POWER BY WIRELESS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 745, 18 February 1910, Page 4

POWER BY WIRELESS.

TESLA'S MARVELS,

N.Z; TO "BE - A POWER-EXPORTING -COUNTRY.'; V In the ( world; of wireless achievements (writes: tho New York correspondent of -tho "Sydney. Morning , Herald','. under date December .12): no name; stands higher than ..that of Nikola Tosln, the famous iuventp'r who has his .office, in New ..York —an office that is guarded almost as jealously; as the palace of the.Czar of.Kussia. .A'.quiet,:' reserved man, and withal, ono of tho busiest .men-iu all the world, he but;.rarqly submits ;to the demands of tho interviewer. , ;?Armed,: however,: with; a .letter .from-a -friend of his,>l succeeded 'in'reaching him','and Ifourid'hiiu greatly, interested',in Australia and Now/Zealand, so much so, indeed, that he -hopes:to visit .those countries at no every distant dato : in connection;with a great electric scheme ;he is just-perfecting, "and'which promises .to revolutionise life.- He has discussed, his.plans with Sir'.Josopn-Ward .in-.this; city... y:.y}. : ;// ," '■"■■y.-j: - ;•

: Telephoning.: to Australia from J;;.f'--S-:'i ' ; 'Nev/':York...-..: ;;:;:, ; ,

.'" The. other'day,'in the New' York press, .there'.was! published./a .'statein'ent- that Tosla' Vvas. perfecting, a system whereby it would be,possible to telephone'from New' ;Yo'rk' City.to. Melbourne by''wirelessprocess, without any change 'in'"the''present : installations',.'mado by : ;the and telephone;.companies; and. it'.'was with' a •view ■ to -'obtaining;. some' .details of. tliis wonderful"invention :that-'I 'called upon hinv-und: ho. g'avo me' the .details .of it, and greater- wonders yet. ;>' : -What the. world .will ;be'"lik'o -in another twenty, years, ■or evon\ih'' a decade,' 'if ; all;- this, man's, prophecies be' fullilled, '■•'is• almost unbelievably. ■ Tesla' looks the .wizard ho is."'.Ho;.is'.'r'emarkably tall' and thin, .'and ho has; a''long, 1 ;/ oval-shaped, head, w v ith. jet-black hair;, niul' moustache,. 1 .slightly tinged .withfgre'y/'arid his 'eyes-are. small and' 'dark,'':but-'wbnderfully .bright; ;He speaks with.a. pronounced foreign-'accent. His mother was a Montenegrin, his father was of. French descent;-''.:' ";.-->< : '.-\- :, "-i

- '•; ~;A::Powcr Contro,; for/the /Wprjd;'.;'; : ••.;Tes!a:,is'.-planning' to. build 'a-;great. clec- ' trie power'.plant,-, which lvill: eriablo him'to operate all the. telephones,..telegraphs, lighting,' : traction; and -'industrial -systems bf--the eaVth.'-by. wireless'-.currents'. HisHplari'; Astf- is. so far-reaching'.', ; that,'it. takes iii'the-dper'atioh":o£;all.'aeroplanes and dirigibles,' and. the:keeping .of:them; in telegraphic' arid.' telephonic "touch with : tho-earth- ; 'at'"'.all:tirnes : -by:' : the-.same. ' metliod;''io : hiatter"ov6r(what part of the oar'th" tliey"'riiay"b.e:sailing;'.'or with-iwhat "part'o'fV ; it'■they.'-'may'" desire I'ttf/cflmmuui.cate. By"th'is"systoni, .■•hoJ'Sojisi -.all tho wires /that"are-ridw'rised to'connect;telegraph''"' and'"/ telenhono ■: instruments■ and iOleotrio: lights /tfill- be; • eliminated out ''changing 'in' any degree")the; other, features"'of the installations',-aiidat will, booasiei":then for a man'in New. .York •'to'; step "to ; a telephone;-; '.arid converse' .by. wireless with a "mail in tMelboiirnd; Syd-. ney/ Auckland,. 'or; Wellington;'-; than it: now'is for. him' to talk"'by wiro across a room;:' : ''' ■":■■' !','■•.■..■•.''■'■:':.'■ '.-'■;■:-'■'' ■:'■,"

