The times., 1898-10-27
TESLA'S LATEST MARVEL
Power to Be Transmitted by
Means of Earth and Sky.
READS LIKE A MAGIAN TALE
Costless Natural Energy Opened
Up in the Inventions's Success
Mountains and Seas Interposc No
cradle Factor.

New York, Oct. 26-Tesla has pushed
his Investigations of the possibilities OF
electrical transmission through natural
media far into the realm of what, even
in these days, might almost be called
Fairyland, but he now proposes the trans
mission of great power without other
media than the earth and the air. to
distances of hundreds of miles over noun
tains. over sea.
OF this latest advance of the electrician
in the possibilities OF his science, the
Electrical Review, in which he records 1t,
in tomorrows issue, says:
at will, if successul on Il large scale.
open up unlimited sources OF practically
costless power. The success of his efforts
means hat power from such sources as
Niagara will become available in any
part OF the world. regardless OF distance"
His work in this field the Review says,
has passed the stage OF mere laboratory
experiment and is ready for,-a test on
an industrial scale. His last Intervention
is, briefly, the apparatus for the produce
ton of great electric power ard for The
collection and utilization OF that power
at a point distant from The seat of its
production after the power, or the cleo
trio current in which it is comprised, has
traversed, without wires, the Intervening
atmosphere al an altitude such that the
rarefaction has made Lne air of that
stratum a conductor of the electric huid.
The invention, ii is pointed out, Is based
partly upon the observations heretofore
recorded. that the air in a closed vessel,
if raretied, suffered an impairment of its
! insulating properties to such an extent as
! to become a true conductor of electricity,
though one OF high resistance.
| Il have devised means whereby l am
| able to generate with safety and ease
, electrical pressure measured by hundreds
! of thousands, and even millions OF volts. -
| ne says. and adds that, with pressures Of
| such magnitude and character. he has
found that the ordinary atmosphere be-
comes. in a measure, capable OF serving as
a true conductor for the transmission OF
the current.
Further it becomes possible to transmit
through even moderately rarefied strata
| of the atmosphere electrical energy up to
practically any amount and TO any dis
| tance. His apparatus is. in part. to de-
| velop electrical energy Of very high pres
sure, then TO lead the current to the
| earth and also "to terminal at an alti.
| tuQe Nntrt the fdTtutt dtNDSTltit IL "a
pable of conducting the particular current
produced" and another part to provide
and maintain another terminal. at ol
about the same elevation, at d distant
point ito receive the current and convey
it TO earth through suitable means fol
transforming and utilizing it
The apparatus consists of coil of fin'
wire wound in many layers, surroundec
by lesser coil of heavier wira-the for
mer the secondary coil, the latter the pri
mary. In the circuit of the primary i
included the source of the current.
The outer terminal of the secondary col
is connected with the earth. the. inner Il
a conductor which carries the current Il
a terminal up in the air, maintained
there by such means as a balloon.
AT the receiving point there is a sirnila
contrivance where the coils perform re
verse service. In the circuit of the sec
ondary are placed lamps or motors o
such device as may be desired for utiliz
ing the current. Tesla says:
1T will be understood that either o
both of the coils or transformers and ter
n.inais may be movable. as. for instance
when carried by vessels floating in tn
air. or by ships at sea-