Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-18
The FIELD OF ELECTRICITY
Tesla Addr Another to the Worlds Stock Of
Electrical Wonders.
NEW FACTOR IN FUTURE WAR PLANS
Tremendous Power Exerted by nm APP
~plication of Elcctricity-A Talk
ing Fire Alarm-Elec-
trlcal Progress.

ltoIdt IL IuU tltClTlCldu,
gives In an interview a description OF his
latest Invention with which he promises to
create as great a revolution In the electrical
world as when Gray and Bell and Brush
startled mankind with their discoveries.
Tesla declares that one man may control
and direct. by an application Of electricity,
the movements Of any type Of vessel, bal
loon or land vehicle. at any distance that
may be desired. From a station on shore,
or from the deck OF a vessel under way, a
torpedo boat equipped with Mr.. Tesla's
controlling device, may be propelled either
on or below the surface, Unanswered at will
In any direction and finally brought into
contact and exploded against the side Of a
hostile vessel at any point within the range
OF the vision OF the operator. More than
this, assuming that it were possible to ac-
c%urately locate the position Of the vessel
which 1t Is desired to destroy. the torpedo
boat could be directed TO II, even IL the
ship lay in the harbor OF Southampton and
the operator was stationed at Sandy Hook.
Hitherto" said Mr.. Tesla, 'the only
means of controlling the movements Of q
vessel from a distance have been supplied
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 conductor which can be practically
used: by the difficulty of J hintaining, with
safety, the high speed OF the vessel or
changing the direction of its movements
with rapidity; the necessity of e~ffecting the
control from a point which is practically
\ fixed. and from many other drawbacks
which are inseparably connected with such
a system.
'Thp plan .htch 7 baya nprforfpd Dy01ypa
none of these objections, for ! am enabled
by the use Of my invention to employ any
means Of propulsion, to impart to the NOV
Ing body or vessel the highest possible
speed. to control the operation Of its ma
chinery and to direct 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 dis.
tances without any artificial connections be-
tween the vessel and the apparatus govern.
ing Its movements, and without such %restric-
tions as these must necessarily impose.
No Artiacin! Connection.
I'm a broad sense, then, my invention
differs from all of those systems which pro-
vide for the control of the mechanism car
ried by a moving object and governing its
motion, In that I require no intermediate
wires, cables or other form OF electrical
or mechanical connections with the objec,
save the natural media in space. I accom-
plish, nevertheless. similar results and in
q much more practical manner by producing
waves, impulses or radlations which are re-
ceived through the earth. water or atmos-
phere by suitable apparatus on the moving
body and cause the desired actions. SO Iona
as the body remains within the active region
nr offnrtiva rapuo NJ puCh currents. WAVES
impulses or radiatlons.
Having explained to you some Of the pos.
sibilities Of the device, l. will now give yot
a practical example CT the workings Of the
model before going into a detailed descrlp'
ton Of how I ar able to produce these re-
suits"
Elevated on stocks on a table in the centeI
Of the laboratory sto-d a model OF q screw
propelled craft about four feet long an
somewhat disproportionately wide and deep
Mr.. Tesla explained that it was merely
working model which he had had made II
order to exhibit to President Mckinley an
that no attempt had been made to follow tn
usual sharp shines Of a torpedo boat. IN
deck Is slightly arched and surmounted b.
three slender standards. the center one con
siderably higher than the other two. whicl
carry small incandescent bulbs, a third bull
being fixed at the bow. The keel consists O
a massive copper plate. the propeller an
rudder being in the usual positions. MI
Tesla explained that the boat contained tn
propelling machinery, consisting OF an cleo
trio motor actuated by a storage battery J
tho hold, another motor to actuate the rue
der and the delicate mechanism which pei
forms the function Of receiving through tn
central standard tho electric impulses ser
through the atmosphere from the distar
operating station, which set In motion tn
propelllpg and steerage motors, and throus
them light or extinguish the electric bull
and FIRE the exploding charge In a chamos
in the bow in response to signals sent
the operator.
The Model Obeys Him.
"Now watch" said the inventor, and goir
to a table on the other side Of the room q
which lay a little switchhox about FIVE inch
square, he gave the lever a sharp turn. II
stantly the little bronze propeller began
revolve at a furious rate. Nov, l will ser
the boat to starboard," he said, and anoth'
quick movement Of the lever sent the hel
sharp over, and another movement turnt
1t as rapidly back again. At another sign
the screw stopped and reversed.
During the day." continued Mr.. Tesl
his hand still on the lever, 1--WE shou
steer our course by keeping the two stan
ards in line, but at night We should depeI
on the electric lights, which would.