent inventor. in per-
fecting the demonstration Of the enor-
mously important principle of the rO-
tary field motor-a new system OF
electric distribution and transmission
of power by means Of alternating cur
rents.
The various Tesla pa tents having been
acquired by the Westinghouse Electric
company. they began at once to be put
to uses In many ways. to the inestima-
BILE advantage Of the worlds growing
mechanical industries. In the year 1890.
Mr.. Tesla. severing his connection with
the Westinghouse company, devoted
himself to the study OF alternating cur
rents of high frequencies and very
high potencies. His lecture on "Expe-
riments With Alternating Currents"
delivered before the American lnsti-
tute Of Electrical Engineers. and short
ly after repeated before similar bodies
in London and in Paris, and elsewhere
In the summer of 1891. marked a fresh
era In the evolution of electrical ap-
piled science.
An Important Invention.
At the present time Tesla IL devoting
himself to the working out of another
great invention. but this time In the de-
partment of mechanical engineering.
known as the oscillator. from which i'm
mensely important results are antici-
pated. If successful. this new mechan-
ical contrivance is n combination of
the steam engine and the dynamo. by
which, II Is said, an engine of given
power can be made about one-fortieth
the weight of the ordinary engine OF the
same power. In the oscillator the pis-
ton travels its path to and fro 100 times
second, or oftener. II required. In
one form of the oscillator two pistons
are used that go out and In the opposite
ends of the cylinder at the same time
thus balancing their motion and re-
lieving the apparatus from the rapid
shock Of vibra ton.
Just how revolutionary this new step
in both steam and electrical engineer
ing is destined to be is not yet wholly
certain. But in view of what Is al
ready as good as certain that electric
ity Is destined, and that before long.
to take the place chiefly of steam in
railway and other traction. in the opin-
ion of the most competent to judge. its
Importance can hardly be overstated.
The problem, the worst to be met. has
been to devise the best type of engine
for driving the simplest and most eco
nomical form of dynamo. OF course,
until the problem has been completely
worked out there remain some things
about 1t which the wary inventor
keeps to himself and scarcely tells to
any"
His Experiments with Light.
80 L., all a,,t
experiments of startling beauty have
had to do with phenomena of light and
heat as produced by electrostatlc forces
acting between charged molecules or
atoms. AS described by Mr.. Marten,
perfecting a generator that would give
him currents of several thousand alter
nations per second. and inventing his
disruptive coil, he has created electro
static conditions that have already
modified many accepted notions about
electricity. For one thing. it has been
supposed that one or two thousand
volts potential would surely kill. but
Mr.. Tesla has been seen receiving
through his hands currents of a po-
tential of more than 100000 volts, vi
brating 100000 times a second, and
manifesting themselves in dazzling
streams of light. An actual flame In
this way produced by intense white
ness that does not consume anything.
bursting from the ends of an induc-
ton coil as though it were bush on
holy ground" with such vibrations as
can be maintained by a potential Of
10000 900 volts. Mr. Tesla expects some
day TO clothe himself in robe of lam
bent fire that will be altogether harm
less. Indeed. such currents as he now
uses, he says, would keep naked man
t1a II Nnla Nd f.,rt hn
possible curative uses of such currents.
who can say. or gainsay in electrical
science and engineering during the past
ten or twelve years?
Another of the ideas which Tesla Is
working out is that of the transmission
of intelligence. and perhaps of power,
across wide spaces without the use OF
any connecting wire. This, of course.
Is not any experiment Of trying to do
something by means of nothing" 1t
is entirely scientific: 1t is an effort to
utilize the earth itself as an electric
conductor. 1t Is an attempt to get at
the law of those earth currents Of
electrical force in a way to devise
some mthod of getting the mastery of
them, and of bringing parallel currents.
though widely separated in space. into
'resonating" relations with each other,
the one electric current being turned
to the other.
To DO Away with Wires.
As Mr. Tesla himself has said: "In
connection with the resonance effects
and the problem of transmission of
energy over a single conductor. I would
say few words on a problem which
constantly fills my thoughts, and which
concerns the welfare of all. ] mean the
transmission of intelliglble signals. or.
perhaps, even power. to any distance
without the use of wires. | am daily
becoming more and more convinced Of
the practicability OF the scheme: and
though I know full well that the major
ity of scientific men will not believe
that such results can be practically
and Immediately realized. yet I think
that all consider the developments OF
recent years by number Uf workers to
have been such as to encourage thought
and experiment in this direction. NY
conviction has grown so strong that
no longer look upon this plan of en-
ergy or Intelligence transmission as
a mere theoretical possibility. but as a
serious problem In electrical engineer
ing which must be carried out some day.
The idea of transmitting intelligence
without wire Is the natural outcome Of
the most recent results Of electrical in
NcStlgdt!OnS. some enthusiasts, ne
says. have expressed the belief that
tGlephoning to any distance by induc-
ton through air Is possible: for him
self. he cannot stretch his imagination
so far, but he declares his firm belief
that II Is practicable to disturb by
means of powerful machines the elec-
trostatic condition of the earth. and
thus transmit ineligible signals. and
perhaps power We need not be fright
ened. he SAYS. by the Idea Of distance
To the weary wanderer counting the
mile posts the earth may appear very
large; to the astronomer 1t appears
very small so, Tesla thinks. 1t may
seem 10 the electrician. The big
EARTH" as we call It. contains a certain
capacity Of electricity; let the electri-
cIa ms Of the world find out how to mons