A '.Key to Power in Your Pocket. :'; rtoris"thi's'all." : -'lt will ■to- possible for a mail' living in Australia or-New Zealand/to;purch'aie:'a'.sinall< electrical . device;"' capable ofc'ibeihg ■ carried •■■■".■ in - : his '•po6keti : v*fecby--V he—may -provide, his, •house.: with': 1 all:'■the lighting:it', requires," "thb" power M*inij -transmitted alls the way ,from-'the.-United'-'StatesV-'.: The;'prico ;oi this -'ap'pa'ratus v {will' bo ; very' small, and the'- : costT6f Slighting with'-, power (derived: from"-': NiagaravFalls'':willvb6?muchi less than what'it costs your-citizens' foT.ligb.t:ing at present, "iTor it only costs : ton .dollars per -year, to produce'' one-horse-;powori-at-::Niagara,".says Tesla.-i;.'.;.' ".-.■ .',■ ,"{3o - enorinous," ; h0.,, added,, "is '.the energy-.we. can ..doyelop .by. means' of'iny, systom--an(l -I may. say ,that jlarconij, Do', Toresiv.'. 'and - other; eminent■.,, men ,"in "the' sphere .'bfekctricar;science..,are.>vorking. 6n.,iriy.Vsys):eni—that it; r wb.uld'be,;po'ssible: ;lo,cause, a : .'-.tremondous .cataclysm, ; .oa..the. earthiivitfc it.V.'ihis, power. c'an f .bo trans 7 . mitted. through. the globe"in extraordin-' itily-JittifiiJ3m&;'..MsLl o?n-b4.°. u .'?^ : l o; the millionth'part exactly "the "amount' of ip"6wcrj'that;>ill',.be; available; at.'any ;por:tiqn'','o'f;.the'fearth'.v ■'?; V ■':•. :*/.''VM,;5/->. : ' Already Transmitting to West Australia.; ."i. have already .been- transmittingenergy to' the coast of Western Australia, and: I know to. a fraotion of a second 'how; long it, takes.to. get,.there. AU.-,that-will be'anecessafyHor th'b.lighting of JyOur ■cities, ]br "to pr6vide:.eleblrio power.ifpr any. ■•;.for ,airships wien you 'have,;themi.out.ithcre, will,'be tHo'orcbtion^of'ah-inexpensive apparatus which' would : receivo tho power, we would :send from Niagara and'then distrfbuiS

"I.lcnpw.V said Tesla, "that-.thcre-arb a.;/great■' many, psoplo—and .. I ' 'havo'/Up cloubt a'.large number in'your own country, .where tho marvellous' strides madeiiji. : the ' harnessing of' wireless"currents •_-.;.kifo* not as fully appreciated'as they ai6;'in' this part of the world—who will consider , my words as. those', of. a .visionary, biit'l 'am convinced that time will fully, vindicate' them.?:.l, have "/worked'-persistently on-'the/ wireless transmission of energy sinceVlß93.'; ; Iu that -year. : ,l presented: a -'rjSpeivon "the subject before the National .(Electric Light Association/in St. .Louis :'a'n'd itie Franklin Institute, in 'Philadel- .;;;'■ .'.-.-....:.■-.,.-.;3 : -'- '"■'•'■''•V Y-7■; At At ; Least Six ■ 1 nvehtioris. . ;'. -■', ■

'": "It-i is popularly ; supposed:.: that,-; the wireless'.' system pf-,. isj-sim-ply, one invention,'whereas-'it involves-; in, its -present, state of'..perfection six, fundamental discoveries, or inventions, in'combinatibn.-" ..These, ho'stated.ns follows':—'

(I). The method and apparatus'for trans-, forming-, ordinary; currents'/into electrical oscillations.of great-intensity. ..'J-yVV (2) Tho' apparatus for intensifying those .vibrations immensely, so that they pehe-' trntointo the distance. '.'..-■' ' ■•'■',v> :

,-'.- (3) ; A receiving apparatus' which collects and focusses .energy which a. transmitter: supplies to a.largo:.'; territory, For'in« stance, if such receiver,, properly :.',coristrucfed," be placed in'.'lreland,: it/will collect practically .'the "'entire energy .convoyed to • that, country from the transmitter. '■-.'■■■•':■'.-.■.'' .--?:,;'■//;,;: .'.;■

