910 TESLA'S OSCILLATOR AiVD OTHER INVENTIONS.

the waki:lwol"cl of R,ea]j~ln,]l1 season and ou t 'of season, and ls~herdore bouud to be veracious,

MeM'lW hilc ·O·nC of trw prettiest and most characteristic features of Cuu;o·b,. an extensive ship-yMXI, overshadowedby venerable trees, where halfthe trading-boats that ply in these wmte'11; are constructed, seems tohave escaped rhenoeiee of the guide- book makers altogether. Nor have they cared to let their bm::y" plilly " to any gJ'eae ezeent ,abo~H either Lissa or Md,. edn, though each of these islands has interesting associations, It was aIr the former tl'l.iilt the ~r8t proud. '!1a~'}' of ~Unil:ed, ]ta1y :S~ISULCi]led, 50

a dc£e.a.tfl.,t the hands of Admiral Tege in [866, the iboc1!i,es that, we~e reeovere.d! after Il~at, fi'~rceel)gag;~eil}ent h~ 'i'ing been all Ultcrred l n the peaceful Campo, Santo there; while II.II<3;leda, the southenunosc of the [om: islands, prefers a\ pla u8ib~e di1l~r.n 10 have been the scene of St. :flalll's, shipwreck, F{H" are we not expli.cilly informed thai theisLaud towhicb he escaped was called Mo.;lita? Arid Om hearts will henceforth swell with auew SYlnpatllY [01 the apostle to the GetJdles whenever we read tlmttl'le disascer took plwe after he had been " driven upand down in Adrea,"

TESLA.'S OSCILLATOR AND OTHER INVENTIONS.

. KOBELEFF,thcg1€<it Russian g~l.leral>.once said of'the political cenditions if!! Central A"la.,tIHl.c th.ey changedevery moment; hence the necessity fbrvigilance, lno less the price of emphe tl'taIi of liberty, ,][1~1!l'" ehangefuj, lII~(), ]s the aspect of tila¢ vast uewelectrUcal dO!n.ain whkhthe thought and 'invention of om.agehave subdued, They WIlD would 'inform themselves expertly about ir, Lf;[ w]) iil iever respect.must ever keep up ail attitu Je ofstrlltned artention. ] ts theoretical pirob~"lns assume n ovel p hases daily, [N old applianees ccrusdessl)',!!i'vc ~v9!~ W ~w::c.ess(Ym:. rlS meti:lods {yf production, distribution, ~md utilization vary [rO'111:1 yea~ 10 year, [~5 infiuence on {he rimes isever deeper, yet onecan never be q ultc sure into wbntpart of ttl e social or inc! ustrial svstem il is next to thrust a revel t1donarv force. (~S fml.ciful dreams Qfy,(l£WrJ(t:y are tfuem:ll.giluli, cent triumphs of to-morrow, and its advance ~o·wa,d domina ti onin the twentieth (en tury is as irresistible as tha.t of steam in lhc nineteenth,

Throughout this change therehas prevailed ~1. ,,:on:;i~~ency (II pn~:p(l~: a steady' ~itnhaJs been leveled Sot delilli.te goals,; while ~se[l1.~. arts in multitude attest the solidity of the work done. If; rherefore.we :fjnd a tremeedous out" burst of activity arthe verymoment wl't,(;fl., aftertweuty-five yea~\, of superlative producHveness, electrleiaus were ready, with the reforming English. statesman, to rest allJJ. 'be

thankful, we rna]' 8::l.fdy (I,~S!lU1e that elec • tricityhas reached ~no~]lcr of those em cia] POitl!$ ahvhichi~ becomesworth the w.hile 0.[ the casual outside 'obsef"i'e~' to gla:t1ce a~ wh<l:~ is gOIng 011, To 'tile timid and the conservative, even borrtaDJy initiated, these new c1!epaF"' tureshave indeedbecome exasperating. They demand theun leam!.tlg ·0£ eS1011'lio'hed fa.ets,fJ:nd. insist on right-about-faces that disregard philosophical dignity. Tile sensations of a dog attempling~C) drink sea-water af~e:r a liretune spenton in~,a[LJ lakes are feeble-compared with these .oJ mel! who discover th.at. electricityis quite other than lhe fluid , .. hich !he.',. have be. n.evedit to be from their YOltt'h~I); and that adually there is no suchthing as electricity or

an electrtc currellt. -

Electricity has, indeed, taken dlstin.Nivdy new ground of la te yeal1l; and its present state of Unfelt - unsurpassed, perils, ps, in oilier regions of research - is due to recent theoryand practice, blended in a striking manner ill tIM' Jis(;(lveti~5 of Mr. Nikola T,esla,~ wbo, though not alto gether alone.Irss come to be a forc, m0S~ ;;u:ld typical. ngllre' of the er<l, now begll.l!l. He invite, ~ttcflJtion l.o-d,ay, whether Jor profound! in\"",,ostigati()IlJs into the nature o,f dec. tridty "or ~o'r' bealltifUllillventioIls in which is QH'cre(]a concrete eT(lboJirne~toif~he latest ~em'ls f~r ~thi~lin.g the, ends most souglu after. 11\ the (b$u!butlOll of hght, heat, and r){l'M'e:r, and In the distant cammunication of intelli-

1 The pllC't(lgt~pJlS ,t'@r'5'(l1'c.~dii" !.M •. i",~d", we:r~' ~'A bk>gt.~pbk:;l,l ~~~,~h ".{ Mr. Tesla, by the p_.

i:o]~":n. !l,,,l@~ die ~pedol. dorcdwn of tn. .• In,,,,,n'OT, by "tit ",.,1":,, with portrml, ",pp~"e(1J ill. 'Tlf~" C~NTliRl{

Tonnele &. Co" fnr F"hru9J'Y, 1<'Sg..<,.-EDlTO,R..

TESLA'S OSC.lLLATOR A'ND OTHER INPEiVIf01.VS. 917

ge'n.ce, Anyone desirous of ~.md(:!r:s:tarHl.G[lg the srend andscope of modem elecnical advance will find many d ses ill the work of this in venlor. The present article discloses a fe'w of the more important results which he bas auained, some ofthe methods and apparatus which he employs, and OM or t\'voof the theories to which he resorts Cor an explanation of what is accomplished,

By a brief preliminarys,urvey, we rna]' determine om historical longitude and Iatirude, and thus ascertain a little mo.e precisely where we are. I t is necessary to recapitula te facts known and accepted, Len it, then, be remarked f1:l11J! aside from the theories and interpretarions that have beset t'he science, electricity as aa n! has for t:hree- hundred y<:tar1S been directed c~iefly to securing an abundant, cheap, effident, and ecenomlcal supply of the protean age-ncy, be it w:ha.t it may. Frictional machine, Leyden jar, coil, battery; magnet, dynamo, as. dlbtor,- these are bUI the steps ina process asregularand well-defined as those whichtake u .. from the aboriginal ct~~dli[lg of gold out of river sands up to the refining of me with al] the appliances (If modern mechanism and chemistry. Each stage in electrical evolution. has seen the conquest of some hithenounkuown art - el,ecttolherapy, 'lldegraphy, telephony, d?ct;ric h.gi'ntil1g, ~lectric heat!n~, P?wer ~rall2-mISSIOIl; yet each has had I mutatrons set 01'1 ir by the cQndidol'ls prevailing, Wilh a, mere battery much can be done; with a magnet, still more; with a dynamo; we toucb pos<;ilSilitic$ of al~ kinds, forwe compel the streams. the coalfields, and the winds to do \.IS service: but with Mr .. Tesla's new osclllator we may enlist even the' ether-waves, and tum our wayward recruits into feJ>]sll,es,s trained Jorces, sweeping ~C:~'~~ cQn .. tinents of unisnagined op~ort!l:lllty.·,

I he dynamo, slowlyperfttted these fi rty year.~, has rendered enormous benefits, and is de$tj:~,ed: to, much further ·I!lSlf'fulness. lJ~ct all that we Iearn W}W about it of any intrinsic, value is to build it bigger', or to f;>pe-cial'LlC ]~; . ;md the moment a de vice reaches that condition of development, the human intellectcasts ,l'hout for something else iii which the elements are 10 be su btler and Jess gross. Based 'U pon ClIrrents Iumjshed by modern dynamo-electric machines, the arc-light and! the troncy.~ar seck to monopolize street illumination and transportation, while the mcandescent 1a!tl'!P has preerupted for exclusive occupancytheinteriors of (l·ur h allsa nd hcmes, Ye't the a bendonment of gas, horses, and sails is slow" because the dynamo and its auxiliaries have n;ano~] .. bournclades, trespassing w hkh, they cease liCloffcr any advantage .. W,e call all remember the high hopes with which, for example, incandescent lighting was int,oduced some fifteeD years ago.

