The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-04

one point In regard to the establishment
OF the plant. and when that Is done the
Rochester. seventy-five miles. will be be-
gun and continued through the winter.
The point to be decided is whether it is
better to carry the wires underground or
overhead. That. of course. has nothing to
do with the Tesla system 9. sion.
1t involves merely the question of the
highest economy in establishing the plant.
The subway proposed consists of two
metallic tubes separated by a packing OF
paper fiber The first cost of such a sub,
way would be greater than that entailed
by building overhead wires. but II is be-
lieved that in the long run it will be found
sons.
WHAT TESLA'S INVENTION IS
Precisely what Tesla has done which JUS
titles him in making the explicit and en-
phatic declaration quoted above. he of
course. does not make public. He is willing
to speak with perfect faith of results. but
probably from motives Of business pru-
deEce. as has always been his custom. does
not describe in detail his invention. and
probably will not, until he does it with tat
elaboration of detail and statement which
has characterized his explanations of his
other inventions. But it is to be inferred
that he has discovered how he can use with
commercial economy copper wire. capable
or carrying for a long distance an electric
current equivalent to 10000 horse power.
That capitalists are convinced ef his abil-
lty to do what he claims can be done is
made evident from the TACT that. n many
OF the towns along the line OF the canals
In this State, the local electric companies
are seeking to cancel cxI sting contracts
and to secure in place of item new ones
running for a long period Of .Irc. This is
a natural result of the desire Oh the part
of. these companies to protect themselves
from a competition which .fcv see to be
inevitable. But the impr sssion here is that
ultimately, by some equitable arrangement
these local companies All abandon their
own generating plants and purchase the
power which is being transmitted over this
long-distance system.
Tesla's statement, that he is satisfied
that the cost of generating by water power
and of delivering even so far away as five
hundred miles electric current of this vol
ume will only be 80 per cent. of the cost
of generating electricity by coal. of itself
suggests the saving which this
new system may be capable of making
possible.
1t also suggests that in the near future,
perhaps as soon as the political and COM
mercial disturbance caused by the silver
agitation has passed away, the companies
which have been organized for utilizing the
water power of the Potomac. the upper
Delaware, the Merrimac and Connecticut.
and of the rapids of the st. Lawrence. Will
take advantage of their franchise and begin
to establish their plant. Furthermore. 1t
suggests that the problem which has great
~ bothered the railway managers whether
there would be economy in the use of cleo
tricity for long distance may be satisfac-
torily solved.
Tesla, in his statements. vipdicates the
judgment of Mr.. Frank w. Hawley. who,
when the possible long distance transmits
sion of electricity was simply a subject of
theory. declared his faith in the ability of
the scientists, especially of his personal
friend, Tesla. to solve the problem to COM
mercial advantage. He stated his faith
with all the assurance of conviction to a
committee Of the New York Legislature
when application was before it for a char
ter authorizing the use of canal lands for
the transmission of electric power. Many
persons spoke of him as a visionary, and
it is very likely that the charter was
granted i'm the belief that no man would
see the things which the charter permitted
ever done. Tesla declares now that he has
made a fact what Mr.. Hawley- .prophesied
to that would assuredly be made
a fact within a few years.