ELECTRICAL EXPERIMENTER June, 1919 My Inventio By Nikola Tesla a ns V. The Magnifying Transmitter 5 I review the evemts of my past life I realize how subtle are the in- fiuences that shape our destinies. ‘An incident of my youth may serve to illustrate. One winter's day T managed to climb a steep mountain, in com- pany with other boys. The snow was quite deep and a warm southerly wind made it just suitable for our purpose. We amused our- selves by throwing balls which would roll down a certain distance, gathering more or less snow, and we tried to outdo one another jn this exciting sport. Suddenly a ball was seen to go beyond the limit, swelling to enor~ mous proportions until it became as big as a Thi Photograph Shows Erected at Shoreham, Cin. Yo The Tower Was’ Diemancies at the Dutbreak of the War. It Be ia peat ie Boas and slnged thane He ofa bi Mis towes a pong te ai athe it below with a force that made the ground tremble. I looked on spell~ bound, incapable of understanding what had happened. For weeks afterward the pictore of the avalanche was before my eyes and I wondered how anything so small could grow to such an immense size. Ever since that time the magnification of feeble actions fas- cinated me, and when, years later, I took ‘up the experimental study of mechanical fand electrical resonance, I was keenly in- terested from the very start. Possibly hhad it not been for that early powerful impression, I might not have followed ‘up the Hittle spark I obsained with my coil and never developed my best invention, the true history ‘of which I will tell here for the first time, wi pa LAS “Lionhunters” have’ often asked me which of my dis- coveries I prize most. This depends on the point of view: a few technical men, very able in their spe- cial departments, but dominated by a pe- dantic spirit and near- sighted, have asserted iat excepting the ine duction motor I have given to the world Tittle of practical use. Not stroked his chin anc MAGINE @ mon a century ago, bold enough to design and actual stith which to transmit the human voice, music, plewres, press @ hundred years alieed oj his time. And foolish ridicule by ou “savants?" does not in the least mar Tesle’s greatness. Te wate rain of Tere es hardly pFoduced mre am “magnifying tronsmitter? Hertzian waves into the ether. This is a grievous tances from a central point. Nor is there anv mesters obout tt how Ire accomplishes th inate, Anew en mS Hs hlstore 17S. purents and aicea eacribe the method wed, Teale’ Mer- nifying Tronsmister is traly o modern lamp of Aladdin must not be judged ° EDITOR. by its immediate re- — TS cuts, My ten ee ing system of power a percholosical_ mo- ment, as 2 long-sought answer to pressing industrial questions. owed the inborn in Note, the Hus ‘structure by Com. foibe, used by" Testa in Lan A \s thru the earth to any distance whotever without tires! He probably would h hung or burnt at the stoke. ‘So when Tesla built his famous tower on Long Isl Contrary to popular belief his tower teas not built 10 radiate Tesla's avstem sends out thousands of horsepower thru the earth—he hes shown experimentally hore power can be sent without wires over Wi and altho considerable resistance had to be ‘overcome and opposing interests reconciled. as usual, the commercial introduction could not be long delayed. Now, compare this situ ation with that confronting my turbine, for example. One showld think that so. simple and leautiZul an invention, possessing many features of at ideal motor, should be adopted at once and, undoubtedly, it would under simi- Jar conditions. But the prospective effect of the rotating field was not to render worthless existing machinery; on the contrary, it was to. give it additional value. The system lent itself to new enterprise as well as to improve: ment of the old. My turbine is an advance of fa character entirely dif- ferent, It is a radical departure in the sense Bethe Two - ory 1? plant inthe Rear, “uWorta” Wireless.” Never, “Finished. stration ‘opposite joe It Compleve that its success would mean the abandonment ‘of the antiquated types of prime movers on which billions of dollars have been spent. Under such circumstances the progress. must needs be slow and perhaps the greatest im- pediment is encountered in the prejudicial opinions created in the minds of experts by organized opposition. Only the other day I had a disheartening experience when met my friend and former assistant. Charles F, Scott, now professor of Elec- trical Engineering at Yale. 1 had not seen him for 2 long time and was glad to have an opportunity for a little chat at my office. Our conversation naturally enough drifted on my turbine and'I became heaed to a high