The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-10
Automatic Ship
NikoIa TesIa's
Latest Pipe Dream.

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Nikola Tesla, the genius in electricity
who invented the oscilaltor, announce
that he has dSyised machine that WI
abolish warfare. This machine is boa
that will go without men on board ant
can be controlled for any distance with
out wires.
1t will obey orders from the land, or
will act on it's own judgment. according
to the necessities of the situation 1t al
most has mind. 1t will carry an unlim
tied quantity of explosives, which car
be aimed with unerring accuracy.
All the ships in the world would be pow
erless against a few of tnese boats, which
he calls "telautomatons" If the United
States possessed a f1otilla of them they
would be able to wipe out of existence the
whole navy of England as son as it ap-
peared in sight, or perhaps before that
yention is made in the course Of an ar
ticle in the Century Magazine for june
on THE Problem Of increasing Human
Energy" He argues that in order to pro-
mote the advancement of mankind we
must not only incresae the intellest of the
race and add to its material resources, but
we must abolish the negative forces which
retard its development Chief among
these is war, which has taken the place
once held by Ignorance.
Now, Mr.. Tesla holds that the only way
to abolish war is 10 make it bloodless.
Obviously, this cannot be done by increas-
ing the power of guns and explosives,
however great an extent. The only way
TO make it bloodless is to fight with in
fol frI haf
would be impossible to oppose them with
human beings. Then men might realize
the folly Of war. IA any rate the fact
that it would be bloodless would be an
enormous advance
$50 long as men meet in battle there
.Bloodshed will ever keep up barbarous
passion. To break this fierce spirit rad
ical departure must be made, an entirely
new principle must be introdumed; some
thing that never existed before in war
fare-a principle which will forcibly and
unavoidably turn the battle into a mere
spectacle, play, a contest without loss
of blood. To bring on this result men
must be dispensed with; machine must
fight machine. But how accomplish that
which seems impossible? The answer is
BILE of acting as though it were a part
Of human being; no mere mechanical
contr1vance. comprising levers. screws,
wheels, clutches and nothing more, but a
machine embodying a higher principle
which will enable it to perform its duties
as though it had intelligence, experience,
reason. judgment, mind"
What first suggested to Mr. Tesla the
idea Of such machine was the discovery
that he himself was an autOmaton re-
spending to external influences. An i'm
preston fell on his eye, and that caused
his brain to think automatically. He then
conceived the idea of constructing an au-
tomaton which would respond, as he did
to external influences. Such an automaton
had to have motive power, organs for To-
comOtion, directive organs and one or
more sensitive organs so adapted as to be
excited by external influences. This ma
chine would, he reasoned, perform its
movements in the manner of a living be-
ing, for it would have all the chief me-
chantcal characteristics of the same He
did not consider it necessary to supply
the functions Of growth and propagation
10 the machine.
In order to perform its duties intelli-
gently it had TO have mind which would
control its movements and cause it to act
in any unforeseen case that might pre-
sent itself, with knowledge, reason, judg-
ment and experience. This element he
could easily supply by conveying in the
machine his own intelligence. On this plan
his invention was evolved and a new
INF nh
Tesla calls "telautomatics" This word
means the art of controlling the move
ments and operations Of distant automa-
tons.
At first Mr.. Tesla planned to furnish the
boat with a sensitive organ correspond
ing to the human eye; in other words,
selenium cell, responsive to rays Of light
But upon examination he found that no
satisfactory control of the automaton
could be obtained by rays of light. The
principal reason was that any obstacle
coming between the operator and the boat
might place it beyond his control. Another
reason was that the use of rays would
make il difficult to give the automaton
characteristics distinguishing it from
other machines of the same kind. IL was
necessary that it should respond only to
an individual call, as q person does TO a
name.
These considerations led him to select a
sensitive organ for the machine CORE
spending to the human ear. rather than
the eye. This ear can be controlled re
gardless OF Intervening obstacles and of
the controlling apparatus, and would be
unresponsive 10 any one but the master
who possessed the secret OF commanding
1t. Waves Of sound spread in all direc-
tions and follow the path of least re-
sistance, however crooked. while rays of
light proceed only in straight lines.
The sensitive organ with which The tel
automaton is now fitted corresponds, then.
TO the human ear: il consists Of an cleo
trio circuit placed within the boat and ad-
justed, or tuned exactly 10 electrical
vibrations Of the proper kind, transmitted
10 il from a distant electrical oscillator.
This circuit in responding to the trans
United vibrations. affects magnets and
other contrivanceS in the boat through
the medium Of which are controlled the
movements Of the propeller and ruGder
and all other parts.
Thus it can be directed to proceed to a
port. however distant, or TO stop at any
desired spot on the ocean. Its guns and
other weapons Of ofense, IL it were fur
nished with them. would be directed by
the same mechanism. or it can be pro
PEELED Ike = vast torpedo against an en-
emy's ship. No men being on board OF it.
all considerations arising from human
weakness which play SO great part in
warfare. are eliminated
But Mr. Tesla is not satisfied with the
telautomaton in this condition. He has