V (4) The method.:.and...'apparatus, for making the "electric impulses secret and non-interferable—that is to sa~y, making, it.impossible: to prevent their passage or to read them. "The energy of the'-trans-' mittdr, which is collected by the: receiver, can only bo released by a sort of-safety) lock or combination. .':.''',--,'

(s)' The prodiiction pf statipnary waves —that is, waves.which-excite the entire earth and;pass through it under'a vibration much the, same. as.though you.wero 1 to draw-a' string- tight and then strike it. With theso' waves the distance: is absolutely eliminated, as the effects :'are .Uio/::same 'fhether tho receiver :is thousands of. miles; away or .close to the transmitter. :'..'" : ' -.■'■■!

.-. :(C) ; A numbor of inventions which carir not well be described'in a short interview, but which go together to make the systerii practically operative, .' !..'.,'-;

Immense Importance of Wireless,;.; • "As I told. the. representative of; the ■'New'. York Press,''.' he continued, ■ -"it will be just as easy with, a :plant:constructed under the observance_of these, principles to telephone from here to Melbourne as across a room, and there.will| be absolutely no distortion of.tho voice,! such as.is now.observablo in communica-j Hon by'wire. It: is no theory this,:-but a fact, absolutely demonstrated, by;, mm experiments. These show that tho current] passos'without loss over tho entire, extent of tho globe, and through the globe.: 'Alj ready I liavo carried tho construction, of such an installation very far, and I hope that I shall bo able to complete it durini tho coming summer. From that moment every tolegraphio and_ telephonic, as; well as overy wireless station, will bo ever'.sp mnch more valuable, as. they mil bo able, to receive messages from any part of llie world. - All this will bo dono-.without,tlio slightest '■'ehango-in tho existing' equik mcnt. J *. ■ : 'h-. ,High, Towers Not Wanted. ;; p

"Asked if it would: bo'necessary under his'plan to build high towers on tlio shores of the countries using it, and *a|so in tho :intcri6r, ! :Tesla replied: "Not-lat all. The: fact is. that largo towers il're comparatively ineffective. • That which I have built near Port Jsfferson, L.IJ u

only 187-feet high,--but the plant will produce an ■■ effect 'wliicli : can bo pushed •up to a rate-;'of/'no less than "1,000,000,000 horse-power, which is more than all tho wireless plants 'that navo'beeri'putup so far all together.' I;secured- this -'enormous activity by the use of certain," artifices, on which 1 have also based my 'Conn/donee that it will'be (possible to-flash signals through'inter-planetary space. A visionary; of course—until Ido it. .. ' "N0w,.1 do not call all'these inventions mine. 1 have simply laid the foundation. In the perfecting of my'inventions"grc-at work lias been done by-: tho - .engineering'; staff of the' Wcstinghouse and General .Electric Companies. So that at'the pre-' sent time there are hundreds of millions invested -in. enterprises in : which-: my . alternating system forms. the underlying foundation. Wo:have harnessed: 6,000,000 horse-power ,-;• waterfalls, and ; there" aro' probably enterprises aggregating'2o,ooo,ooo inoro under ."consideration.-'■ -When ' you bear. in mind .that .one• horse-power for 2-1 hours is equivalent to. the average, performance, of 24 men,'you will realise the enormous importance, of this water power/ To put- it.- another way—the 6,000,000 horse-power: which - we'.. ■', :have harnessed has virtually' added to the world's population from, the-.point of .view of labour 141,000,000-. of .working men, who consume no food and need no. clothes." ..