degree, “Scott,” I ex- claimed, carried away by the vision of a glorious future, “my turbine will scrap all the heat- engines in the world.” Scott 4 looked away thoughtfully, as though mak ing a mental calcula- tion, "That will make quite 2 pile of scrap, he said. and left without another word! aN lly build @ huge tower news and een poicer, 2 been the sens latter day: armchair ie wonder than this “pigddin's Lamp”. These and other in ventions of mine however, were noth me more than stens forward in certain, irections. In evolv- jing them T simply fol- nstinct to improve the present devices without (Continued on pos 148)June, 1919 ELECTRICAL EXPERIMENTER TEELEDCESGRAEHOF A,MODEL. sHows How THE TESLA TOWER BUILT. ON LONG ISLAND, EIGHTEEN, YEARS AGO, WOULD HAVE MOOKED COMPLETED.” PROM ITS APFEARANCE NOBUOY WOULD \INrER THIxT Gf WAS ~TO’ BE USED FOR THE GREAT PURPOSESMy Inventions By Nikola Tesla (Continued from poge 112) any special thouzht of apr far more impera- INS ‘iecersites, “The “Magnifng. Tram met! sta the produc of lot exten: Ing through ears, having for Wet che object the solution of problems which are {intnitely more important to mankind than there industria developmen. Gf my memory server me tight, it was ia November, 1000 that I periormed a labors: ibey experiment wich fat one of the mont extraordinary and apcetcular ever seconded Eke annals of eaences In invetugating the: bc iour ‘of high frequency eaerents I'had\satished ‘myself that an electric Feld of suficientintensty could be produccd i S!coom to light up eectrodeless vacuum tubes ‘Actordingh a tansiormer was tuit'te test the theory and the frst tral rove atmarelous success, It i aiiue I tppreciate what those strange phenomena reer ae that time. We crave for new seme {ations but soon become snacrent to them. {The Sonders of yesterday are today come spon ‘eeeerences Whey ay tales were FRE pablichy cxhiited they’ were viewed ith "amazement imposter describe From “all parts of the world I received trgent ineanons and smmerots honors She other fattering inducements, were of Hered tomes which I decined. Ie Faradey's Char Bt in 1892 the demands became irr able'aha went to Londot where T Itered”a lecture Before the Inston of Elecatcal Engineers; ie had een. ine feruon to iene anmednch for Ph Gonslance ‘th a” sinilar obligation, but SrPjames Dewar ‘insisted of my” ape peaving before the Royal Institution. "T Ragavman of fem resolve but succumbed tsi qo the forcefe! arguments, of the great Scotchman. He pushed. me sno fair ané poured ovt halt a class of a won aestal proven Hud which. sparkled in ail Sorts of ideseem colors and tasted. ke tetlars “Now? said hey "you are siting ie Paraday's chair and’ you are enjorine hiskes he used to drink hn bod aspects Wihiae'an cmvable experience. “The next frome eaves decronstration before that Wisutuion” at the termsation of whch Tord Kan ieigh addressed the audience and Re'eencfous words gave.me the Bra start IS ese endeavors, 1 ‘Red. from London Bad Mater "ftom Paris to escape favors (Caminued on page 1)| My Inventions | ! By Nikola Tesla (Continued from poye 148) showered upon me, and journeyed tom ime where T passed throteh a most pat Falordeat and dincss. Upon reaatnine my iat {began to formulate plans for the Pesumption of work in Americs. Up to that Tine T never realized that 1 possessed, any particular frit of discovers bet Lore. Kat Rahs whom I always considered 36 an ideal : chad said 30 and it that was ihe cage I fel that T'should concentrate on tome big idea Nature's Tien One day. as 1 was roaming in the moun- tains} sought shelter from a approach Ig storm. “The sky became overhinig with HE Cougs but somehow the rain was fetayed wtih all of a sudden, there was & fighting fash and. a few moments after 2 Geluge. “This observation set me think Ings He was manifest shat the wo. phe lonena were closely related, a5 cause and Heer, anda litle redcerion led me to the Eoeclision that the. electrical. energy #0 Solved im she. precipitation of theater Nas inconsidersbie, the function of light= ting bong: much ike that ofa sensitive *is- gene Here was a stupendous possibiny of SChievement’ Ii are could protuce eleeic Sauces of he sequired qualisy this whole Flanct and the ‘condiors of existence of MPcould' be transtormed. “The sur raises theater of the oceans. and winds drive “o"distamt regions where reyains in 2 soo P hon detiete balance. “Thi were in‘our power to upset fe when and wher= ther desired, this igh ble-sustainine Sveum could teat will controlled. We Sovid iesigate arid deserts, create lakes and Sirens ane provide. motive power is an- fipited amouits, This sould be the most Chelemt way" of harnessing the sun t0 the thes of man. “The consummation