The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-09
Wonderful Invention That VIII De-
Stroy the Worlds Navies.
TORPEDO BOAT DEVICE
CAN CONTROL VESSELS MOVE
MENT BY RADIATION.
Will Direct the Movements of De
stroyer at Any Distance-Inventor
Explains His Wonderful Discov-
ery-A Working Model Exhibited
Before President Mckinley.


describes an application OF electricity
whereby, without the interDosttion of
any artful medium of communication,
one man can contrei and direct, with
absolute exactitude the movements Of
any type of vessel, balloon or land We
hicle. at any distance that may be de-
sired. From Il station Oh shore, or from
the deck OF a vessel under way, tor
pedo-boat equipped with Mr. Tesla's
controlling device, may be propelled
either on or below the surface. ma
neuVered at viii in any direction, and
finally brought into contact and eX-
ploded against the side of a hostile YES
sci at any point within the range OF
the vision Of the operator. More thar
this, assuming that il were possible TO
accurately locate the position of the
vessel which Ii is desired to destroy,
the torDedO-boat could be directed to
it, even If the ship lay in the harbor CT
Southampton and the operator was sta
toned at Sandy Hook.
Mr.. Tesla said that some months had
elapsed since he had fully DEVELOPED
his device for which he has applied
for a patent. When it was learned that
Admiral CerN era was bottled uD at
Santiago, it was his Intention to apply
. his mechanism to several launches and
similar small craft loaded with high
explosives, and annihilate the fleet at
anchor Admiral CerVera, however,
came out aIE5 met his fate under the
guns Of the American fleet, before the
necessary arrangements could be maze.
Then Mr. Tesla planned a raid on the
Spanish vessels in Havana harbor, only
to be thwarted by the proclamation OF
the suspension of hostilities.
Hitherto" said Mr.. Tesla, "the only
means of controlling the movements OF
q vessel from distance have been sup
piled through the medium Of a flexible
conductor. such as an electric cable,
but this system is subject TO obvious
limitations, such as are imposed by the
length, weight and strength Of the con-
ductor which can be practically used;
by the difficulty Of maintaining, with
safety, the high speed of the vessel, or
changing the direction of her move
lnents With rapidity. the necessity of
cffecJing the control from APPOINT which
is practically fixed, and from many
other drawbacks which are inseparably
connected with such system.
THE plan which 1 have perfected in
wolves none OF these objections, for 1
am enabled, by the use of my invention,
to employ any means of PROPULSION. TO
impart to the moving body OF vessel the
highest possible speed, to control the
operation of its machinery and to dl-
rect its movements from either a fixed
point or from a body moving and
changing its direction. however rapidly,
and to maintain this control over great
distances, without any artificial connec-
tons between the vessel and the aD-
paratus governing its movements, and
without such restrictions as these must
necessarily impose.
INFLUENCE BY RRDUCTION.
In broad sense. then, my invention
differs from all Of those systems which
provide for the control Of the mechan-
, ism carried by a moving object and
Governing its motion, IN that l require
( no intermediates wires cables or other
form of electrical or mechanical con-
nections with the object, save the nat
ural media in space. accomplish,
nevertheless. similar results. and in a
much more practical manner by pro-
ducing waves, impulses Or radiauons,
which are received through the earth,
water or atmosphere by suitable APP
paratus on the moving body, and cause
the desired actions, so long as the body
remains within the active region or Ell
fectiVa range of such currents, waves,
impulses or radiations.
Having explained to you some of the
possibilities OF the device, ] will now
give you practical example of the
workings of the model before going
into a detailed description Of how I am
able to produce these results
Elevated on stocks on d table in the
center of the laboratory stood model
If q screw propelled craft, about four
feet long and somewhat disproportion-
ately wide and deep Mr. Tesla ex-
planned that it was merely q working
model, which he had made in order to
exhibit to President Mckinley. and
that no attempt had been made to fol-
low the usual sharp lines of a torpedo
boat. The deck was slightly arehed
and surmounted by three slender
standards, the center one being consiG-
erably higher than the other two which
carried small ineandescent bulbs, a
third bulb being fixed at the bow.
The keel consisted Of a massive cop
per plate. the propeller and ludder be-
ing in the usual positions. Mr.. Tesla
explained that the boat contained the
propeiling machinery. consisting Of an
electric motor, actuated by a storage
kattery IN the hold: another motor TO
9tuate the rudder and the delicate
4Rchanisrn which performed the func-
lfNn of receiving, through the central
SstAndard the electric impulses sent
through the atmosphere from the dis
tant operating station. which set in
motion the propeiIlng and steering mo-
tors, and through them. light or ex-
tinguish the electric bulbs and fire the
exploding charge in a chamber in the
bow, IN response to Signals sent by
the operator.
GAVE A DEMONSTRATION
Now, watch" said the inventor,
and, going to table on the other side
of the room, on which lay a little
switch-boN about five inches square.
he gave the lever a sharp turn. In
stantly the little bronze propeller be-
gan to revolve at a furious rate. Now,
! will SEND the boat to starboard," he
said, and another quick movement of
the lever sent the helm sharp over,
and another movement turned il as
rapidly back again. Al another signal
the screw stopped and reversed.
J. During the day" continued Mr.. Tes-
Ia, his hand or the lever. we should
steer cur course by keeping the two
standards in line. but at night we
should depend on the electric lights,
which would, of course, be screened
SO as not to be visible to the enemy
and at a signal both the tiny bulbs
were Illuminated.
Now. we viii assure that the boat
has arrived within striking distance OF
the vessel to be destroyed and the bulb
in the how will serve to show that the
explosion has taken place"
As he spoke. he touched the lever
again, and the light flashed and was
distinguished.
1 'Tmagine. If you can" said Mr.. Tesla,
is he went back TO his desk what an
instrument of destruction
We have in torpedo-boat thus con
troiled. which we can operate day or
night, on the surface or below it, and
from any distance that may be de-
sired. a ship thus assailed would have
no possibility OF escape.
Il can apply this system of control
to any type of vessel and of any size.
It is not even necessary to make a