The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-23
There Seems to Be Unlimited Money
Back Of Them Costly Plant
Going UP.
Strange Machinery by Which He
Proposes to Send Power With
out Wires.
He Believes the Marconi Wireless
Stations Are Merely Temper
airy Expedients.

New York, Feb. 23.-Nicola Tesla, the
electrician, Is putting up strong ana
costly plant at Wardencliffe, L. l.. tna1
promises to make necromancy an every
day affair. To the fertile mind OF the
Servian, when his wireless plant is hn-
ished there will be nothing impossible.
From the buildings there he promises to
run the busy wheels Of industry In this
city, to make wireless telephoning easy
and certain, to operate an electric launch
far at sea or to run automobiles anywhere
and everywhere, only that their electric
attachments be attuned to the power az
Wardencllffe.
While Tesla has been looked upon as
something Of a dreamer, invention after
invention has been put on the market
through him, invariably successful and a
step in advance of others. His undevel-
oped patents on file in Washington and in
countries abroad probably number many
hundreds, and other inventors are exceeds
ingly careful in going ahead with any,
thing commercial without first consulting
the records, as they have learned FREE
quently that Tesla has been on the ground
first
For this reason the quietness, If not se-
crecy, with which he is going about tha
building Of his wireless plant is taken to
mean that he has something that will as-
tonish the scientific and commercial
worlds.
Though the inventor will not go into de-.
tails regarding his plans, he will talk on
them IN general way. He Is absorbed
deeply In the putting up of the buildings
and the placing Of machinery, and re-
Gently has been spending much Of his
time In Wardencliffe. 1t is known unlim-
tied capital is behind him, and the appa-.
ratus he is installing resembles nothing
ever seen before.
The Inventor, who has way of talking
OF 1ncomprehensible affairs a If they were
things of daily routine, will not say who is
behind him in this new venture. He says,
however, he does not need any money!
for 1t, having plenty at hand. The plant
ne is putting up is as solid and substantial
as anything could be and evidently is in@
tended to last fifty or a hundred years
Evidently Tesla takes little stock in the
wireless telegraph stations now being built
in this and other countries. He believes
they are merely temporary; he calls them
ridiculous and mere toys. He does not
care to excite public interest in the work
| he is pushing#so rapidly and quietly and
says he has no stock for sale. He tells
what the plant will do by explaining it will
be central wireless Station, capable of
sending poweE great distances. He says
| 1t easily can FUN machinery In this city.
sending the power eighty or ninety miles
without the use of wire connections. In.
| explaining this he brings out a new theory
regarding the transmission of electrical
energy without the use of wires, saying it
will be sent through the earth. The gem
eral belief has been heretofore that with
| the Marconi and other systems the power
was sent through the air. If Tesla is go
ing to use the ground or water as a medi-
UNI he has something entirely new or the
theories regarding wireless telegraphy
| have been incorrect
"Th1s Is not a plaything, but something
| for business" said the inventor at Ward.
encliffe. Eve shall have great power, and
| II. so desired will be able to run the presses
on New York newspapers from here. II
is all SO simple. Away back in 1898 sue
ceeded in passing spark 100 feet-an
artificial lightning stroke and something
never done before. But it Is simple, and
this we have here is equally so. When
we are finished here we can put instru-
ments in offices and houses and persons
may be able to talk to any one anywhere
| in the country who has a similar appara-
| tus. And this is only part of what wiz
be done without the aid Of any artificial
connection except the earth.
| Already the Long Island Railroad CONS
pany is putting up new station here so
as to be able to handle the increased BUSH
ness but don't think the officials or any
one except myself or those directly COM
nected with me realize the full extent Of
what is going on here. After the Warden-
cliffe plant is in operation others will be
! built at different points"