depended on bur ability to develop electric forces ot tke raar of those im stares Ie seemed a Hopeless undertaking, but I made pm imind 10 try fe and smmediately on my Fe- Torn to the United States. ah the summer OE TS. work was best which was to me 21 the ‘more attractive. beeause a means af the fame ind was’ neceaney forthe cessful transmission of energy without The first gratifying result was obtained in the spring of the succeeding vear when Prreached rensions of about 1.60000 volts with imp conieal coil, ‘That was not much Jv of the. present-ary, tnt it was feat. Steady. progress cpiruction of my labor= Beimay be. judged Martin which aD- the Apel ninmier of the Courirs Sins calamisy set me back ih nau ways and most of that year had to ie devoted so planning: and reeonstruction. However, as. soon as circumstances per- mined. T returned. tothe task. Altuoush Pee tat anes elettsomaive forces were attainable with apparatus of larger Gimensions: 1 had am instinctive perception that the object cou be aecompsel the proper design of a comparatively small tha somnpect trausiovtnen ip earring on teats with a secondary ti the form of @ fist spiral, as iiasteated $n ame patents, the Ehsence of streamers, surprised me, aid 1 as not long before T discovered that this as due tothe position of the timms and Their mutual acon. Protiing from this 1 fecorted to the tie of 2 Bish spon conden” with ir of sone ahle diameter suficlently separated to key Gown the disiribited capacity. whsle at the ‘(Continued on page 176) ators. by from an article byMy Inventions | By Nikola Tesla (Continued from pags 173) same time preventing undue accumulation of the charge at any pommt. ‘The apphea- Hon of this principle enabled me to see “pressures "of 4,000,000. volts, Was about the limit obta Taboratory at Houston charges extended throngh a distance of 16 icet. A. photograph of this transmitter NAS published in the Electrical Review of November, 1898. In order to advance fur- ther along this line I had to go into the open, and in the spring of 1899, having completed preparations for the erection of a wireless plant, I went to Colorado where T remained: for more than one year. Here I introduced other improvements and re- finements which made it possible to gener- ate currents of any tension that may” be Gesired. ‘Those who ave interested will tind some information, in regard to the ex; ments T conducted there in my article, ” Problem of Increasing Human Energy" in the Century evezine of June, 1900, t6 ‘which T have relerred on a previous occa~ sion. ‘The Magailying Transmitter: Pe te ie eae ole ag Breed JGR ony ase hee 2 Beh orate ot BAAR TAR) 2 not ea em dope: frases ry are pul ostagi a te Ss em Eee teeta te elt tod sip say naaede of en Bi aren reneomnslee ad on the curvature of the surfaces on which ple rlflhcecr ona eee ae 100 Million Volts Possible, Judging from my past experience, as muuch as 100,000000 Colts “are pericctly practicable. On the other hand ‘currents Of many thousands of amperes may be ob- tained in the antenna. “A plant of but very moderate dimensions is required for. stich performances. Theoretically, a terminal of Tess than 90 feet in diameter is sufficient 10 develop an electro-motive force of that magnitude while for antenna currents of From 2000-100) amperes at the usual fre- quencies it need not be larger than 30 feet in diameter. In z more restricted meaning this wire~ less transmitter ig one in which the Hertz wave radiation is an. catirely negligible quantity as compared with the whole cnerzy, under which condition the damp- ing factor 1s extremely. small and an enor- mous charge is stored in the elevated capa- Giy. Such a circuit may then be excited uth mpolees ‘oP a Rind. “even, of low Frequency and it will yield ‘sinusoidal. an continuons oscillations like those of an alternator Taken in the narrowest significance of the term, however, 8 resonant trans- former which, Desides possessing these ‘qualities, is accurately proportioned to ft the Globe ‘and its elecifical constants, and properties, hy: virtue of which desian it be- comes highly elfcient and effective in theWireless transmission of energy. Distance Athen. absolutely eliminated, there beins to dinunution ws the jutensity’ of the trot Initied impufses. Its even possible to male the actions inerease seth the dortonce From 1 plant according 9 an ‘exact snare ‘This invention was ene of 2 number com- prised in. my “World-System” of wireless transmission which T undertook to commer- Gialize on my rewen to New York i 1900, ‘AS to the immediate purposes of my enter- rise, they were clearly outlined in a tech- Bical statement of that period from which ‘quote we “Worl System’ bas, rsd from 