Even the most e}'!.'Ii.;al del.rnCtor oHt Y~'.m ad!eM'it that i~~ ,adoptlon. :bJl;S been qlliick. and widespread; but as a simple matter of faen, to-day, all the Iamps and a1hhelighting dynamos in the country would barely meet the needs of New Y ork and Chic;;gQ jf the two cities were to lise no other illuminant than electricity, ilIn all England thereaee oIlly ,1,150,000 incandescene b:trIpS contesting Ior supremecy with probably 75:,000,000 gas-burners, and the rate ofinerease is sm.al.l"if indeed it exceeds that of gas. Evidently, some factor is wanting', and a new point of departure, eveu it! mere commercial. work, is 1;Q bes{]~ght, SI) that with longer eircuits, i:lel'te.r current-generating apparatus.andIamps that willnot burn OIJ.l~, the popu'lar demand fo.r a pure and pertece :Iight can be met. Jn power transmission, also, unsatisfied prcblemsof equal magnitude CI;OP up. "' Is there any load tlhat water cannot Hft'i' "il5kcd.Erne[SCin. «Uthere be, try steam; or ifnot that, lry electricity. Is there all)' exhausting of these means? '" None, provided that Our mechanics be right.

It must not be supposed. tb~t t.he new electridiy is ic;onocl;);.~,tic. 1 n tile minds of a great ma[lY people of culture the idea prevails that mvention i~,a~i,S,fge1ya process of pulling down as of hQJ.ild1ifig [UP; and electricity, in. spreading from one brand! of :i;p"diustry to, iU'i()d~er" em.' counters the r~jtidieelhat O1lwlI}'ll rebuffs the innovator, The assumption is false. ,h may be true that in the glidia.tori;li! arena where the principles of science contend, one party or the other al way~ succumbs and drags olLlt it:.3 dead; but in the arts long survi val is the law for <'IU the appliances that have been found of any notable utili~y. I e simply becomes a questionof tl~e contracting sphere within which the oM apparatus Is lled~ed by the~ \1e~l:~ of the new ; and tha.t relation once established hy pmce.~ complex and lmlg contll1ued, capable even of mathematical. d.eterttl,ination, the two go 0'1'1 together, complementary in their adjustment to specific human needs. In Its latest outgrowths, electrical apphcation exemplifies this. After man}' ye,ilrn' use of dynamo • electric machmery giving whatis known as a .,'" continuous current," the art has reached the conclusion that only with the" alternating' emrent" C;IIfl it fulfil tile later duties laud. upon it, and. accomplish the earlier masks that remain untonched, Wi,lh the contimsous current "'e have Icamcd the rudiments of ]i.ghting and power distribuilon. W,i~h the all.ertl<l.!in.g current, 'niuiJi:p;ul.~ted tJ.L[ld coaxed to y~dd. it~ highest efficieocjl'., we: may solve the IJrobl,ems of aerial and marine n,<l.~1giltioll by c~eelridt)', operate large railv ..... ,Y systems, transmit tbe energy of Niagara IU:!lidn!ds of miles, and, in Mr. Tesla's own pbirnse," book Our machinery directly to that of Nature."

9'& TESLA'S OSCILLATOR AlillY OTHER INVENTIO~"'!S.

LET us see wherein lies the diffe~'I1ce be" tween tfu,ese tWO kinds, of currents. I Il an dynamosthegenerarion (If what we C1tU eleceie eurrent i!>dfected by the whitling of coils of ,.']I'e in fronrof magnets" or conversely, The wires that Iead a w:ay fro~n. the IllJilichine and back to, it to. complete the necessary cirCtJUI" mllybecQtu[.'a_red to a clrele of tro~gh~ or to a pipe-linc ; the cO!Db and magnets ate comparable to pump mechsmisrnj and the lamps ()r rnQi~vrs drIven h), the currem, W fountains or f(l:;tlcets spaced. out 011 th.e trough circle, This comparison is crlll,di,y~ti!i8;lf, hut it give:> a f;1ir~y exact idea" The cnrren~ trave]s along the sllrface of t1~() wire r;li,~her tJlf~ti, in· side, its magnetic or ether whor]s l'eSietublhlg rlilbberband!~ smditl,g ..:tong a lead-pencil, A machine that produces contirmous current, dipping it:; wire coilsor buckets into [he m:l.gneric ne~d! (If force, hOos (l:H its j ets, ~)S i bey C(n~~<:: around to discharge themselves, headed one way, and. complicated devices called " OO~)~tnu, ta;~"(l(5 !" have been UI"I1Ji voida ble for the purpose of ":rectifyillg" them. A. machine that produces ;l,~~em...ting currents, OIl the contrary, has its jei" thrown fir.$t In{Q one elJd of the tl10LI gh s},,~!em, and then Into the otber, and t:titerd-oru -dj;J'P€T15e,~ with the r-ectifying or commutating valves, On theolher band, it req uires pec:I!l'~j a r 0Iid, ustn:.ent (>f its fountains CIInd fallcctsi:o. the streams rushing ill either way. Itis an inherent disad",ac1)t(tgeof t.he continuous-current system th(l,t il C,lmW! deliver energy successfully ar :my grear distance at hig-l:, pressure, and! dl~t therefme rhepipe-Hne Blust be r,elat~'i'dy as bulky as were the hcllow wooden I,o~ whuc;:h were Q11ceemployed rOt water-cond~:hs ~fi N e',v Y,urk.The advantage of thealrernatingcurrent is that it can be delivered iU exceedjngly high pressures oververysleuder ~.I/i~e" and used either act that pressureor at lower or higher onee.obtaincd by means of a " transformer," which, aocording to in use, answers boeh to the idea of (Ii m.agnetic reducing valve, and to that of a sprullg-boar-d accclerati ~1,g the rapidity of'mcrion of any object a]ighriillgcl[I it ()b-"iL}~s~y .,~ transformer cannot return mo're tham is put. inroit, so thatIt gives outthecu rrent recei ved wid\ less P[(.'SsUJrl~ hue in greater "01 ume, Or raised in pressure hj~~ dimL!l i8h<::d in the volume of the stream. In some I,ik€ ma nner a regimcM . of soldlersmay be br.(ltlg~l(bJ' express to any wharf, and ~r<l.osrc[rc~i> Indian file, !O a sailing barge or an ocean tin er indlffercaUl', but throughout. !he~rip the soldiers will c(}ll!':rrit ute the same regimen" and when picked u.p by another n-a:ua a.:;l'O.~" dl~ferry,the body, thOUg~l there he kl-ss,by d\.,"Sertl!DDl <!.nd ~ickllegs" wmruta~n l<S ide:nttity, ellen if the [:;Inks ar.s

Ltolken. in. f!IHi1~. the ca .. rs, a.n. ~l a.Ill. reformed four abreast at me end of~he JouniCY.

A1. TE.RN AT1NG CURRE:N'fS.

LEii"' us, still recapitulating famillar facts, make 'the !1ext ste!p'i~Qur~e ... ie'W of wllat is 111- volved in the resort to altem<lit:~ng~ currents. It WaS stated abovethat tb~ current-consuming devices such. as, motors, likened to f(>ut'lt'aii'l5" neededpeculiar acljl!lslmnemslo the intlow first from oae side end lhel'l l:l'Omtheothe!'. N Q't 10 put it atall too strongly, tnC)' would not WO[!;;, and hm ... e largely :retmrincd in(l~)crad\le to the present time. Lamps would burn, but me~O!":l would. not rull,.and this factlimited serioU$1y the a(lopt]otl and nJ.llg"<' of the orheewise flexibl.e and USt,flJI altematjng currentuntil }),[r. Tesla discovered a beautiful and unsuspected solution of the problem, aud thus <."Iubnked On CIne PIlI,t 01 the work 110\'1{ revert linggrander po.ssibi!ilil.."S everyda y. The Imlt~~nl.ssi()n of the ])o,\~·-er·,or J>,~iagara .I1:1s become possible since the discov-er" of:tht; method. [I] his so-called "rolatullgrri'agm!ti-c f1(l~,d,"a pulley mounted 'tJ1JXl:~ a shan b perpell!l,aHy nll'ltl~!:lg .fl.l"ler a mag· netic ,,' pole "w.[thol!l.t ever being ableto catch it" . The fundameutal ideais te prcdsce mag" netism shifl[ng circularly, 11) comrastwith the old and known ,phenmn,e'ncl'n of magnetism in a fil;o;_ed poshio,tl.. Those who heve $("1]. the patient animal inside the treadmill wfued of the "'dl at Carisbroole Castk can form anidea of the liTIgenuil:y ,of 1I1r. T(,'SI~I,'S plan,

Ordinarily j' alten:,a~lllg-cl1rreHt gtllerators, suchas am now .in common UM:., have a, great number of r>mjecring role~ to cause the al'tern':rtilO'f!$ of current, and heace ti~eir "frllquency " is fuigh~tha~ is, the G:HI:~I1£ makes a weat m[l.ny 'tJo·and-fro mctions per :,{NJClIn,dJ, aud each ebb-and-flow in thecircuit is termed the ., perLod!" or " fre-q!tellcy,'" cue altemat~oilbejng the rise from zerojn maximum value arid dowu to nOlhLng "gain, and {1m other thesame tm.tl1g backward. If we ruled ,~, h orizonta] stralght lIne, and then drew a round-bellied Hogarth CUIV,tl of beautyacross It. the half of 'the curve avo\! e theIi nc would be illustrative of t he posituve flow. the lower half of the :nega~T.ve flow'; the top of one oval .'md the bottom of the outer oval 'wmdd be the positive and m,eg:ati,'e nl~xima["spec.t]veiy; and the point w here the curve crossed the solraighr line would mark the instant w,'hell the current dJ~nge~, i~, d lrecrlon, . 11. switl,f;'i!'lg pendulum is an analogy [avored by scientists in their endca vors to ~n1,ls!!'''te popu]atiy the process ·Clf the geneTatioll of the alternating current, Each tiITl,ethe coppe'r w~re in the coils on lhe dJnamollnn.at~m is rot~.~ed j).:Ji.st. the po!eofthe d,Y'~ amo field, the cu:rreMs iu e'.u::h cail foll,oll' tfu..is rise and £'i\ 1.1 ~ SQ that the munber

