Astronomers Discuss Tesla's Alleged Message From Mars

They View Incredulously the Wizard's Claim That He Has Received Signals from Other Planet.

Inventor Says HE Can Construct Instrument That Will Establish Interplanet Communication.

Many Scientists Advance Arguments to Substantiate Their Skepticism of Tesla's Assertions.

Nikola Tesla claims to have had the first call of the century from a neighboring planet.

He has communicated with Mars, he declares, while on Pike's Peak, delving into the mysteries of the wireless transmission of electrical energy.

The summons was faint, but, according to Tesla, not to be mistaken.

A new voice, from a planet thousands of miles removed, was speaking over one of the myriad unwired telephones of the Universe, and there, near the lonely mountain peak, in the fathomless calm of night, the voice at last found a listener, and world spoke to world in language strange at first, but sure to be clearer, says Tesla, ere the twentieth century has finished its course. Here the Journal presents what Tesla himself says of this first manifestation:

It was in investigating feeble electrical actions transmitted through the earth that I made some observations which are to me the most gratifying.

"Chief among these were certain feeble electrical disturbances which I could barely note at times; and, which by their character unmistakably showed that they were neither of solar origin nor produced by any causes known to me on the globe. What could they be?

Will Talk to Mars.

"I have incessantly thought of this for months, until finally I arrived at the conviction, amounting almost to knowledge, that they must be of planetary origin. I have perfected my transmitting apparatus so far that I can construct a machine which will without the slightest doubt be fully competent to convey sufficient energy to the planet Mars to operate one of these delicate appliances which we are now using here, as for instance very sensitive telegraph or telephone instrument.

"Now since we ourselves are already so far advanced, is it unreasonable to believe that of the twenty or twenty-five planets of the solar system one, if not more, might be ahead of us in the evolution? Where there is sun's heat and moisture life must originate and must go on developing just as a stone must fall to earth."

Tesla's almost incredible discovery was made by him in Colorado two years ago while he was conducting experiments in relation to the wireless transmission of energy. He worked in a laboratory specifically constructed about ten miles from Pikes Peak.

When he was asked yesterday to give some visible form or notation to the message he had received he smiled enigmatically and said:

"As I have already said, one of the planets in the solar system may be ahead of us in the evolution. Their means of interplanetary communication may be perfect, but we have yet to learn their sign language. It is impossible at present even to suggest a code and my observations to the Red Cross Society on New Year's Eve were purely speculative, but for purposes, of illustration they will answer the purpose at present.

"It is enough to say at this time that a message from Mars which might be a triangle to them would appear as some other form to us and vice-versa. These differences can only be reconciled by time and careful study. It is wonderful enough, is it not, that a beginning has been made.

"On Pike's Peak I set out to carry on my experiments along three different lines.

"One of the first observations I made in Colorado was of great scientific importance and confirmatory of a result I had already obtained in New York. I refer to my discovery of the stationary electrical waves in the earth. The significance of this phenomenon has not yet been grasped by technical men, but it virtually amounts to a positive proof that, with proper apparatus, such as I have perfected, a wireless transmission of signals to any point on the globe is practicable. When I read statements to the effect that such a thing is impossible, and i recall the numerous adverse criticisms of my expressed confidence that I can ultimately accomplish this, I experience a feeling of satisfaction.

Difficulties Encountered.

"In perfecting my apparatus I encountered at first great difficulties. I had a few narrow escapes from sudden sparks jumping out to great distance, and a number of times my laboratory caught fire, but I carried all the work through without a serious mishap. I gradually learned how to confine electrical currents of a pressure of 50,000,000 volts; how to produce electrical movements up to 110,000 horse-power and I succeeded in obtaining electrical discharges measuring from end to end 100 feet and more. These results were, however, rendered more valuable by the fact that they opened up still greater possibilities for the future.

"Am I think over it now it seems to me, that only men absolutely stricken with blindness, insensible to the greatness of nature, can hold that this planet is the only one inhabited by intelligent beings."