2, com Reetae Bee eae of ame primed re cE aS Stace HP baats pale Testi of oy "B end eae ot SmaaneronartaMden'st Hentai GSS? ge Imes hc tae” h SSI, LS Se AS Wether Sapte By ies. ana Pe aitee, PUG SAe ther bet oy Sait sh BEubS avoie aes oh tae SSUES Teed Sorelle, Gelert oti: ce Rae ie ae eerie ya ses Sing lng, notte aitant Tae ceamplet te Shed Wey Mane SMG of the psa ot SAE Ta Eas geste OL Det SEE A ash ee ate foses which ‘huiran ingenuity. tas found {OF & facut Dae rating rei of rs at Here nits it dataet Chiledy Fearne eh keine ‘be setaated, howe artical conductors Sei Fiy af ae aly al ge Se Eee imposed by he" obec? dieatene of the ‘Sommercial exploration be opened ty by thie ideal tio cot fnmicion but the old “anes vastly Fie anu Seuen ie ted othe ape, oe Sey Bat aay ine se Tye Trurmer? 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Aron these ety enn eS eet! he exe FEE Reems ste Ta no into eration ee yeaa teens eh IS preet ceehbn aR SRY ol cS? erect dds al snea Se euaahmen of sch Word ye (oo the soupsnmton an peraion a aof a World Sytem of BG The umiecrel“renitration, of ime br help locks jnuieatiog the" bour with eeonomies| Prgciomsand "reget SG) the world wate, haradiers, Tener shee pec fat compass to determine the exact [Seti our snd speeds io prevent colons snd Spe, ee: AS" SS inane sega on bn "s FEES CHa at Ptlataction of photographic pictures and all hinds ef erawings or Fecordes™ Toko proposed to make demonstrations ia the wireless transmission of power on. Small scale but sufficient to. carry convic- tion. Besides these I referred to other and Incomparably, more important applications of my discoveries which will be daclosed at Some forure date. ‘A plane was buit on Long Island with a tower 187 "fect high, having a. spherical ferminal about 68 feet in diameter.” These dimensions were adequate for the transmis: Sion of virtually. any amount of energy. Originally only from 200 to 300 KW were provided but T intended to empioy later feveral thousand horsepower. ‘The trans mister was to emit a wavercomplex of spe- Gal characterstcs and bad devised a nique method of telephonic control of any meant of energy "The tower was destroyed two years ago bot my projects are being developed. and Enother one, improved. in some. features, ‘wil be constructed” "On" this occasion T would contradict the widely circulated re- port that the structure was demolished by qhe Government which owing to war con ditions, might have created prejadice in the minds of those who may not know that the papers, which thirty” years ago. conferred Spon me the honor of American citisen- ship, are always kept in a safe. while my ‘orders, diplomas, degrees, gold. medals ther distinctions are packed away i old thinks. “If this report had a foundation 1 Would have bean sotunded. lage sum of money which 1 expended im the constree- Ton of the tower, "On the contrary i was Inthe interest of the Goverament to pre= serve it, particularly ap it would have made Possible—-to mention just one valuable te= Zile—the location of submarine im any Part of the world, “My plant services, and Ei my improvements have aiways been at the dioposal of the officials and ever since the outbresk of ‘the European conflict T have been working at a sacrifice on several inventions of mine relating to serial naviga- tion, ship propulsion and wireless transmit- SHon! witch afe of the greatest importance to the country. Those who are well formed know that my ideas have evolu lonized the industries of the United St ind I'am not aware that there lives an, YVentor who has been, an this respect, a5 Tortuuate as myself capecially as regards the use of his improvements in the war, I have refrained trom publicly expressing risself on this subject before as it seemed improper to dwell on personal matters while a the world was in-dire trouble. T ‘would add further, in view of various ipimore which have Feached me, that Mr erpont’ Morgan ‘id- mot interest himsel withtme in s Basiness way bot in the same large spirit in which he bas assisted many other ploneers. He carried out his gene ‘ut promise to the letter and it would have ‘been! most unreasonable to expect from him anything more, He had the highest regard forms" attainments and. gave me every evidenee OF his complete fatth in my abilice fo vitimately achieve what I had set ot 10 tua 'Tam" unwilfing’ to. accord wo some Swallsminded "and jealous individuals the Stisfaction of having thwarted my effors. These men are to me nothing more than microbes of a. nasty disease.” Mv project tras retarded by laws of mature, The world was not prepared for it It was too iar head of ime. Dut the same laws wil pre Yalldn the ‘end and make ies. wmphal of 8 eystem of world