TESLA;S OSCILlA TOR AND OTHER INrENTIONS, 919

01 til e magnets and coils de!.cmllnes tile period or frequency, as stated, The more numerous the magnets, and the faster-the rotation of tb e coils. the quicker will be the ebbs and :tl{lll'S of C.Ufrent. But: the character of the work to be done, and existing conditions, govern the rate at which the current is thus to be set; vibraiing ; an d 110 small amount of 'sHU and knowledge enters here, The men who can predicate the right thing to do are still few and (<l.r between, The field h as as :rCl beenlittleexplored. Moreo ver, in one of fhe d{)CPCSi problems now engaging the thought ofelectrical e1tgitlee·rs,namely.rheprcduction of.::.heap light and cheap power by these new )lleanS,- opposite cond i. tions pull different ways. Mr. Tesla made lip his mind SOItl.':: time ago tbat for motor work II'W<'I;:;, better to have few frequencies; and tile whole dri fI: of power transmission is on tba:t path, th;; Cr. equ!CnCy.ado1)ted for the work at Nia~ara being only twenty -6 ve, But, as wa$ natur.al, he :rill'lt.hrough the whole scale oflow and high frequencies, and soon discovered. that for obtainiag Jig]"!!, one g[ea t secret lay lin th e utilization of currents of high frequellcy and high potential. Some years ago, after dealing with the power ])rol:l<!m as above described, Mr. Tesla attacked the Hght problem bylmfldfng a number of newel alteraating-eurrent generators fm 'the purpose', and attained. with themaltemations lip to JO'.!){lO per second. These !m,a.chilles transcended anything theretofore known in the art, and their curren ts were furtherraisedin pressure by'" step Upi' transformersand condensers, But thescdynamoohad~heir shortcomin gs, The number ohile poles and coils could not be inden.ni!e1y incteased.and tberewasa Iimit to the speed, To go to the higher frequencies, therefore" Mr. Tesla next invented his"'dismpd~Te discharge coil," which permitted him to reach remarkably hig"ll freqtI!H!lC}' and lligh -. pressure, and, what is more, to obtain these qualities from any ol'dinary current, whether alternating or' continuous. Vitith til is apparatus he 5ur~ prised Ilh e scientisrs both of this co\mtty 1\m d 0 f Europe ill n series of most interesting demonlltrattOi!is. In is not t'QO much to sav that these experiments marked an epoch in' e1eoc~rid ~y, y~elding results which lie atthe root of his later work with the oscillator in an inconceivably wider range-of phenomena,

THE TF:SLA oscn.LATOR.

I I' M this poi'!'!'! we have been con8~{ler:ittg both ccotinuous-currenc and alrernating-cur. rent dynamos as driven by the ordinary steam,CIl gine. Perhaps nine ten Ehs of all lilt '11 undreds of rhousands of d}rna.mos in the world 'tn-day are sooperated, the remainder being driven by water-wheels, gas-engines, and, compressed air.

Now, B'acb step :fi'(l'!n consuming the coal under the boilers tl)at deliver steam to the engines, L1p to the glow of thefilament in an incandescent la·mp. is auended with 1005" As In every other cycle that'has to do witbheattranstormauon 1 the energy is more or Jess frittered away, just as in J uly the load in an iceman 'scart crum bles and melts in transit along the street, Actual tests prove thatthccM.rgy man.iii:e.'>tll1g itself aslight in an Incandescent Lamp is barely five pc.r cera. or that received as current, 111 the humitiOs~.ty of a gas flame the efficiency is even smaller, ProfesSQf Tyndall puts the nsefulIight-waves ofa gOlS flame at less ~Ji.an one per cent. of ali the waves Ci!USiI..-..d by thE" combusti 011 going On in it. ] f we were dealing. wllh a corrupt city government, such wretched waste and i.nefficitli1cy would not 'be tolerated: and in sad. re~.l.ity tile extra vaga:nc·e is but on a par 'with the wanton destruction of whole forests for the sake of a few sticks of lumber, Armies of'inventors hnve :flung ehemselves on the difficu:ltie-5 111 volved in these barbaric losses occurring lIIe everystage of the calcrinc, mechanical, fI.I1I.d electric prccesaea ; an{l it is indeed ]ikd}, that many lin(,'!; of improvement have already been compeller] to yield their eunost, reach ing terminal roms" A moment's thought 'wm show that one main object mtlst: be the elimination of certain seeps 111 the transfer of the ener~y, and obviously, if engine and dynamo both fi!iVe hr;ge losses, il \I'i1! be n gain to merge the two piece; of apparatus. The oldfashioned e lee trk:.light station or street- rail w av power-house is. a giddy maze of be! ts and shafting; UIiJ the laver plants engine ami dynamo are coupled directly together on one base. This is ill notable stride, but ie still leaves us with a dynamo :Ill which some pari of the wire wound Oil it. is not utilized at every instant, and wit h an engine of complicated mechanism, The s(eam-cyl~f.lJd.cT', wil h. jts piston, is the o[l~ylhing actually doing work, and an the rest of the imposing collection of flIy-wn.ee1, governor-balls, eccentrics, valves, and what mot, is for the purpose of control and regn Iarion,

Iuhls oscillatorMr. Tesla, to begin wit]],hl"~ sl~pped the C:l !fine of il,l! this gove_rni? s me?h. amsrn, By gl'l'lng also to the COILs In which the current is created as they cut the" lines of force '" of t'h e magnets, a to-and-fro or reciproca ti tl,g m orion, so that t he infl! uence 01:1 themis equal in every direction, be has overcome the loss of the idle 'part of the wire experienced in rota i:ing armata I"eS,; and, moreover, greaeest acblevemem of all, he has made the currents regu.la,te the mechanical motions, No matter how close the governing of the engine that drIves the mdi[la,ry dynamo, withrevolving armature, thereis som C irregularity In the generetion of current, I n the Tesla oscillator, if its inventor an d. the evidenceof one's eyeslna.r be

TESLA'S OSCILLATOR AND OTHER' .lNFENT{ONS.

TI~ filtm i:if ~llI .. unr !!i~ ~~ ~-::iI~ fl.If' ';:':]H.:r.i=:II::mril. P-'l:I~R[!SI:!iI' wlth ~r.,~ '[I'ii!J.HI~IifI,1[ f.x..roo H IIllI~tiill:es. the: Iirtri.(;I~J~ O:I~ ~lliJrnt!~!l! ifl.l'r,b,.:j.T ~!!:~~r:i!I il!i t!II,:: ~1Iil¢bu1'f: i;lil'JliKl In PEr5j:>Ktll.'~ rn ];'.1'::. ;1' .. 121 wl:.ii:!ll :;J:eoiiIJi.

believed, '~lie vibrations of ilil.e eurrent are abo consists 'of field coils between which is to move solutely steady an d uniform, so' that one coulduhe armature or coil of wire, There are two keep the time Q' d~IY with the l}w;l1ineabol.lt as .I,!stons to receive the impetus of the irl,;oming well as with a dock. n was this 5,1;iper.la~ive' steam ill the chest, and ill the present instance sreadlness of' the vibration or frequency lilac steam js supplied atm. p:re3$ureof ,3,50 pounds, Mr. 'I'eslasimedat, for one thing. 'Tbe varia- <tltllOugh as low as 80 is also 1IS·('..(I in like osciltions caused bv the older f.l.pP'.il:ra tus 'l'nlgM. be Inters, ~'I'iere steam of-the higher pressure is not sl.ighlj, but .iUhl~ue errors muhiplled by high obtaiIlable"We note lmn1J~dia!e!y the absence rate> of occurrence soon become pcrceptiMe~ of aU the governing appliam;es of the ordinary ami ;mili~ate "-amillst dt"!iim~]e uniformity and engine, They are non-existent, ,The steampreCISion, of .actlOn. , Ba(:k?'t~he t.eo(k~c.jes to chest is~heengine, bared to the skin like a prizeirregularity 1[1 the cld-fashioned eleetrjcal a_p- fighih'lr, with every ounce counting. Besides paratus were the equal or greater tendencies ca.sil}"utiliziIlgsteamOltuema:rrka:blyhighprer>in the steam-engine; find over and above an sure, the oscillator holds it under no less rewere the frightful~osse,;; due to tbe jne fficicnt rn.!LI'kable control, ,and, strangest of all, needs conversion in b()t:iii. (If the power released from no packing 1O prevent leak. It is ~ fa.tdnferthe fii:el ;Imder tl~e boiler g?Il,e.ratin,~ Ih~ steam. ence, too, itlut, denuded iii this way of super-

Gain llll One du:ection WIth a radiea] mnova- f.luo~~5 weight and driven at high pressure, the I.ion usually meansgaia ill many others, through engine must have an economy far beyond the a growdng series, I confess I do not know common, W'iih an absence M fri.::ti,o':11 due to which of the advantaaes of the OSCiUf1tOf to the autematlc cushlceing of the light working place t'h,,£, and I doub,e whether its inventor parts, it is also practically Indestrueuble, Mare. has Y'l"t been ",b]e (0 sit d!oWTIl and sum, up an over, for the same pressure tind the same pisthe realities and possibilitieste which. it is a 10[1 speed the engine has about One thirtieth key. One thillg he doe's: he presses forward. Or one fortieth of ' the usual weight, and occuOur illustration, ]i'i g, l, sho,\'g one ,oifh is bt<"s,t pies, a proportionately smaller Sptl{)C'\. Thj~ dnnforms 01 oscill ator in perspecti ve, while the dia- inution of bulk and areais eq Ilally true (If the' gram, Fig" I, exldbil'$ the internal mechanism electrlcal part. The engine-pistons can)' at of one of the early forms, Fig. 2 will serve as a their tonus the armature coils, and these th'ey text for the subsequentheads of d~Qur~. The ilir~st r~ciproca.tive1y i.~ and out of 'h.~ magsteam-chestis situatedon thebed-plate between neue tiield ofthe field.colls, t.h:us gerull:attrlg curthe two electromagnetic systems, each of which rent by !h~ir fl£~ion.