As to the practical details of establishing a system of interplanetary communication, Mr. Tesla is not yet prepared to talk. His suggestion, however, of an interchange of mathematical forms would indicate at once a practical basis of operations by means of initializing electrical disturbances at the three angles of a vast triangle described over an immense area of the earth's surface.

Observers at these points with means at command for the transmission of powerful electrical energy could thus indicate to the inhabitants of Mars in unmistakable manner the species of form language in which It was desired to hold communication.

Thus, little by little, an intelligible code could be established containing possibilities for the acquisition of exact data concerning other worlds far beyond the wildest dreams of necromancers.

Tesla now firmly believes that with improved apparatus it is not only probable, but entirely possible that we shall be able to communicate with the inhabitants of other planets.

ASTRONOMERS VOICE SKEPTICAL VIEWS.

Discuss with Considerable Incredulity the Story of Mr. Testa's Alleged Discovery.

Washington. Jan. 3 — Professor S. I. Brown, of the United States Naval Observatory, said to-day: "Any proclamation coming from Tesla is likely to be received with considerable incredulity. I have been looking in vain for some practicable results to follow the extravagant claims that he has constantly made during the past half dozen years.

"His assertion that he has found that some planet is signalling to the earth is remote even to the point of impossibility. He contradicts himself so frequently that it is hard to tell what he really means.

"He indicates that Mars might be the world which is attempting to communicate with us. It is most peculiar that any discovery involving Mars should be made just now. Once in every fifteen years that planet reaches its greatest distance from the earth, when it Is 62,000,000 miles away. The nearest that it ever gets is 36,000,000 miles. It happens that just now Mars is at the furthest distance that it ever gets from us.

Tesla indicates that this method of communication is based upon wireless telegraphy. The power of the electric wave vibrations involved in wireless telegraphy is inversely as the square of the distance they have traversed. Thus the electrical power required on the planet Mars in order to communicate with this world would be 3,600,000,000,000,000 times as great as the power received here. Even the faintest sign of energy that might be received here, when multiplied by that sum, would represent an incredible force on the surface of the planet Mars."

Professor A. S. Skinner, of the United States Naval Observatory, said: "This is the first I have heard of Tesla's latest accomplishment. You can rest assured it is imaginative and visionary. I don't care to make any further comment on it or the possibilities of the case."

Father John B. Hagan, Professor of Astronomy at the Georgetown University said: Astronomers do not look forward to the discovery of communication between the planets, and in fact, take no interest in and pay no attention to experiments of this character. There is, of course, no internal contradiction to the problem, being only a question of means on our side and the possibility of inhabitants in Mars. I would prefer not to make any comment on this particular alleged discovery of Tesla."

Professor T. J. J. See, of the Naval Observatory, said: "I have read the story about this discovery. I do not care to say anything about it."

MAGNETISM, MAYBE, SAYS SCIENTIST.

Professor Hough, of Chicago, . Gives Possible. Explanation of Tesla's Phenomenon.

Chicago. Jan. 3. — Professor. George W. Hough, director of the Dearborn Observatory and teacher of astronomy at Northwestern University, said: "Tesla asserts that his instrument was disturbed, and that he is positive that the disturbance was not caused by the sun, moon or earth, and then concludes that it comes from Mars or Venus. A dynamo when running will show a disturbance on any magnetic instrument located a block away, depending on the power of the dynamo. It is probably some such magnetic cause that produces the peculiar effect on the oscillator spoken of by Tesla.

"This idea of communicating with the planets is an old one. More than a half century ago Thomas Dick, an English philosopher, wrote a book called 'Celestial Scenery,' in which this theory is discussed thoroughly. I am convinced nothing new has been discovered on the subject up to the present time."

John H. Kedzie, author of "Solar Heat, Gravitation and Sun Spots." said: "The theory is utterly visionary and impossible. Tesla is a great genius, but is not recognized by scientific men as a safe authority on scientific subjects. When he presents something he can prove to be true, scientific men will be quick to give him the credit due. The nearest point to the earth which the planet Mars ever reaches is 40,000,000 miles. The making of an instrument sensitive enough to record waves this distance is beyond the range of human possibilities."