Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-05-30
.TESLA'S WONDERFUL LIGHT
The Incandescent Pales Before Its
Brilliant Glow.
One Bulb Makes n Room Bright as
Day - Photographs Taken by
It.. Greater Things Prom
tsed shortly.

New York, May 22.-Nlkola Tesla has
solved the problem which he set before
himself many years ago, and which may
revolutionize the system OF electric
lighting. II Is, electrical experts say.
the nearest perfect adaptation OF the
great force of nature TO the use OF man.
In Tesla's laboratory, In Houston street.
Is a bulb no: more than three inches In
length, which, when the current turns
into II, becomes a bulb OF light. With II
a very large room Is SO lighted that II
In possible to read in any corner. Yet
this Is lone without fues aid attach
men:s necessary In existing lights. The
rays are so strong hat the sharpest
photographs may be taken by them.
No new dynamo is required to produce
the current. There IL no danger OF
harmful shock ia it's use.
Stories have come from time TO time
from Mr.. Tesla's laboratory that he was
experimenting on a light OF this sort.
Rumors OF success and failure have fol-
lowed each Other. and Mr.. Teslas
friends were inclined to doubt that he
would succeed. A half dozen times the
discovery was at his finger tips, only to
elude him. But now he has told his
friends OF his success.
Mr.. Tesla has been working for many
years on his theory OF the necessity and
the practicabIlity OF the conversion OF
electricity. The present incandescent
light gives only 3 per cent Of illuminat-
ing power. The other % per cent Is
wasted In heat. In accordance with his
theories, which have been already APP
piled successfully 10 the economical
transmission Of the electric fluid, he ap.
piled himself TO the saving Of some OF
this wasted energy In electric light. The
bulb which he has perfected gives 10
per cent OF light. and loses 30 per cent
OF energy. Mr.. Tesla says he will. with
the aid OF a few more experiments. be
able to produce 40 per cent OF light, so
that the waste will be reduced to only
GO per cent.
The principle OF the light IL vibration.
The illumination IL secured by the VI
bration of what Mr.. Tesla calls n vi
orator within a bulb which holds the vi
brating needles within a u The
needle vibrates so rapidly that the fig
ures per second seem imaginary. but II
is this intensity of energy which gives
the light It's brilliancy and It's apparent
steadiness. The lights do not have to be
renewed.
Friends who recently visited Mr.. Tes-
la saw him Photographed by means of
this light. The exposure was but two
seconds in the light Of a single vacuum
tube or bulb without electrodes, having
n volume OF about ninety cubic inches.
The light given was approximately ESQ
candle power. The photograph was as
sharp in outlines as though II was taken
in full sunlight. Mr.. Tesla has recently
obtained many photographs in his study
of the Roentgen ray. He has photo
graphed the hear of M OF his assist
ants so accurately as TO note its expan-
sions and it's contractions, n he has
also been able to locate defects In the
lungs of several persons.
The announcement of Mr.. Tesla's dis
coveries created a genuine sensation at
the electric show and was the topic OF a
conversation among the experts I'm the
application Of power. The light was
commented upon also at the meeting or
the American institute OF electrical en-
gineers. which was held in the exposi-
ton building.