1:f{JIi~' watches any" dYI10ln10,. h will he seen t hat the coils consti tu tillg the" am) ature j, aI·e swung around in 'front of mngnees, very much as a turnstile revolves ]n:;ic1e the barricading posts: and the current that goes out to do work on the Iine circu it is generated ]l1d LJC~L vely in ehe coils, because thev cut lines of influence emanating from the ends of the magnets, and forming what has teen known since Faradav's time as the "fLeld offerce." In tIle Tesla 05" dll,a tor, the rotary motion of the coils is en-

VOI_ XLIX.-n6.

tireIy sbandoned, and the)' are simplydarted to and fro rut a high speed ~n f1'0111 or the magnets, thus cutting the lines of the "·fieM. of force." hy sheeting in anr] out of them very r;:tpid1r, shuule-faslrion, The great object of cutting as many n 1]<::8 {If an intense fidel OHJfCe as swi.ftly,smuothly,rI:,gubrl)',mloCk'conomicaUy as possible is thus accomplished in a new and, Mr. "resla believes, alrogerher berter way,. The fo:nowill~ de.gc:ri~ti?n (I~ ~m~fkR~le !lei'>' :phenomeno III electricity will Ju~tlfy him III regard-

I~j;~.

f[rG"]" 11'!IR"3"l' J·t.fOTOO~"\\rH 1t!,v"f. • .I!: 1';",KEti iii'll" [IH05rJilOi!lU,t;lINT Lll.I"I·J:". nee: 1"~"'L.:f( ~::r. 'I"t11i.1' 6:P. P.;'I1L TE5r.·~""1 ...,,1:>l:D "li"I!I.i!

&QVIlCB OF ul!;rn; J~ ,tlNll [It." I"Il!:: i"liCJ!$jiH6H:"Rg~B"N'T' IiiUil.B:!l, T'h';[E OF E-:li:T"o";"lJ5:E,. :H.'V:~T r.'rJ~"I)t".,.:.",",

DlI.'l'E OJl fHOT'lJ(iRoII,rn J.\I;:~~UI.n:·lll' llS:lt·

iug the oscillatoras an extremely valuableinstrumen! of research, while time 'win demonstrate its various commercial and industrial benefits,

Incidentallvit may be remarked that the crude idea o{obtainillg' currents 'by means of a coil 0'1- a. magnetic core attached '~I) the pist(lll of a [oc[proca[ing steam-engine, is not in itself an entire novelty. It 1tl<l1 alscbe noted that steam-turbines of extremely high rotative "e~ loeity are sometimes used instead of slow-movillS' engines to dri ve dynamos, Hut in the first d~lIS5 of long-abandoned experimenrs no practikaI result of an y kind W1ISeVCr reached before by any sort of device; and in til e second dOl-55 there is the objection that the turbine i~ ddven bv !!);cans of iso lated shocks thlllt cannot be overcome by all)' design of 'the blades, and which f.(u·!':~rate au}' attempts to perform work of the kind now under survey, What we are d e aling wi~h here is a dual, interact ing machine, ha.]f mechanical, hatfelectrical, of smallesi bulk, extremel,' simple, utilising steam under-eon ditions unquestionably of the hj_g~heJt dficicnq', its vibrations independent of load and pressure, delivering currents ·of the greatest regularity ever knQII'H for practical work or research, That

9U

such a combination ehould produce electricity for hal f the consumption of steam previously necessary .... illl ·rmniliar apparam. ~11 equivalent resul ts, need not surprise us; yd, think how muc 11 a SIJ ving of !haLt kind would mean in welllligh every industry consuming 1)0;\\' er !

THE OSC'lLLA'l'O'R ,~"'J) Tn'!;: p'ROl)UC'l,'I'ON o~· LImn.

HAVI~G obtained with the oscilsaroecorrems of high potential, high frequency, andhigb regularity, what shall be done with them? ML. T'~'s.hc~ baving ,alread)' g~appJ,ed.Sllceessruil}' with the greatdifficultiesot long distance power transmission, as narrated above. has 'first all, swered that question bybold]r <lssrdHng the problem of the production of ligh t in a mallner nearer.perhaps, to t'h,H which gives us sunshine than Wall ever atrern pted Jsefore. Between m; and the 5\[[1 stretches the reneous, semi rive ethel'; arid ev ery sensa tion of Iight tb at Ihe eye experiencesis cnused by the effect of five hundred trillions of waves every second i mpressed on til e et her by the molecular en erg)' of the Still traveling along it rhythmically. U

TEstA'S OSCILLA TOR AND 0 TIfEll IJVVENTfOLVS. 92,3

t.he waves have a Iower frequencythan tbi.i; 500',0 DO,OOO,.oO·Q,OOO" they will ch~efl}' etl gender heat, In our artificial methods of getting light we imitatively agitate· the ethel' so ,poOl:I}, !.hat 'the wa'V'es our bonfi res set up rarely get <~bol'e the [ate at which they become sensible to' us i.n heat,. and only ft f';w waves attain the right pitch Or I"al)idity 10 cause Ihe sensatien oflight At 'the upper end of the keyboard of vibrMion of the ether is a .high, shrill, and yet inaudible

out energy-waves on the ether, which will be conveyed to' :L~S throughthe glass of the bulb by the ether as light rather than as hear, The glas:;;is as ullconfiu]llg-to the ether as 011 coarse sieve is: to water,

Now Mr. Tesla takes his currents of 11igh freq Ue.I1'l' and high potential, SIl bjects the incandescent lamp 10 them" and, 51ipr~ng' SOme of those lnternl!edi~l~e wasteful heat stages of lower wave vibrationexperienced in the old

jrl~;'_ ~_ t'1,I6:si.'~I'llr:J.::JIi,I'!H CliF' Jirli:, CT..IF.!I.'lJJ:N!': ~:'i'I'-\:F! .... ~ '1i'~.;I,mf,.llr. -r.,1,u~r=::!ri j:lw:i 'iJ."'8tB rn:.sLA l.,l!,nO;JULi'.(i!t'i.' j!"'NI}".r:Y~ J~;d,

nWB 09' ElX"f'IlSil:ll"Zl;, 'T ~ )UNU'1"ll:S.

rlott:,-."light,"-w hie h we want to ·trike and to, k .. eep Oil striking: but we fumble at the lower, bass end of the iastrument all the ume, Rna never touchthnt top most note withou t wasting the largest part of [) ur e~H~rgy on the iutermediate ones, which we do not at all 'wish to touch. Light (the high note') without hear (the lower notes) is the d ~fde,atli LT.I. The ll1.effi.cietlc}, of t'he gas fi!HilC bas been meetioued, III the ordinary incandescent lamp the waste is not so gr,Mt , but even there tile uet dkiet.l!cy of any one hundred 1I11~lS of energy put into it as elecuic current is itt the most five 0, six of light, the waste oCC"I!l.li'ring in the process of setting the mo lecules of the filament ami tbeHu1e.w: left: 1n the bulb into the ~t;l.te of vibration under which they must work before they can throw

methods, gets the ether-charged molecules more q!.!kkiy· ll:rto the intensely agitated COJ:l· dition necessary to yieldlight. Using his currents, produced electromagnetically, as we hsve seento IOf~ each fugitive molecule with its charge, which ir receives and exercises electrosIa'tk",lly, he gees! beether medium in tel a state of excitement in WI hich it seen:l~ to become capable of'almost anything, In one of hls first lectures, M.t. Tesla sa.id :

E]ectrm;tatic effects 'Ire, in many W:l,~'~ :l\,:l1:~abl:e· fOI: the pfodtl.cLi[)" (,flight. For instance, we may place a body "f some r",fr;KtOI""l' material .in a. closed; all ,I GlTefcr.;hlyin ;:L more or less airexhausted, g"k'he, connect it to a source of high, ",pitHy alternaring potential, causing '1::'':: mole: 0;:IIk5 of th,;~., I,) strike j,t many times a second

