Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

population that it has been impractcabc to transmit
their energy to localities containing the heart of
industries and in many instances particularly among
the Western mountains, they inaccessible as
to make it difficult announcement to establish in
dustreS about these sites within reach OF electrical
power transmission. But with wireless transmission
of power the energy of the waterfall of the Column
ba Rivcr-which by the way, amounts to seven or
eight million horscpoWer-can he employed to run the
of industry, to light and heat homes and cook
food on the Atlantic scaboard readily on the
Pacific, in Portland Maine, well in Portland,
Oregon; the five million horsepower from the Sacra
mento River in Manila easily in San Francisco.
There is millions more than enough horsepower going
to waste in the streams of the North Pacific group to
turn every wheel of industry and move the traffic of
railroad in the country; and with the advent OF
wireless power it will be developed along with other
millions of hydroelectc power oherwhcre, consmp
ton creates demand for it.
The greatest power site in the world, Zambcsi Falls,
was recently discovered in the until then unexplocd
heart of Africa Over its brink has gone to waste thirty
five million horsepower every minute OF each day for
centuries, enough energy to provide large part of the
world with power, than enough to supply the
commerce and industry of the United States. Because
of its isolated location it is useless to mankind and will
be until wireless power makes it possible to set the
wheels of a thousand industries spinning anywhere
earth with its magnificent energy.
WHILE the general public has not been taken into
w Teslas confidence concerning the progress of his
work in the perfection of his system for the wireless
mission of power scientific and electrical engineers in
such Developments as he has revealed to the tech
nical world For obvious reasons, however, it would
not be prudent to disclose the actual working details of
the SYSTEM the specific nature of apparatus to be
loved until such time as he elect to place his
transnitter the mar ket for commercial purposes.
"There is" says Tesla, "rnuch misunderstanding in
regard to nv wireless SYSTEM Some believe that the
Transmission is effected through the air. and others that
the currents go only through the earth The fact is
both media vehicles of energy. The current
passes through the EARTH but equivalent electrical
Jicr,13c
transmission is effected through single wire without
return; principle the practicabiy of which demon
strated in my earlier Investigations.
"By this SYSTEM he continues, wireless power
be transmitted with absolutely the same facility to the
antipodes it can to distance of few blocks The
Quantity of energy the transmit delivers mmaerial
but in view of the fact that the earth is immense and
that there practical limits in the amount of energy
collected in any individual it is necessary to
have a very powerful transmitting plant.
However," he explains, "the volume of energy-the
indicated horsepower of the generating planwill not
in the least affect the limit of transmission That is,
plant generating hundred horsepower will transmit
its energy to the same unlimited terrestrial distance as
that of plant generating two hundred thousand horse
power Neither will the energy power decrease in
efficiency the distance of transmission increases
is the with electrical energy transmitted by wire.
The efficiency of transmission will he the same rrespec
tive of the distance or the amount.
"When conveying power through wire, Professor
Tesla points out a; certain loss is incurred due to the
resistance Of the conductor; but the earth is conduct
ing body of such dimensions that there is vr
tually no loss, that distance nothing. To the
average intelligence this will appear incomprehensibe.
We continuously confronted with limitations and
those truths which contradicted by
the hardest to grasp. For example, of the most
difficult tasks to satisfy the human mind that the
earth rotated round the for to the eye it seemed
just the opposite
IN regard to the cost of wireless power, estimate
is made that places it at about onesixteenth that of
the present means and sources of supply At any rate
Tesla says that it will be far cheaper than any other
source known to with wireless energy, he
nues Eve could avail ourselves of the power of
the present: the transmission would involve but little
exnenSe and the aDparatuS would be of the SIMPLEST