The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-16

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| ing: Il would not be surprised if every
| large city in the world would have a
! number ofzstations of this kind completed
| in two years. and after the first cost of
| construction had been betrayed by public
tax the mere cost of maintenance would
| place the individual heat and light tax at
| less per month than the price Of a few
| mushels of COAL
| October, 1S9s-In the Electrical Review
| Telsa annunoced he had perfected his ap-
| paratus for transmitting electricity
through the air at an elevation where
| rarefed atmosphere is to be obtained. He
| asserted he could send out from an aerial
terminal an estimated electrical pressure
of 100000 volts which would be effective
at an unlimited distance without the aid
OF wires. He also stated at that time he
was making preparations to give prac-
teal demonstration during the Paris expo
sition next year by transmitting electric
power from New York to Paris through
the air.
November, 1S9S-Telsa said: 81 am now
prepared to announce my invention Of a
submarine torpedo boat chat I am conf
dent will be the greatest weapon of the
navy from this time on. My submarine
boat loaded with it's torpedoes can start
out from a protected bay or be dropped
over a ships side, make its devious way
below the surface through dangerous
channels of mine beds into protected har-
bors and attack a fleet at anchor, or go out
to sea and circle about watching for its
prey, then dart upon it at a favorable
moment. rush up to within a hundred feet
IL need be, discharge the deadly weapon,
and return to the hand that sent it. Yet
all through these wonderful evolutions it
will be under the absolute and instant con-
troll OF distant hand on a far off head
land or on a warship invisible to the
enemy"
All this was to be done without wires
Telsa described the boat in detail and ex-
hibited model. 1t was to be operated by
magnetic waves. The idea occurred 10 him
while Cerveras fleet was bottled up in
Santiago harbor and ne said he was pre-
pairing to demonstrate his idea of destruc-
ton on Cervera. With what seems like
unconscious humor Telsa said 81 was
delayed for few days in getting ready TO
explain and demonstrate what l could do
TO President Mckinley and then Cerveras
feet made the attempt to escape and was
destroyed by the American fleet. With
victory already on our side l decided to do
nothing more at that time, but I went on
and completed my arrangements for max
ing such a demonstration at Havana. For
tunatey for the country we were saved
from having to take Havana and so the
necessity for the demonstration ceased"
The foregoing list of things which Mr..
Telsa has promised and not accomplished
comprises discoveries not in practical
everyday use, or in which demonstrations
have not been made on such an extensive
scale. as to prove their commercial utility.
Many of these experiments Telsa has un
doubtedly made successfully in a small
way in the laboratory, but so far they
have not contributed to the substantial
progress of the world
Many electricians are beginning to smile
at Telsa's announcements, and only re-
Gently he got into a controversy with T
Commerford Martin, editor of the Elec-
trical Engineer because Mr.. Martin had
poked fun at his "osclllator" described in
the Electrical Review. Mr. Martin, in re-
plying to Mr.. TeIsa said: within the last
year or two Mr.. Telsa has, it seems TO US,
gone far beyond the possible in the ideas !
he has put forth, and he has today behind
him long trail of beautiful but unfn- |
ished inventions. BY mild criticism and |
milder banter. not being able to lend Mr.. |
Telsa the cordial support of earlier years
of real achievement, we have only lately |
endeavored to express our doubts and to |
urge him to the completion Of some one of |
the many desirable. or novel, things prom