9~4' TESLA'S OSCILLATOR A.j_VD OTHER JNVE.iYTlONS,

at enormous ~1?~~d5. and ""', th'$ \~:;jr., whl1 trlllions of invisible hammers, 'P\l1,l <!d it untll it gets incandescent, Or we may l?!""<;'; a br,dY'1:\ a ''-err highlyexhmlsted globe, and by ';JJ;lp~()yj':lg very h1gI), . freq uencies and pNenti.:'ils """"in;t,,in it, a! any degree of incandescence. Or W'; ],"'<1.), dis~,,1;'Ijthe "Hler c1lr-r;em by tile moleculesof sagas, or their~n.tic d'<lrgc~" causing them tQ vibrate Or emit l1.glht,

These anticipatorystatements ~co,rrfmned to-day bp"h.a( M r, Tesla has actually clone in one old waJ[eV(lhIHoni~e(]], and, ~n tbreenew

rhick, for itwill rapidly reach and! steadily rnaiint.m:n proper incandescence by the [JCl,ssage of a. small current of the right high frequency and po tel1~j ... 1. A l.i ;lcci<Y1l 18 set up as die resule of whichthe filament is hitmillions of times a, second by the bombardmeet (if the m.olet:(lle$ around it in 81 merciless ring of tormentors, The vibrations of t]le current in similar manner will C!nwe~l-Ie in1il!l;~e jo~~li[lg of the moleeules of oolid ami gao .aga.imt. a 81'[1 a 11 poUshl;c\ carbon 0," m~t~.llicb1Jtton CIT bar ina lamp, and 'hriIiiatl~ Ii ght if> also 0 btamable in this way.

IN the f,eld of ]jghU.ng by ph(}~r phorescenee wereach h uherto UTItN(lo]en ground, Phosphorescent light has been. assceiated with tile idea oJ" (old lug!)r, "or the ]Imp· en)' of becoming luminous witb the omission of the mtermedin te step of combustion, ;1;.5, cry!'l:)ll1:only understood, As a physical action, we l\;now h 111 the light of the firetily, whi . ch Professor S. it'. Langley rates at anemdellC)! alloo per cent, .'l,lll itsrndia.tiurill lyi:ngwithil:l,the ]]]'J.lltS of the visible spectrum. JB}' means of tine Teslaic currents phosphorescent light strong eliot] gh even 1:0 p hotograph by has been obtained; arid Fug"':h representing the inventor himself; is the Hrst portrait or photograph of any kind ,evertakell by phosphorescent light. A. bulb ~'" hoseltght-gi"'lng member is coated with s\tlphid.e of sine 1;te1il:bed ilia. special Wity was rendered phosphorescent by means of cl1:rret{~obcainecl fwm -a .hig·rl~ frequency transformer coil, The

eurrene used was !IJterJla'l:ed or (lSdna/ted about ro.ooo times per second. The exposure was about eigUlt p:]l:n utes,

Fig, 4, of Mr, Clemens (Mark 1' .. 'ain}, was taken a few weeks later - early in 18941 - wltfu the aid 0[111(: S~IDe bl{lb,,~l.l.d with an exposure of about ten minutes. In order totest more ch.,;!>dy rhe mcdru.c ~·iiJ,llJeofphoi;phoresceJlt.ligbt, some bulbs subject I,() higll.frequem::y currents were phll'oogmph.ed, or, if we may coin it new \mro::]j" phospl1ogracphed," wilh it. somewhat 1000.g:er exposure, 11~ey areshowuin :fig" S. The I'.ught~hatl.d, hrig;h.~ IHl~Fllt~lizl}slll.lpnlJc (Of zincin some form. ro,r .1~n1ioo~ity. The third bulb. seen faintly to the l,l::.ft o:f them, has a. cOf~dng of sulphide (If cal dum. Allhough,jtl.dged. hy the eye, it glowed. wit:ba b:rigfumes.s, fuJ]y c<.]\lial to Ihm of the otller two, the actinic value l!iJJS

f'&G'I!!:~ l'},):f:jlll);, FHO-&I:IIi'QR!i!;::":';~i:£'t' Eil]L.'[IS ~-:jr,jl}~ '71i:5i' 'E'QR A>l:-Tl~"]e VlLVlJ.(!;,

. L',i[lfzi.\""f:i:J:~tr.:i~~D :r~'!J' 'TI!Ji_'lJ.!: fl,"ji;l,M' ,D~I1IT ..

wa ys : U) the Incandescence of a solid j (~) ph()sp.nore~ce[JJc(l, (3)~tl.Qt,ndcsccnee orphosphorescenee ora mrefiedg,a~; and (4} luminosity produced in a gas :a~ ordinary pressure,

LM'~ PS WI,C).'!.' I;U)TTQ!'IS (Ill. .~'R8 II'< I'J .. I!.C1l, .oF l'llAME':NTS.

TA.!ONG h;ITIp~ ill tile first ca~egmy, it mao)' he stated that it bad beet! cou'lmon! \' St:!PIQQ~ed thf~t the Iight-giving conductor III tllel.amp:. 10 he d'ficiern <t nd pr.a,c!t,lcai, should benne; hence the name " filament '" given to the carbon loop ill, suchlamps, Bue with the Teslalc currents theresistance or friction oJ thefilnmenr to die flo IV of current does not count f<Yt ,allY'thil~g: tbc fihml(:tn~itiily just as well b (:t short and

U,GHT .AND rHOTOGRAl'HSWITH TISLI\, p:Elm>:pI-WRE8CEN'r BULn~.

TESLA '8 OSCILLATOR AND OTHER IN17E1i!TIONS. 9~5

trated, Tbebulbsshown are mor€ or less exhausted of ndr, III the case of Hg~, 6 and 1 the glass of the tubes is the ordinary German g~~Sl;" [1:\ Fi.g, 3,. uranium gla!Sl3~gteen-w"$ em, ployed, 'I'his l(l.s~ W<lS held in the hand while a pfwoograph was taken of it hy irs own light ,: whence theunsteadi n essof the negative. To obtain the beautjful illumination seen in all three, :h~bn~bg were ~inlp ly_ appir(l~:dl ed withi n f~ fe~~ Hlcbes of ~he terminal of a IJilgh"freJquency coil or transformer, Jusl.hereit liMy be palMcd out that the lamps ate spckcuof as unattached, in free 'pace. Ordinary incandescent l:lghtin g 1S done, ","8 e'\!crybody kliows, 11>,uth. file lamps' oases, l1irrnly attached to the two current- bearing wires, Even where thelamps have been used Oil tfue ord1nruy alternatin g circuitsin IV hieh the transformer is employed tu-'·' step down," or [educe" lor safe use, the hugh(l[~k'flsion current 1:u:ougfu! to it. hy the W11:e fmrn the d ynamo, the laln~ l1a,'(! to be attached to the'" secondary " wires of the coil so as to make: a dosed circuit for

PH]!! ... If.., ~.I' A~D g .Jl~!E 'TY.~.1 A -:r1;~iI[S 'OP' II{IFiFERL~I!iIT Fa-lU.l!:! :m ..... 1~[~!I[ 'I'-!!(iHT [5 Q[!'TJi.'m8~ Wl'J',F.I'O'lfr ~U..A·~f::';""l· ou CJ;N~B[I~'iNObL ([iH(:{L·O[:JUiJ.'IUI.Ti ~I\, 'I'HErR o~r.N L1G:1-:I'l'.)

evideIltly much. less. I! Is, pe'[h~pll,.f1e(),Ue:;$ to sa)' thflt these demonstrations invite to 01.11, endless variety of experirnents, In which invesliga~ors ,,,ill find a host of novel phenomena aWlll~illg' them as (0 phO"phm'esce n,:,e and flw)rescence prodeced with. electrical currents,

l!CH']' :1'lH)~~ E1I11':I''' I1IOL]);S IN FREE SI'.AC&,

THE third and fOUI~h classes of1ightLlIg emumerated above :l!~Qbta~ned by Teslaic C~ltrefit5 are tJ10SD caused by the incandescence or pilus. phOl'~~ellCe ofa,~arefied gas a.ndt~e lmninos- 1 ty of a gas f~t o.rdlllaJ:y pressure, Wegetpnre, beautiful light without any fihHne:llt or mITy combustion, hi Fig,. 6, "and. 8 we havetubes O'Y' 'buibs hI' means of which some (If these i1liereseing l)henomcna a:r<} obt~illJ6d and illus-

them. But as we rise il"lthe fre'l\!e:ocy of the current, as we leave behind the eleetrodvnamic conditions fur the elecnostatic ones" so \?;'e free ourselves ff<)!n rlrerestrictiensnndlimirations of solid wires for tbe convevance of 'he' effects sough t,Ullti] 3:1 bst we reach apoint w here an the 01(1 ](!em.o{ the necessity ora tangible cireult vanish, H isall dreLlf~ ifw.e C,'1:Cl properly direct the ligllt kind of impulses through it.. Ars Mr. Tesla long agopointedout, most of the e;-.:,pe:riments ~~8\laHy per{orfried with a st\[~t[GmM:.hin(;l of glru.s$ p]fI't~5' cart also 00 performed with an ill" dJllction-coil of wite if 'nile C',trrems are il teruated rapiidly <eMugn; andit isinreelity here. thai Mr. Tesla parts Ciomp,.'Hly with other distinguished, workers who have f:ix.ed their attenticn mer,ely 011 the results attainable with electrodynamie a pparatus, Bdore passing 0[1, IN us quotethe inveutorbimself:

Powerful elea,o.slaHc effeosa:re a si;tiiql.d non.