:,.'-|-:Tesla's; Airshin.■-. - -. ■'.■ .-. Tesla then'.went on to refer to'airships.' One; single. :plarit,: say, "'of.; 10,000"■ horsepower,' would, he .'said,, s'uthce., to'.:"'; drive several .tliousand "flying'. machines,','; aero-: planes, arid.'dirigibles,.'anywhere in -the .world.' While- supplying, them withj wire-' : less- power,',it. would, also'keep them .iii . constant:, touch .'with the' earth ■ by ■' wireless telegraph and'telephone,. "Of course," he said, "I h'avo always considered as the test;solution 'of;, the rproblem,'b'f aerial' flight, thewirelcss transmission, of power,' .because it '.dispenses"with.'the'necessity' of carrying 'a'heavy., store') pf fuel/ and makes. the cruising, xa'dius anything.' ono likes. ;'l'he only limitatien "would;bo tho ; carrying of. food' ;ahd. provisions. ':' I have' perfected'. a; new 6cheme;. purely.' mechanical; which I believe.possesses, very great advantages over anything that-has "been' done heretofore. '.'J/ have preduced',a;riew kind of-engine, of great lightness arid'eitraordina'ry.'simplicity; and have'ioYblve'd' new'.devices l :for lifting and.'.'"propelling; A machine, on these new principles;l 'have been designing-during.the pasf year, and I .expect "to''begin"'-construction very shortly. ..My ,machino.:,will present-,- ab-. solutely no/'similarityttb. any machine at present;in existence. -;'lt 'rall'be.'extremly small and perfectly .reliable;,, There .'will; bo.less danger in flying by m'earis'of'this' machine than: there is ' in, riding' on'. an automobile, and it'will: require s no skill' or itraining such as the present'aeroplanes do.' Every proposition involved. in - this" new: ; flying..maohino 'has-'been' 'demonstrated by me: in actual: experiments,-so that'tho -design is now. a' very simple mat tcr."''.';;i". •::•','-, '!. . : . ;C;' '.-■'■;-.. •'■> --'; ;-<

: '"How much weight will 'it carry?".' "' v "Any..weight.you -like. It is 'simply a ; question -'of size; "and riiy iriaohines will be ; so - powerful or: - their "size that even' machines'.'oj'.gr'eat power "will-' be-'sihdll.' It will be possible; by>thd!iise' of this : riew engino '.off-mine' to" aev'oldp; '•g£y-- r & 'horse-' power.:for:?cach;llbv of,weight,-:whild :| the' best; of the erigiries weigh ■ some-' thing like lyb;.' to'2lb;per'- horso-power.";

•;;'■ • /.;'/■ / , Referring, to; inter-planetary ;communi.cation, _ Tesla:-'SMd : that ;iri his ' expari-': inents in - Colorado, wherd he: discovered certain, planetary..-disturbances, '.''he- at;tained .with:,--his transmitter activities which surpassed in .power, in many.ways those, of ■lightnirigi,,,-: ""In. -Vmy present .'plant,"-lie/weal; on," "I shall;:be ablo'to, reach" 'a.' rate; of -.energy: delivery': of about l,0(|0,000,000 : liprse-p9 ; urer." : ; .A simple.,calculation will :con.raceY.a'nx experfc'.that suohi! ari .intensity .-an&.eiiejgy r ..frea6))ing'Ca:.cflr-. | tain, area : ,of the, nlariet-Mars'..is.ample'.ti/ produc'o. a.-iperceptibio .effect; in, "a- ; delicate,: .instrument.there-: ;,Of.-course,., we.'.vha™ not, denionstr'ate<l,.in.;an':absolutely certain manner.,,tha.t'.thorej.is'lifo..:on;ilarsV-but. Professo'r;vLp.weU....haSi.conclusiyely..shoini'. that arc; favourable to,the rii aintcnonce -.of ,:'6ome,.;kind .of. life;... Per- - sonally, r niy conviction.;.is,:strorig'.that tain .signals'."'that,;l:- detected 1 while,ex-' pdrim'enting iwithiVmy,. wireless "plant' in' 'LVorado/,'inrfpß9,::could ; :riot-".have '. em'a-.': natcd from,any other.planet except Mars.'. My., reasons '.aroj.tdo-iechriical.: theni popularly, flmi/when-.taken- all 'fe: gother.they.are-very odnvincing.) -At aiiy.rate, we shall'soon have an instrument in operation oh this'i globe, with wiich it ] «'i!l oe possible to flash a signal toMai-s,' and .certainly;, aie..able.,to take; their signals, if/they, onr-thoV other..hand;, have; per,feote<l ( a;sinijlar Scheme. -I-think, they, are.;fla'shing a,lready;,;.and aro.waiting'for: ns to 'answer their signals.".-: ..;,■'";■.' .:',;: ; Tesla, is,convinced that' ;Mars'' is., inhabited jby.. a race., of people quite; as-: in-; telligcnt as.the-'people-of" the.-earth,,-if; nofcinpre./so. '-."Mail is not the only .being, in the: Infinite. giflod-Zwith-. a miold,", ho says.-';■ .: ; ;: . r ,''/■; .-.;:,■.•,_•-,•..-..■.■'-' •;.-- : : .>'.;,. : .:.-:. -~-■.,-..' -.Applied-to. Ships, •.';,!,>. r.r:',-, .-;,

