The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-01-30
COMMUNICATION WITH MARS,

COMMUNICATION WITH MARS,
Nikola Tesla has noted on his cleo
tricsl instruments disturbances which
he claims could have had their origin
nowhere excepting on one or more Of
the planets. He believes them to be an
attempt Of the residents Of Mars to
communicate with US and also believes
that he can construct an apparatus by
means Of which we may communicate
with them.
II is by no means certain that there
are inhabitants in Mars, but scientists
generally incline to the belief that con-
dltions there are favorable for animal
and vegetable life. On the assumption
that nothing exists in nature without
purpose, the probability OF the
existence of human life on the planet
seems great On the ground OF the
greater age OF the planet it is also US
ually assumed that its population. If
there be any, has reached a higher
state of development than ours.
II is altogether improbable that the
present century will come to a close
without these interesting problems be-
ing satisfactorily solved. and it is not
improbable that Tesla may have
large share in overcoming the greatest
difficulty in the way-inter-p planetary
Communications there be intelligent
beings upon any Of the other planets
with whom to communicate.
In reply to an unfavorable critic Mr..
Tesla wrote the following explanatory
communication to the New York Sun:
In your issue Of Tuesday Sir Norman
Lockyer, in commenting on my obser-
vations. is reported as having stated;
Communication with Mars is absolutely
outside Of the domain of practical
science
Before had obtained with electrical
oscillations results such as were out
lined in a recent article, l would have !
pnhesitatingly agreed to this state
ment, but now l have the unmistak
able experimental evidence before me
that the transmission Of a message 10
that or some other planet is possible
and, what is more, easily practicable.
Necessity Of avoiding general de-
tails, unintelligible to the general read
er, compels me to Illustrate the advan-
tage of the new means Of communica-
tiOn over the old by a comparison
which, though not exact, is sufficiently
correct to convey an approximate
idea. Suppose that the entire avail
able power Of Niagara, about five
million horse power, should be turned
into an equivalent amount of radiant
heat and light energy 10 be used for
the purposes OF signalling. Assume
further that the observer in a planet
at a distance of fifty million miles
away would be able to utilize integrally
the energy falling upon one hundredth
of square mila of the planets surface.
This would be a difficult, if not i'm
possible task, but If he We're success
full he would then only have 1-3.
14O, ,OOO 900, 900 900 OOOth of that horse
power available for the operation Of
his instrument.
"on the other hand, let us examine
how much energy could be conveyed by
Ihe methods and apparatus / have de-
vised. In this case we should provide
a conducting surface, connect it through
a coil to the ground, and impress cleo
trical oscillations upon the system. BY
availlng ourselves of certain adjust
ments and artifces we should, according
to my experiences, encounter no insup-
cradle difficulties in setting up a move
ment of electrical energy equivalent to
a rate Of five million horse power, with
but small actual expenditure and en-
ergy. Supposng the observer In the
planet should avail himself Of similar
means We should then have as in my
system Of energy transmission or tele-
graph without wires, two resonating
sttuned circuits connected through
condenser. A great advantage would
be at once secured. since the energy
does not diminish with the square Of
the distance, as with light heat or {