Qnight produetion <ll:'l the Iinesindicated ])f)' Iheor,l", E'le~iromagr,etic ,efl"c~s are pdn''''tilrutla.1Fttil~ ble, fo,r the reason tl'!tt t 1 o prOt;]ti.ce (he reL)uite.:l! effecb;

,i::i:xrJJ:ltl!i.!j!3f,iT &i:lCtWlbll,,; P.a .• '\\' Q,P u[.l[(;rKl{; 5.1:I,;i,AK !fIEHi!f.:r.;!'i1 "-=";); 1]~~6.K FJ,,\T.P.Sj P'~,O:)JJIJI::IIP !!IV' E:.LEC'l!JitJC en .. \~GI:..

1l'H!B: Cfln.,. s'r ... ~'n.IiNG: UN 'IlfB C"i£';}''nr!(J.! 0"- It. :r...",:IiGB Sl:iJQl\r, I!!:: tf~oC"':s'!'<:r:.:cTEP. Wlfil TKtf

2h1El!i!mi::~N(ji C[R·CU'I:T, (FFW,~ Ei'l'...A:,:!i:.J1-1:..1Wirf n~o-T{lGR"'J'.H~)

woe would h aveto pass ~bf; I;Il rrentimpulses throu gh a. condector which, 'Iong before tl:! e required in:, quenc), of the i11'lF'QJl!;lesl;;cm!d 00 reached, ""mId! >Ce<1I~e to transmit til em, O~ the other h~l'~d!j electromagnene W1!.'I'eS U\.>l·,,)' fimcs longer 't!l;:[ti ttl(r.;e of light, and preduciole by sudden disdiairge of a condenser, ol)"ld nnt be utilized, it we", ld seem, unless we <l1jai~eil ourselves oftheir effect upon COI1.'· ductors as in Ihe present methods, ,\,hic1i are W~ st,e-, ful. 'IN e could !lot aifCC'tby means of such WlIVIlcS the statle molecular or atomic cha~g,e$ Of.1 gas, and. causethem tevibrateand tD,emit:llgM. Long tmns\'el'!'€ waves cannot, apparently, produce such ef" rect~, since excessivel y "mall elect romagnetk; disturbances tlil.ay P<lJSS readily t]nmrgh m£~es of air. Such dar k waves, nn less they are of the le rlgth <of rrue ligh,.waves, C<l1i.i'<Jt, it would s eem, exeiteIuIt\Pli.OUS radtall<)rnj'l <J!.Gei55J:e·r tube, and the ]lImi:·

r~2i5

n ous e1'fec ts which are producible b:); induction In a tube devoidof electrudcs, I am inclined to consider as b~lng of a'i. etecerostatic nature, To prod lice 511 ell Iumino us cff(;Cts snaight electrostadc thrusts are l'egu:ir.ed; llie~"" '\\' hatever be theirfreqncney, !:Il;)lY disturb the molecular charges andproduce ligill.

EH'ECTS WITH. ATI'UNIi:D mrr WIIJJ;;LY SEP.U:ATED, ciacorrs,

A, I'EW experiments performed in Mr, Tesla's labora tory workshop afford an idea of th,e flexihallY of the methods, by which pOII'erM electrostatjc effects are produced across many feet ofinren'ening ~pace. The werkshopisa room about forty by eighty fee~jal.1d tenor twelvcfeet

TESLA'S OSCILLA'lVR AN.D OTHER .lNVENIYONS" 92j'

high. A circuit.ofsmatl cableiscarried 1M'GUild it {,(jill til e te"minaJso:f the ollldHa[:Qr. ILl ehe center of the clear, open space is placed a coil, wound drum !$!hioJ:l, tbree Or f(ltlr fee: high, and. unconnected withthe current source save through the medium of the atmosphere. The coil is provided, as shown in the picture, with two condenser plates for adjtlstmen~, st.a1!L.ciii'lg up like' cymba]s •. TIle platesact a[[er the rnanne» 'Jiffl.$])I:il:lg, and the coil uS coropsrable to an dectrornagaetic weight The' ~J'$tem of apparat!~S ill the middle Oil the room has therefore it certainperiod of vubra.iion, just <IS though i[ were a tlL]nh~g-fork, ora sheet ·of'thin ruson,me glass, Aroend the room. overthe cable" there are sent frc;nn t~ e o;;~dll;r~Cl'r electrical current vibrations, By Cfi:te£UUl'adj usting thecOfidenserplates so thatthe periodicicy or slv~ng of the induced <::1~r.rem is brought In so seep -wifl:! t:bat. 0 f the cable currents, powerful sparks <IJ!e madeto pour ac;J;O\SS between the plates ill the dense Mrearns shown in Fig, 9. hi this manncr it is easy to reac h teuslons as high as ZOO" 000 and 3.00,000 volts ..

N oone who haswitoessed 'these ,$lgoificant e.xperinlents can f:ail to. beiDlp:n!ssed with til e evidence of the aetualitv of ca. roed!iliL m, .caU it ether or what you ",-:iU;whkh in spite of its wonderful tA.mJ~i~yi5 as capable of transmittin g energy asthough i~ were OIir or wa~er, s.tm

more impressive to a lar~il u, perhaps, is the confidence ~~nd e~sy .1.:vrccl~lOn with which these tine Oi.d!juStLnen[~ are boo Llght about.

[[I Fig., ]0 therejs a similar coil, in the middle of the same room, which has been ,Q adj LIsted to tlleYibratlo~:s sent around the sho[) that an ordlnary sixt:eeu-cOlndlc-powr:lr incandesceut lamp is wen lighted up" _

Fig. [ I pursues thls a little further. Above theQoH acircleofwire is held by !In observer, and ~n Incandescent lamp if> attached to the circle. As before, the vibration of the etber in the: coIl is 'brought into harmony wit.h the ",lb!,,~tiQ.fisc;mitied from the, cable. The induebye effect lIpoll~he drcle held loo5dy ill: free 8p~ by tliH:: observer is ,0 pronounced that the lamp is immediately lighted !lP, though it may be conneceed with. but om: terminal wire, OF with two, AlOe-volt hmp if: used, requiring when employed Qrdill~:rjly morethan one tenth of a borse-pewerright off the connecting circuit wires direct from ~he dynamo, to bring It lip to proper i~!umlifla~ing value, Hence, as will be seen.thereis actual PI'(I(l f here of the tr;ll.Jl;:;'lt!ilsSLot) of at least ~h@t .Rf.li{)tmt of energy <LGl"CISG a space of rome tW':!(llty feet and iueo t1'le bulb by a c~\!a1ly no wire at all, This need not surprise 1]~ when we N'\HLem hc'dha! on abrigh~ day the ether deli \1el'~ s~eadLly frmn '~he sun !l horae-power 0( cn.ergy to every seven square feet ohh,e earth's

t'o.;::·_ ],~ JC~r!!!;~~"'H~ti!'1' ~1)~"'·J;I'oIG '-Hlr:i UGH'1"~~~ UP OF- .i\~ O.Fi:m":AIi:"i' ]~(.if~fio:E:SCIi:N·l: li\rU, Pot- ,,.. ~~!~T,!\~);,:;r.., 'rm·m.t,l'G!! L1~1It!; rp.j~IL.I(l'J[NI',';i! II)If j[L~r,."'Fl:W~IIIl.~ ~n~f!::::-WAVES3 ij)l:(I~[ iFLA5J1.1..](i\ln' :P,~R"'f.'H -. ~

9'~S :l'ESLA'8 OSCILLATOR AND OTllER JNVENTIOj\!0~

aurface toward it.: so great :13, iis capacity for transmitting energy, Mr, Tesla with his '''dectrostatic thrusts" has simply learned tbe knack of loading electrically on the gocd-nacurcd ether a little of the protean energy of which no amount has; vet sufticed to break it down orputit out of t~mpe:r. \'il e may assume either an e1:l(l~IUOl1;~ speed inwliat may be caned the transmitting' wheelwork of the ether, since the w,eight is inconcelvab ly small ; Of else t±uat the ether is n mere transmitter of energy by its well-nigh absolute incompressibility,

CURIOUS "U1PEDANCE ,; P'HEN,GMEN·CIN'. IN Fig, I2 we: have-another remarkable experiment illustrated. Standing over the coil in

ever, so extremely rapid that i~~ spite or the opposite terminals 'being UDl ited ill this way, 'the current .JQ~,s '[lot How past them neglectfull)" in the apparently easier path, as it should, but brings them to a.bright meandescence, \Ve have here an esample of whan is known. as "jrnpedlUlcc ;'. phenomena.in whl.dl tbecurrene is oddl y choked bad: at certain points and not at cehers, Under the conditions of .. impedance," the best electrical cond ucterloses i Is prope.ny of conducting, and behaves like a highly resisting substance, Elaborating further these (!xperimetrtal results, Mr .. Tesla shows that a gss - ~I perfect non-coeduceor under erditmry circinnstances -,rna,}, be mom conductive than lilt: be;;t copper win~, prodded. thecurrents vibrate ra pidl y enough, The fantastic side of this phenomenon he touched em pla:yfiilly once by suggesting tJwt perchance ill. sue h. wise we migllt~Qlme da,y utilize gus to convey electricity, and, the old ,gas-pipe to insu l a te it