, "A 4 anl electric'lcircuit' adjus'ted'oF-'turie'd'/.exactly 'to'electrical' vibration's of. the. proper, kirid.traflsinitted. to.it from 'a'; distant 'psoillatpr,' 'may.'be.prbp^^^ human''agency.,/; saye,':.tha.t;:rieces&ry.': to worki the.'distaht-plant:.; I-havO;.p'ro'duced: electric •bssillatipnp. Sylfich' .we're -of''such' intensity..',that when: circulating, through' :my. '.anns.'and. chest:.they, molted'-wires, which joined, iny hands, and.,.still I -felt no', inconyonience. .Some-years ag0,,1. in-, tiirioted',';'my'-"willingness ' to. transmit 1 through 'my.- body, with.'very'rapidly vibrating, electric,..currents, tho entire' clec.triics&l; energy, of the dynamos working;At Niagara, then'.'amounting to 50,000/hbrse-;' ■powerj .a. "power" that .has; .ten greatly,' increased since ■ ; .'■'.'.•■..-'^■''.,'"

'i ."Not only'-' is'"-'communication'Hb';'.ariy; distance without /wires is' every'/reason'.;' to 'anticipate', thatr'.most . tolegraphic'"'m'e's'sa'ges across '■'the--oceans, will' bo Won'"- transmitted'''without cable's; and at''iricomparably:Ues9'''expehsb-thari is now possiblfcrbut.Jalso.the .burning-, of the atmospheric "nitrogen,■' the' production of- an efficient'. illuminant, ■ and many other results' -of inestimable scientific. rind industrial-value. Cut the world moves -slowly,' and; new truths are. difficult to see." ; ■•'.,"' .■'.'■■■ -v.- ''.. : •

V Future Exoorters of Power. .. ';:■',•- In conclusion, Tesla/ipainted a,picture of the future. "Han," said ho, "is but just begirinirig>to realise, himself,:but: it would stagger the average man:if I were to :give him la'picture of thbvearth -as'/I Ve it ten, twenty, and thirty years hence. Tho .part-that..electricityjs/goiug to;.play in human j activities; is,; simply ■ enormous. I'rbm thatjnio'nienfc.'.when-.it that,. contrary/i;p .-the established: opiniou,--low' and easily' ac'cessible t strata;.pf;oth(3/ftfe/ m6sphere''.arb'capabld\of.;cbnducting' electricity,' tho ..'transmission, of/"electrical energy without 'wires.became'a rational task of the sui-passingall others :in importance. 'Its? praotical consiim-, mation means .that'., energy will, ..be .avail-.' able for. the".'.uses'.- of man at'any': point' of : the globe,; hot. in small -.amounts siicli.as'.m'ight be: derived from 'the, ambient' medium by suitable, machineiy, but..- in: quantities '. virtually "'.Unlimited,' '.from waterfalls:;. Export, of' power.' will 'become, the "chief source ' of ''income f cr many happily', situated countries,, as .the '/-United.. States, Canada, Central; and:Sniith.'imer-. : icaj Sweden, Switzerland,-arid New Zealand. Men."will be abio. to settle dpw*-' everywhere, fertilise arid'irrigate the soil with little -effort,' and /.convert barren deserts into gardens,' arid thus'tho .entire globe Canute "transformed, and "made: a fitter abode-fer-mankind;. It is' 'highly probable /'that: if "there; are, asM believe; intelligent-beings en Mars;-they have leugagp realised this very idea, which woiild explain: tho changes;- on its ■ surface noted by ristfenphiers.J ::\ : :'.:-x .v •■-•;; 1 --., ': : ;"-->