The times., 1898-01-07
WIZARD TESLA'S LATEST.
Takes Photos at Midnight by the
Vacuum Tube.


Takes Photos at Midnight by the
Vacuum Tube.
The doom of fiashlight photographs
has been decreed by Nikola Telsa, the
Servian wizard, who is about to show
to New York and the world at large an
other wonderful triumph of electricity.
He announces to-day that he has per-
fected vacuum tubes of such high IL
Eliminating power that they may serve
The greatest lighthouses of the future,
piercing even the densest fog, while
night will be made as daylight to the
photographer.
Even the painter may be able to dis
tinguish colors after the cleaning as
well as in the clear light of monday
The patient work of several years,
interrupted for time by the burning
or his la-oratory in West Broadway
In 1885, has been required to perfect
the invention. He is not yet ready to
describe 1t in detail. but its success is
beyond mere possibility.
Mr.. Tesla announces the result of his
Investigations in the Electrical Review
which also reproduces two of the pho,
tographs obtained.
Mr.. Tesla's vacuum tubes and oscil-
lator have united to produce the light
by which the remarkable photographs
now completed were produced. Every
line of the objects photographed shows
out with great distfnetness.
A picture of a man, made under the
light of single vacuum tube at a
five feet range. with an exposure, re-
veals every fine wrinkle in the mans
face, while the hairs of the beard and
the eyeiashes stand out distinctly
And the taking of this photo did not
subject the sitter TO any of the incon-
,se.a.
light
Another remarkable photograph.
that of the hand of Tesla, was made
by the light of a single improved
vacuum tube of 1,000 candle power, at
a distance of four feet after an ex-
posure of two seconds. The lines {
the hand stand forth so clearly that
the palmist may read them as
well as with the living subject. The
veins of the wrists and the fine lines
upon the cuticle are faithfully shown.
The texture of the inventors coat is
shown in several inches of the sleeve
and the linen threads of the cuff are
almost distinct.
Another photograph is that of an
open book upon electricity, supported
by two hands. This was done by
vacuum tube, at distance OF Iour
feet, with an exposure of two seconds.
Mr. Tesla today made this statement
of his discoveries:
The photographs shown were taken
by a tube having a radiating surface
of about 200 square inches the ire
ouency of the oscillations, which were
obtained from an Edison direct cur
rent supply circuit, ] estimated to be
about 1000. 900 a second. The liluml-
mating power of the tube approximated
about 900 candles, and the exposure
ranged from two to five seconds, the
distance of the object being four to 1Ve
feet from the tube.
"Ry producing tubes of much greater
candle mower a notable Improvement
in this respect was effected, ana TINS
advance prompted me TO further eftorts
In this direction, which finally resulted
i'm the production of a tube of an illu-
minat;ng mower equal to that of hum
dreds. and even thousands, of ordinary
vacuum tubes.
what is more / believe that | am
far from having attained the limit IN
the amount of light produelpie, ana
believe that this method of Illumination
will be eventually employed for llsnt
house purposes. This probably VIII De
considered the oldest and most I'M
looked for development OF the vacuum
tube.
"It might be asked why with so high
an illuminating power, the exposure
should not be instantaneous. L would
not undertake to satisfactorily answer
this question, which was put to me re-
Gently by a scientific man. whose Visit
10 nv laboratory | still vividly recoi-
lect
Likeness can, of course. be OBJ
tanned with instantaneous exposures,
but il has been found preferable TO ex-
nose longer and at a greater distance
from the tube. The results so far OBJ
tanned would make it appear that th{s
kind of light will be of great value IN
photography, not only because the art
ist will be able to exactly adjust the
conditions in every experiment so as TO
secure the best results, which is lmpos-
sible with ordinary light.
He will thus be made entirely lnde-
pendent of daylight. and will be able
to carry on his work at any hour, night
or day. 1t might also be of value to the
PAINTER, though its use for such pur-
poses l still consider problemaucal.