F[C, r I:. !B..'X:I·UlU~~1oiii lLW.5TRA lftNG ,]~I:IE l!..iCI:tTIM] OF AN ~i!It'C;"'~IJ]~~Jo:~' f.!\p.jiP Ii,"" ifR'lie; Si'A'(B. II-\! 1N1foL.-C-T-:JI:!loi Iq!Ol.~!Ml OOtE. lIE;["ILrnr .. g~.B;~GE2iE:;[l! ,~y.' 1D']6,'1'''''~1' 1i:11:'!eU1J'J" ... .Iw.'Il'tiln THi& .RDO~. TF.l B J.oa·p (tJl Yli'ITt.1! C ... li:I.i!"j,·~N·C; 'J"11:F:. ~·."'MiP ~5 Ef6LD IlY ~[Ei:,. :!Ii:iL~oo....,. ':r.M. WIf·Q~'). ~Vii:g:..:i[ H •• J\IiH"UGlifT ,P'l~OTC·(""RI1I:l']a. ~

the center oJ the room, the observer holds a hoop of stout wire 'in 10 is hand, One or more lamps are connected with two points (1) the wire, so' that the lamps are" short-circuited "by the sbort bar of wire. The vibraricns are" how-

LAMPS LIG·HTIIT) liv C!]RRl';N'rS lM!l.sE:D THROUGH TIiE HUMAN IlODi:',

IjeFig, 13 amostcurious and weird phenomenou i$ tllustratcd, A few yea.rsago electricians would have considered le quite remarkable, if indeed they do not now, The observer. holds ~! 100'1) of bare wirein .. his hands". The 'cnrrents mduced in til t loop ])y means of the " resonat- 111g" coil over which it i~dl,eld, traverse the body of the. observer, and ~,t the same time, as ~hcy' pass between his bare hands, 't~ey blilng two Or three' lamps held there to bright jncandescence. Stra'ngc as it mal}' seem, these currents, of a voltage one or two hundred times as high as thai employed in electrocuticn, do not inccnveuience th ~ ex~ crimenter ill ill e ~Hghtei>t. The extremely bigh tension of the currents which Mr. Clemens is seen recei villg prevents them from doing any nann to him,

TRANS~II::;sm)ol Oi:i INT]U.'UGENCE IlV ATTUNEI) OR .:, RESONA1'IN(;" (:I,fll::JmN'TS"

RF.F~:RENCE has bOC"Il rn~Hle to the "re~(ma.tilig rr qU:l.li ty of'th e circuit s andeoils, .ITt wo uld be

rm. 1~ se r, I.IL!Ir..H. E,Xi'i?:RIf,!iI'B.hJ"'T.. rl.J.li6'l"iRA1.'Lm;i 'Ti-m PU,BI'O..'!lENON -i)f' DWWA.~I;[t.,- i["';m~:: L<iOl' OJ'' \VlR.EJ C:AR~"]N-G 'i',l(J

'L..UJ:PS, L:§ U51..1a I'i'ol' ;l.1'~. )ns.:IU'11 lil[fry.uso:M. (1f~(JM, FUL!1!I..-J;[OHT' PH01iI)GRA;pn'.~

wearisome, and indeed is not neceg:;ary, here ttl dwell on. the difficulty often experienced in (;5· tafu1isbing tbe relation of" resonance," and the instantaneity ,evith wh ichit can be disturbed, It may be stated, in order to give some idea of the conditions to be observed in these experiments, that whenan electric circuit [s traversed by a fa pidly escilkrting current \vhkh sets 'Up wa ves ]1'1 the ether around the wire, theeffect of'rbese waves upon another circuit s-ituated at some d]stallce from the first can be Iargely varied hy proper .lldjustmeol'S,. 'fhe elTe-ct is most pronounced when tile second circuit 1S so ailj usted that its period. of 'l'ibmtio'Jl is the same !I;.~ fh ail. oJ 'the first, This harmoniaing is. de .. ftly accompfished b)' \!<rryi!lg' either of thetwo elements which d]iefiy govern the rapidity of the vibration .viz., ehe !;<J- called <, capacity" and the " self-induction, "WhMcver the exact process may be, it is clear thai these two quantities in their effect answer almost directly to what are

k. '!l{)wn~n mechanlcs as p1is:bi]i~y an~l as '~",eig~~ or merna, A ttach to a sprmg a weight, and It will vibrate at a certain rate, Bycllaugmg the weight, or modifying the pliability ofthe sprin g, any period of vibrarton i, obtainable, In verv exact adjustments, minute ehanges will com'. pLe-t:ely upser thebal snce, amcl'tl'l e very Lag! stra IV

VOL. XUX.-n,_

O'f fine wire, for example, i[l th e induction-coil whkh giyes the ;U!] f--i~clUCtiOil "ojl! 'break the "1l'~U, A!l]\ll r. Testa has said, it is really a lucky thing' that pure resonance is not obtainable ; for if it were, all kinds of dangersmight licit! store for us by the increasing oscillaelons of ever!' kind that would be set up. It will, however, have been gathered that If 'one electrical eireuit (an be tuned 1.0 another effec~i"el}', we shellneed no. rerum wire, as Lereroforc, for motors or for' Iights, the ,OmC wire being, if anything, beuer than two, provided we have vibratloe of the right value ; and if we have that, we might get along without an? wires or- "-11Y' ," currents," Here agaIn we must quote Mr, Tes1a;

IE, conneetion with re.uoa.ll ce effects anr] the problem of transmission of energy 0 v 1"1' a, single ',00.;1.]<;101-, I would s,"l)' a few words all a subjocl "1I iehccnstan t'ly611s ll1I ~r though to, ,1I.·"d which COIil· cerns tb e wdf;lre d all. I mean t1e transmission of intelligfble signal;;, ar perhaps even p'l'Iwe.r, to [my djstance wlthout U,e use of wires. I am beoomi_l'1g dallymore o;on vinced of the practicability oCthe scheme ; and th(l[lgh I know fun wel] that the majority of sclenrific men will not bdieve that such t~!iilll~ can be pnldica]~)" and imtnediatelv reali2e-d. 'y,et [ think that all consider (be develop·

~"~

:fila. I;.!. 5-!I~11:L.I.'N 1K!O<1-'1:,I:;:~t'i'II:tNT, ""JIiE:: H.iCH-TE:bl~IC~ .;!1!fR:RII!R'I" BK[NG rA:SIiit.I:i ·,I:I"lIm~c.'H TJ:U! !IIuDV' 1IE:J'OJlB ]'1' BRENG_:9

·,j"f.lB 1."!~i'i"N~" "II)- ]N[,AND'r::SCEt.iCE"~ ~'&I_B lA1O.J'! IS Ht:lI.1Jo ,aVER T.f.IB !IU~9()N.i\:IING [O'lL BY MR,. (:i..BM"~""lii

(~!\"I~~' TYIi'AEjIi)\, (t"1I:(IfJ A., "Ft..IaS.I:I·U"l3ltT' f'iHOT;OG.Mru.)

ml,;f1i$ ohece<lt >'ear. by a. uamber a.(wo·r'i::er,s to ],fWCO<:l"-,,,, such '"" toJ eflc"urage~l"'i!ight. and expCi:llT!';;llt i,,"frM~ ,di,~(;t~():n, M), .;[)fi v iction l~<ls gr(""1;l so "t:nmg(n,;,t I nol<),j~gcf l<),}k I.Ip,)[I this plan of energY()T in tdli gence transmissi on as a mere thirQ1Ttlc~lp')S5ibil;ty, bLUt as a serious ])tOI.), lem in d<;c;tri~;ol enginceriug whkl1.,nl;!st oee"tried outsome (I@;y, The kIm of h.~1)5ltlit~ing in(;el" ligencewirhout wire is Ih enaturel outcome ,()f themose recent results of ek~,trkil~, mv~tig..lti(>!iI~, Some enthusiasts k"ve expressed their belief th'l¢

telephon y to.a:llj'cli;;lancetil'i uductlout the

air is possible. 1 cannotstretch .. ' . 50

far; but I d!<lc,rm1r be1ie1.'€l that it is rmctUcllblo.:to dls\fij,b 1b')I menn S {If powerful machines t &Ie elecl"'$t.allc condition of tl1<) earth; and ~h us tr1lnsmait 'fi!l:l[ig,hte signa]s audperha ps power, ILl fact, wbatb there ,""!,'llLillS! the carrying OU~ of snell a 'i¢b~:fl'~? vV" now l<n(lW tha~ elecnicvibratlon may !be t.l'~!l~m(!ted lE>nJU(ln .. ~irt~t'" conductor, Why, ~h.ctl"n(l'( try t,} f.!V;,l.i~ <}u,-,;d""s of lhe earth for this pmpC>:l>e ?W", n,,-,<;,].n0t I).; friglHece<d by lhe idea of distance, '[' e>t],e W<".il1YWf,ln,dere:r 0I[11i h';g- the mi le-poststhe earthrna y appear ""'T ]argc ;.but {O than happlest of all naen .. the astronomer, who Razes, atthe 11.eav€lls, mild! by ~bd:r mmdHrd jtidg~~ the m agLlitL:!(k of om' gTol>~, it ~11'P<::"T!; vCOY$BiaUL And soI thinls it mustseemto the ckdrid;arLi f,,, w hell. he considers t1le speed with wh leh an cleotric Ji.st urbance is propa,gatred. t:lumlg 11 t he ellrth. an his ideas or IJU~t:;mC(l must completely vanjsh, 1\. point of g~at Importance won tel be nrs( to know ,,'I.Ui is the c,'[paclly {,(il", earth and "ha! cha<£"'e does it cr>L,t"b:1 {,f el,o;d.I~"'tl'.

m~·rUR~il.NC'E .AND 1DE:MO:;:S'l'U1:ION OF T!~E KAR'fH"'S· El::f.{::'I'RI£;A~. CHAEN;~';.

