Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-12-02
THAT SETTLES IT.
AN INVENTION THAT is SO GREAT
AS TO BE INCREDIBLE.

.>lhOIst SSIst <ldIillS Ill nNSntloll
That Makes War Impossible
Naval Power of No Usc-Mo>t
Feeble of Nations Can Supply
Itself With the Means of Defense,
"War will cease to be possible when
all the world knows tomorrow that
the most feeble OF the nations can
supply itself Immediately with a
weapon which renders its coast Sc
cure and its ports impregnablc to the
assaults of even united armadas OF the
world.
Battleships will cease to be built,
and the mightiest ironclads and the
most tremendous artillery atloat will
be of no more use than so much scrap
iron. And this irresistible power can
be exerted at any distance by an
agency of SO delicate, so imralpable a
quality that l feel that l am justified
in predicting the time will come, in
credible as it may seem, when it can
be called into action by the mere ex-
ercise of the human will"
This wonderful statement was made
by Nikola Tesla. At a moment when
the world is on edge from rumors OF Il
possible colossal conflict, there comes
from the great magician of science the
announcement of the perfection OF a
power which he believes is destined inn
mediately to usher in the era Of uni
versal peace by the demonstration of
its ability to destroy, without the pos
sibility of defense, the mightiest arma-
ments of all the naval powers.
In brief, Tesla's latest and most
startling miracle consists in an appli-
cation of electricity whereby, without
interposition of any artificial medium
OF communication, one man can con-
troll and direct with absolute exacti-
tude the movements of any type of
vessel, balloon or land vehicle at any
distance that may be desired.
From a station on shore or from
the deck of vessel under way, tor
pedo boat equipped with Mr.. Tesla's
controlling device may be propelled
either on or below the surface, maneu-
vered at will in any direction, and
finally brought into contact and ex-
ploded at the side of hostile vessel at
any point within the range of the
operator.
More than this, assuming that it
were possible accurately to locate the
position of the vessel which it is de-
sired to destroy, the torpedo boat
could be directed to it, even if the
ship lay in the harbor of Southampton
and the operator were stationed at
Sandy Hook.
With such marvellous possibilities OF
destruction it is hardly to be WON
dered that Mr.. Tesla believes the days
of the supremacy of sea power are
numbered.
Tesla said that some months had
elapsed since he had fully developed
his device. When it was learned that
Admiral Cervera was bottled up at
Santiago it was his intention to apply
his mechanism to several launches
and similar craft loaded with high ex-
plosives and annihilate the fleet at
anchor. Admiral Cervera, however,
came out and met his fate under the
guns of the American feet before the
necessary arrangements could be made.
Then Tesla planned a raid on the
Spanish vessels in Havana harbOr,
only to be thwarted by the proclama-
| ton OF the suspension of hostilities.
While the most important applica-
ton OF the device is unquestionably
in the direction of destruction, it
will also have countless peaceful uses,
and it is Tesla's highest pride that by
making war too terrible it will render
it impossible.
Tesla in his laboratory in East
Houston street recently said:
cit gives me the greatest pleasure
to announce to the world my last and
my greatest invention. My imagina-
ton fairly reels when l attempt to
contemplate its countless possibilities.
Already hear the knell of the battle
ship and the muster gun. Their day
has passed with the advent of a new
irresistible power, which gives to all
nations an absolute power OF defense
against any attack.
england has until now boosted OF
her mastery of the seas, but her
superiority has vanished, and she is
now no stronger than the weakest OF
the maritime nations, SO far as her
offensive power is concerned.
"England, who is now so diligently
preparing for war, will awake to this
unwelcome discovery tomorrow and
will be utterly confounded, and
France, against whom her armaments
have been reported to be preparing,
will rejoice in the discovery that she
possesses an all powerful weapon OF
defense.
Hitherto" continued Tesla. the
only means of controlling the move
ment of vessel from distance have
been supplied through the medium OF
| a flexible conductor, such as an elec-