P.!'!.lH' of Nk Tesla's more-recent work has been 'il~ lite direction here indicated; fur in his

osciHatarl:tehm. not simply fil newpracdeal device, b~!t '" new im plemeut of scientific research, 'Vir~ththe osc11b:ior, if he has not as yet 1l(:~Il,aHy determined dUl earth's dedrica1. charge or " capacity," he has obtain ed strlkin g cffec!~ w hich conclusivel 'I demonstrate that Elf; hm. tmccecded, in di~tmbing it. He <:;Dml~cts to the earth, by one of its ends, a coil {see l'ig_ IS,)

in w hich rilrjd~y ~'ibl" C!lm:ents are prO"-

duced, the other end free III SpiKe. \Vh,h

tll]s COl ~ h e does a . crually what one would be doing with. a pump forcing air into an. el<liS\:1C foot· ball. At ea!d a]letnaie stroke the ball would expand lind contract, But it is eyident!hat such a !JaIl, if ~.m€d with air, would, when suddenly expanded or contracted, vibr~MM its own rnte. Now if the strokes ofthe pump be so timed that they are in harmon v '\vltll the i!)di Vi(]l~<lI.I .",.il:ll:;[~i.Qns (l[ the ball, all· intense vibrationor slIJ.Fgung will be nhta[ntcl_ Tile: purple streamers of electricity thus €;\lcLled from tlieenrth and pourin g out to the ambient rtir arc m azvelcus, Such a display is seen ][1 Fig.. I 4. wh~re the' crown of rite coil, ta12ering:upward in <l! I'eal ofTeneriffe, flames '¥ilh ~he outburst of a solar phOlO$phe~.

The currents which are made topass in and olttofthc earlh by mcam:5 (lfth\~ coil can <ILo,obe directed UP0[l the h uman body. ll.l:I o bscrvcr mounted (Ill ru ehalr, am] tOIJ:cbi:tlg'uhe (On with a metal rod, c:J:[I, by careful llG1juilfrment;;, di:I'!:1l'1 enough of l.fi n ponhimself to cause its m au] fest<r~km from and around himin splinters of light This lMdocf£ea, obtained u)lsenditlg' the e]ectncityof'theearth through ahuman b!:1il!lg".-the hlg'hi:;;;t cbmge pooLtiveJ.-y eve. g[ veu in S<l!retYI~

~3'

.I:J(j, ~5" .... r£,SLiL CClf.1:.. tnl)i;I: A~J!:"I-::'L~~;}I!Jii(i' ,i\~[1 ,j)~SI:I:lAHlI,ilfli.'H;' TUli_; !n,~-,]'H:I:C~'I'!f 'oS' T.iiB li:A~:J:"""_ VUIg. ,IiT.Ii:EiAl'_,[ER~ AT "FIJI" (117 i;;1)~t. ~"'_'IUJ· Ofr" 1:11.I,ItI~Le: KIJ:e'~ .rt.!!w: 1.:1' ~:s; IltY.E!lM 'RE!:·~B:LB !f.'~LArPr:l~~",I'~ ~Jl'lr s:r~,""''{H"~&I:'u THE EIf'F:I:!CT U.iT :M.IIi.~o;;,;:; II-B"IJilG ~alJSW BY ,f.li!i:C1LQi!II·CE:D E:X;I'-l_J~:it.II-:;!): OF" 'FLII;.;;FI-'UaH1' i-litr:a'y!ln:,

is, to sa ythe least.curious, and deeply suggesti ve, Mr. Tesla's 'le,tl'_:lg,it)' [n trying the effect firs ~ upon his own person can be justified oniy by hisclose and accurate calculation ofwha t the amount of I..]te discharge from the earth would be.

Considering that in trJoc adjustments necessary here, a small lengtho.f 'wire or", small body of

n"

Any kind added to the coil or brought. imo hs vicinity ma.y destroy entirely am effecr, one can imaglne the pleasure 111 hich t he investigator feels when thus rewarded by unique phenomena, Af~e.r searching with p?ltiellttoll for two 0"1" three years Clfter ill resultcalculated ill advance, he is compensated by being able to wit-

OLlY .l)l1I'CH )}IAST.ERS,

933

l1e5s~m(JG~ Illi'lg;nifken t (!ispb y. of fie:ryst:.re,.ms and. lightning discharges breaking out from the tip of the wire Ivjth the roar of a g~s-we]l. Aside from their deep sc~e]]tirnc import and their wondrous raSdtla~Oll ~~. aspectacle, such effects ~)(Jillt to mail}' new realizations making for the hight, welra:re Qf 'the human race, The transmi;'Aiioll of pow:~ <In.d inbdli\'lenc,e L~ ])u~ ,one llhmg ;~he modlfK<!tWrl of dlrnil."tlC conditions 'maybe another, Perchance we shall zc call \L]) " Mars. in til is way some dfW" the electrical charge of both planets be~llg utilized in signals.

.. Hew ".re·grC>:i.1 results, lof~y aims, f~Ild[mMe

• .d.€oM!; an d }'(!tth('Y are bm a beg,g:arly few of a~.~ ~hose withwhic:h Mr • .Tesla, by his sirnl)k,lnod, est worik,ha;:; associated his name duringrecent years. He I!> 1101 an inl.prac!icable visLcm.f!ry, but a worker who, with solid achievements be-

hind him, seeks r'lrger and! be(!er, ones thM lie before, :I!S wen as fuller knowledge, I hav e veniuredto supplelnent data OIJS to 11]3 late inventions by "I(HTIe of'his views as so the ether, wb~ch throughout this presemation of his work has been treated femiliurly as the mnld-of-all-work of theuniverse. All OUt explan~~;t.ion~ of things are but hal f, way housesto the ultima te facts, ]t may t)(~ said, then, ill conclusion, that while Mr. Tesla does not hold Professor Oliver :Lodge's ingenious but intricate notion oftwo electricit~~~ and h'l'O ethers, and of the etberas itself electricity, he does belong towhat Lord Kelvin has spoken of 018 the nineteenth-century school ofplenum, accepting oneetber rQr]i£bt, heat.electricity; and Hl1l1gnetbrn, outwardmanifestations of <l.ll inward unitywhose secret we shall some day learn"

IN TESLA'S LABORATORY,

H.ERE in the <Cia.!&. .what gh08tJy li.gllI:csptess!No phantom of (he Past, or grim or sad;

No \1i'<tiling spirie of woe; no specter, d<!)(l

T]] white and wandering cloud, whose, dumb c1btwss

Is that its crime it never may eonfess,;

Nc • shape fmmll:te strewn sea ; nor: they that add Tile link of Life <l~~d Death-the rearlessmad, Thi~t Iivenor Jiein dreary nothingness :

But blessed spirits waiting 1;0 be born _,

'I'hQtiI.gh~,» W unlock ihe f.;t[ering chains of 'n~~[Ig::;; Th e r:kt~(!;r Time; Ihe Universal Good,

Their smile is Iikethe J(lyQI}~ break of mom ;

How fair, how near" how wistfully they brood t Listen r [ha:~ m~mn.rr is of angels' wings,

OLD DUTCH MASTERS.

[NAN!) BOt was the old- a rlch mrnl. Bolfs ooosidered c:hil.::ll!y as ® est studcue in Rembrandt's portrait-pamter, [hough be execueed many hishousem Amsterdam. He was iodc((\lwo,k5, and hts elchingt> ar-e highlycsOne of the first, and by manv is teemed, 111 his earlypictures he adheres to considered to' haveBeea 'the the m(~m.tle:t of his ma~ter" :L<, rna}' bereadily bt'frlt Veryl Litle isknown of 11 [8 observed III hlspor~mi;t of Sa,ki,t, iZembr<n~d!t's life, He was horn lit Dort, in wife"l[]. tho '[J:.n~sse.ls Museum, and. inother of June, 16~6, .and became ru pll.j)il of Rembrandt his C,\·();,d;~rl'io~ to 1642, ill which b,ecom€s W''iit[H! 1630, when about fourteen )lears of ~,,~ry near his master. A{terlh!s he endeavors, :I1ge, and is not known to have had a!1v other eo strike out for' himself, becomes different itlStrlldor.. III 165~ he became iii. citizen of ftom. Rembrandt ill everyway, and does not Amsterdam. and. died. there, on J uly ~4'.1 J: 680, succeed very well, 'l!lpt:i]fina~.ly w,(! have a mas-